Everything You Need To Know About Silicone Patches Healing Scars

Silicone products are becoming increasingly popular for all forms of scar management, regardless of the cause or placement of the scar. The UK distributor of silicone strips talks of their benefits in accelerating the scar healing process. Chris Steeples explains the benefits they have in accelerating the healing process.

NOVA: How does silicone help reduce scarring?

CS: When the skin is wounded due to an injury or surgery, collagen is produced. Collagen is that thick layer that you see sometimes on the top of a scar and it’s the quickest way that the body can actually seal the wound. But it’s not natural skin. What can happen is that you block it up and then you can get an overproduction of collagen, so you end up with this reach that can be what is called a hypertrophic scar or a keloid scar. What silicone does is, you put that on the surface above the scar and it creates an impermeable barrier. And that barrier [persuades] the body into thinking that the scar has fully closed. In doing that, it reduces the risk of too much collagen being produced and the scar raising.

Do silicone patches help fasten the healing process of a scar?

In theory, a scar can take up between 18 months and two years to clear, under normal circumstances. But with the use of silicone, you can actually accelerate that process.

When exactly are you able to use the silicone patches?

With silicone, you can’t use it until a wound has healed and sealed. It depends on the person but that’s usually around six to eight weeks.

Why did you choose to make most of your patches transparent?

If you’ve got a scar on your elbow and you're wearing a short sleeve shirt, you don't necessarily want something that looks like this tape that footballers and athletes use. You might want to hide it. So, something that is clear is fine.

Why would you recommend silicone patches to people who would like to reduce the visibility of their scars?

You can use creams and oils and everything, but what we’re finding is that with these silicone patches, you put them on and you forget about them for the rest of the day. It’s

something that is a once a day routine rather than having to constantly apply creams or oils on there.

Silicone patch brands do not always provide any certificates to medically back them up. How would you recommend people to find the ‘right’ silicone patches online?

You might buy silicone strips that are quite cheap, but if they’re not made in the right way, they don't stick to the wound. The good companies look at how they can prolong the effect of silicone because they look at weeks and months of continuous usage. They test their products to make sure that they have a maintenance version. The other thing is that the product is CE marked, which means that it’s approved for use as a medical device. Some products aren’t. You also have to look if it’s from a reputable company and it’s got all the certifications and qualifications. Experts will also recommend good products, who have confidence in the products as they have had experience with it. They may cost a little more but they’re the more likely ones that will work for longer.