The 5 Minute Scar Massage

Have you ever had a caesarean birth, ACL or other knee surgery, a total hip or knee replacement, a hernia repair, breast cancer, or any other type of surgery or incision?  If you answered yes to this question don’t skip past this article.

Scar massage is an important part of post-surgical and wound healing, but it is often forgotten. Here we will break down why, when and how to do this simple yet effective self-treatment.

Scar Massage helps

• Increase local blood flow, which promotes healing and the scar’s pliability (movability) which makes movements feel less “tight”
• Drain excess fluid to reduce swelling
• Encourages the nerves regenerate in the area and decreases numbness, tingling and soreness and regain sensation (feeling) in the area
• Decrease the feeling of “pulling” around the scar as it can decrease scar tissue build-up
• Potentially make your scar less visible

When to do Scar Massage

• Wait until the incision or cut is fully healed and there is no scab or stitches still at the site.
• Scars continue to remodel for the first two years, but it is never too late to improve the pliability of your scar with scar massage especially if you are experiencing uncomfortable to painful symptoms like pulling, tugging, or tightness.
• 2-3 times per day for the first 3 months of a new scar’s life. You can gradually decrease the frequency to several times a week – although as time passes you can do this as much as you want as long as you aren’t getting any adverse effects such as skin breakdown, increased pain or prolonged redness or tingling.

How do I complete Scar Massage?

• Ideally do this after a shower or bath when the skin is warm
• Use a dime sized amount of Non-Scented gentle moisturizer or Vitamin E lotion
• Use flat fingers (either pointer and middle or pointer, middle and ring fingers) … while doing scar massage you should be able to see your fingernails. If you cannot you are poking into the skin too much
• Apply moderate pressure where the skin around the fingernail turns slightly white. Spot test your pressure on another part of your body as you may have decreased sensation in the area of your scar and you don’t want to be pressing too hard unknowingly.

Minute 1: Slide your fingers along the scar in a clockwise motion

Minute 2: Slide your fingers along the scar in a counterclockwise motion

Minute 3: Slide your fingers right to left along the scar line

Minute 4: Slide your fingers left to right along the scar line

Minute 5: slide your fingers up and down across your scar line

Here are some of my favourite vitamin e enriched lotions: