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  • Scar Care Guide
  • Scar Secrets
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  • Contact Us
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How to Care for a Scar:

A Stage-by-Stage Guide

Learn when scar care can begin, how silicone tape and sheets should be applied, how to improve adhesion, and when a scar should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. 

Before You Begin

 

This guide provides general scar-care education and is not a substitute for advice from your surgeon, dermatologist, or healthcare professional. Follow the instructions given for your specific wound or procedure.


Do not apply silicone scar tape or sheets to open, draining, infected, or unhealed skin.

Scar Care at a Glance

Healing WoundsWhen to Start SiliconeHow Silicone WorksHow to ApplyAdhesion ProblemsSun ProtectionScar MassageWhen to Get Help

Care the Wound First

Before focusing on scar care, let the wound to heal properly. Follow the cleaning, dressing, and activity instructions provided by your surgeon or healthcare professional.


Silicone tape and sheets are intended for clean, dry, healed skin. Do not place them over an open incision, active drainage, or unhealed skin. 

What to Do

What to Avoid

What to Avoid

 

  • Wash your hands before touching the area. 
  • Keep the wound clean and protected as directed. 
  • Check for increasing pain, redness, warmth, swelling, or drainage.

What to Avoid

What to Avoid

What to Avoid

 

  • Do not pick, scratch, or scrub healing skin. 
  • Do not apply silicone, oils, or lotions unless approved. 
  • Do not ignore a wound that opens or develops pus-like drainage.

When Can You Start Silicone?

There is no universal number of days after surgery when silicone should begin. Healing time depends on the procedure, wound location, and individual recovery.

Silicone tape or sheets should only be applied after the skin is completely closed and healed. Never place silicone over an open wound or scab. 

The Area May Be Ready When

  •  The incision is fully closed 
  • The skin is clean and dry 
  • There is no bleeding or drainage 
  • There are no open areas or active scabs 
  • Your healthcare provider has approved scar care

Wait Before Applying Silicone If

  • The wound is still open 
  • A scab is still healing 
  • Fluid or blood is present 
  • The skin is increasingly painful, warm, or swollen 
  • Stitches or staples still require active care

How Does Silicone Work?

Silicone forms a soft barrier over fully healed skin. This barrier helps keep moisture in and protects the scar from rubbing against clothing.


Keeping the scar hydrated may help the skin manage collagen more evenly. 


Over time, the scar may feel softer, look flatter, and become less red or uncomfortable.

Silicone does not erase scars, and results vary. It works best when used correctly and consistently over time.

Find your perfect fit

How to Apply Silicone Properly

Correct application helps silicone stay flat and reduces avoidable lifting, curling, and wasted pieces. Customer feedback shows that adhesion is often weaker when silicone is applied over moisture, sweat, oils, or lotion. 

Why Does Silicone Keep Lifting?

 Silicone may lift when the skin is damp, oily, or moving often. Areas near joints, waistbands, bras, or tight clothing are more likely to curl because of sweat, bending, and friction. 


Customer research shows that lifting and rolling are among the most common complaints, especially on active body areas. 

Problem: Lotion or Oil

Problem: Damp or Sweaty Skin

 Wash the area and remove all skincare products before applying. 

Problem: Damp or Sweaty Skin

Problem: Damp or Sweaty Skin

 Dry the skin completely and allow sweat to settle before applying. Hospitals also advise applying silicone to clean, dry skin. 

Problem: Wrinkled or Stretched Tape

Problem: Wrinkled or Stretched Tape

 Apply the silicone flat. Do not pull it tightly across the skin. 

Problem: Edges Keep Curling

Problem: The Silicone Is Dirty or Worn Out

Problem: Wrinkled or Stretched Tape

 Smooth every edge firmly and keep the piece away from clothing seams when possible. 

Problem: A High-Movement Area

Problem: The Silicone Is Dirty or Worn Out

Problem: The Silicone Is Dirty or Worn Out

 Use a shorter piece that can move more easily with the body. Tape may still lift sooner on knees, elbows, and other bending areas. 

Problem: The Silicone Is Dirty or Worn Out

Problem: The Silicone Is Dirty or Worn Out

Problem: The Silicone Is Dirty or Worn Out

 Rinse it according to the product instructions, let it air-dry completely, and return it to the liner. Replace it when it collects lint, curls, becomes damaged, or no longer sticks evenly. Customer reviews commonly report weaker adhesion after repeated removal, washing, or lint buildup.  

Protect Your Scar From the Sun

Newly healed scars can darken or stay red longer when exposed to sunlight. Sun protection may help reduce discoloration and support a more even-looking scar as it matures.  

What to Do

  • Cover the scar with clothing when possible. 
  • Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher to fully healed, exposed skin. 
  • Reapply sunscreen as directed, especially after sweating or swimming. 
  • Continue protecting the scar during its first year, when it may be more sensitive to sunlight.

Important!

Do not apply sunscreen underneath silicone scar tape or sheets. Sunscreen can leave an oily or moist layer on the skin, which may weaken adhesion and cause the silicone to lift, slide, or curl. Trapped product residue may also irritate some skin. Silicone sheets should be applied to clean, completely dry skin. 


When the silicone is removed, apply sunscreen to the fully healed scar before sun exposure. Wash away any sunscreen and dry the skin completely before putting the silicone back on.

Scar Massage

It may help a fully healed scar feel softer, less tight, and more flexible. It may also reduce itching or sensitivity. Only begin after the wound has completely closed.


Remove silicone tape or sheets before massaging. When using moisturizer, wash away any residue and dry the skin completely before putting silicone back.

How to Massage

  1. Wash and dry your hands and the scar area. 
  2. Use two fingertips or your thumb. 
  3. Gently massage in small circles. 
  4. Then move side to side and along the length of the scar. 
  5. Use firm but comfortable pressure—massage should not damage the skin.

Stop and Get Advice If

  1. The scar becomes painful 
  2. The skin opens or bleeds 
  3. Redness or swelling increases 
  4. Massage causes ongoing irritation

When to Get Help

Some redness, tightness, or sensitivity can happen as a scar heals. However, worsening symptoms may need medical attention rather than continued home care. 

Contact a Healthcare Professional If:

  1. Pain, redness, warmth, or swelling is increasing 
  2. The wound opens or begins bleeding 
  3. Yellow, green, thick, or bad-smelling fluid appears 
  4. You develop a fever or feel unwell 
  5. The scar limits movement or remains very painful or itchy 
  6. The scar becomes thick, raised, or grows beyond the original wound area 

Stop Using Silicone If:

  1. The skin develops ongoing redness, burning, itching, or a rash 
  2. The silicone causes pain or skin damage 
  3. The area underneath becomes wet, broken, or irritated

Important

  1. Remove the silicone and allow the skin to recover. Contact your surgeon, doctor, or dermatologist if the reaction continues or worsens.
  2. Scar-care products cannot treat an infection, an open wound, or a growing keloid. When something does not look or feel right, get professional advice.

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