LAM FACIAL PLASTICS

Hi Dr. Lam,

My mom went to you for her fat grafting and her face is turning out really well! Thank you for what you did for her! I'm one of the sisters that go with my mom when she gets her annual check up.

Over the weekend I fell on an ab roller with my chin. The grooves lacerated my chin and I had to get 4 stitches. The ER doctor used a fine needle and thread used by plastic surgeons to suture up my laceration. The thread is self dissolving and should dissolve in 4 days. This happened on Saturday, June 4.

My questions are:
1. How do I take care of it to prevent a scar or minimize the scaring?
2. It's more than 24 hours, can I wash the wound with water and soap? Or is it better to just dab it with water and keep it dry?
3. Is it best to have a bandaid over it at all times?
4. Is it ok to use peroxide to clean the wound?
5. Can I dab on neosporin at this stage? If not when should I use neosporin?
6. After it heals and if there is a scar? What kind of procedures can you do to get rid of the scar?

Thank you so much in advance for your time and concern on this matter!

Warmest regards,
Wendy

glad your mom is doing well. here are my responses:
1. How do I take care of it to prevent a scar or minimize the scaring? KEEPING IT MOIST UNTIL THE WOUND HEALS OVER A PERIOD OF A WEEK IS GREAT. TRY NEOSPORIN OR SOME ANTIBIOTIC OINTMENT. AFTER A WEEK, IT IS NOT SO CRITICAL. THEN YOU CAN USE SILICONE GEL FROM DAY 10 UNTIL 9 TO 12 WEEKS. DOES NOT MATTER WHAT BRAND.
2. It's more than 24 hours, can I wash the wound with water and soap? Or is it better to just dab it with water and keep it dry? AFTER 24 HOURS, YOU ARE SAFE TYPICALLY TO SHOWER BUT NOT SOAK IT IN DIRTY BATH WATER OR SWIM. ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN TO GIVE YOU HIS APPROPRIATE ADVICE.
3. Is it best to have a bandaid over it at all times? NO, SOMETIMES IT IS BETTER TO LET IT BREATHE BUT TO KEEP IT MOIST ALL THE TIME AS MENTIONED ABOVE.
4. Is it ok to use peroxide to clean the wound? YES, NO MORE THAN TWICE A DAY AND ALWAYS FOLLOW IT WITH ANTIBIOTIC OINTMENT AND NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER PAST A WEEK.
5. Can I dab on neosporin at this stage? If not when should I use neosporin? YES, SEE ABOVE.
6. After it heals and if there is a scar? What kind of procedures can you do to get rid of the scar? FIRST, IT WOULD BE KTP LASER AND 5FU INJECTIONS IF IT IS RED OR THICKENS. AFTER 6 MONTHS OR PREFERABLY A YEAR IF IT STILL DOES NOT LOOK OPTIMAL THEN A GEOMETRIC BROKEN LINE REPAIR IS THE GOLD STANDARD. Z-PLASTIES CAN BE ADJUNCTIVE IF THE SCAR IS CONTRACTED OR MISALIGNED. FOLLOWED BY DERMABRASION. IF THE SCAR IS VERY SLIGHT, THEN DERMABRASION BUT I WOULD ONLY DO THAT IF NO FORMAL SCAR REVISION IS PLANNED BECAUSE DERMABRASION CAN MAKE A SCAR REVISION LESS SUCCESSFUL IF DONE BEFORE IT.