Scars are red and itchy

[alyssadietrch 18]

Hi guys,

My surgery was November 19. My scars look like they are healing well. I never had stitches or anything, just some clear glue covering them that I could peel off after day 5.

Anyway, the scars are red all around them, especially the one by by belly button. And they're so itchy! Is this normal? I'm sure the itchyness means they're healing, but the redness is kinda worrying me. Did this happen to other people? Is there something I can do to prevent this?

[Elode 8,093]

Yep itchy= healing. As long as they don't feel warm to the touch or have any drainage, puss then you should be ok!

[Alfie 58]

Mine are very itchy too and I can see on the side of the steri strips that it is red. My doc also said if they get a bad smell that could mean an infection.

[CheleLynn45 615]

Yep itchy= healing. As long as they don't feel warm to the touch or have any drainage, puss then you should be ok!

This!!

Mine itched like crazy!!! My belly button incision took the longest to heal. My other four are so tiny and look really good now. Still itch once in awhile but nothing like the in the beginning!!

[alyssadietrch 18]

What do you guys use on them to help with itching? Anything?

[CheleLynn45 615]

I didn't put anything on them. Just itched around them. Some days were worse than others but really not that bad.

[walkin'onsunshine 225]

I put neosporin on them.

[melodyssss 30]

I also had mine in nov. The 18th. My incisions got really rashed out red circles around them and itched like crazy. My surgeon removed the surgical glue because he felt it was probably an allergic reaction to either that or the dissolvable stitches inside the incision. It took about another week and then cleared up.

[bikrchk 1,313]

Mine were itchy as well. I also had "glue", (which is the best IMHO if you're not allergic. Just much cleaner and no dirty steristrips hanging on for weeks). Funny thing is even more than a year out they itch sometimes. Just a scar tissue thing, I guess.

[alyssadietrch 18]

I went back to my surgeon yesterday and he said the redness was confusing. Lol. He didn't know what it was from. He gave me an antibiotic just in case it was infected, and some hydrocortisone cream which has already started helping ????

[Susanfnp13 61]

My incisions became red and itchy on post op day 2. They were really red! I thought I was going to get septic and panicked. My WBCs were fine. My doc said it was probably a reaction to the glue, but they were healing ok. If your incisions are warm with drainage, you may have an infection. The warmth is the key. Also, if u are infected, u may have a fever unless you are taking pain medications with Tylenol, which would suppress the fever. You should notify your Doc.