Mederma or Crapola ?

[Lwood]

I recently had all of my KS lesions  ( about 20 ) whacked with Liquid Nitrogen. Although they faded considerably as my immune system bounced back they were still pretty noticeable. The liquid Nitrogen kills the offending skin cells by freezing them, a sort of controlled 'Strategic Frostbite'  which then blisters and seems to heal nicely..

I decided to pick up some Mederma and apply it to the healing spots in order to minimize any scarring so i dont look like I was attacked by a Giant Squid ( although thats the story Im using if anybody asks)

Mederma is a gel that dries in a clear film and reminds me of Aloe Vera. the main ingredients seem to be something called PEG 4 and Onion Bulb extract. hmmmmm. That explains the smell.
I havent noticed anything dramatic, although the skin seems to be flaking off at a faster rate than when I had one zapped previously as a 'test run'   The info only claims to make scars appear softer and smoother so Im not expecting a miracle, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this stuff,
The doc isn't a dermatologist and didnt have any knowlege of Mederma other than their literature
so Im just wondering if this stuff is worth the expense or if its just yet another cosmetic with 'iffy' claims....


P.S. I know this is the Nutrition Forum, but untill they open a 'Lotions and Potions' forum this one seemed the most apropriate..

[J.R.E.]

Hello Lwood,

I have heard of mederma, but have only used it once. And that was  a few years ago. I don't believe I got that good of results. Going through these past twenty years of basil and squamous cell removal, I have been nitrogenized, scrapped, cut and stitched so many times I have lost count.

Don't really know what to suggest, except, to make sure you keep an ointment  on those frozen spots, for several days, as often reaplying as you can . It may help to reduce the scarring, but I am not sure how effective Mederma may be in helping in the appearance.



Ray

[redhotmuslbear]

L,
Two other topicals to consider:  honey and vitamin E.  Several poz friends use honey on cuts and scars upon the advice of naturopaths for its antiseptic properties...just stay away from ants!  I've used vitamin E on surgical scars to minimize their appearance, and it worked well--it's as easy as poking a pin in a vitamin E capsule and squeeze out the oil.

[emeraldize]

Lwood

Have used Mederma multiple times for lessening scarring due to things such as cuts requiring stitches, and more. I've had good results with it. It's so incredibly expensive, one pharmacy I went to for it was actually experiencing thefts of it as it's an OTC product.

Em

[J.R.E.]

Yep...It is very expensive.  May want to check several different pharmacy's for pricing. I think this stuff works differently on people depending upon there natural skin pigmentation.


Ray