C-section Scar

C-section Scar

It is not always possible to go through a normal delivery when giving birth. Due to complications, induced labor or personal preferences, some women may have to go through a C-section. Some women prefer C-sections, as they believe they will not have to go through the pain of natural labor.

The one thing that bothers most women is the possibility of being left with a C-section scar. Women who face the possibility of a C-section are perturbed by questions such as, “will the scar ever go away?”, “how uncomfortable will it be?” and “will I be able to breastfeed my baby?” it is important to understand the consequences of a C-section and learn how to care for yourself and your baby afterwards.

What does a C-section Scar Look Like?
A healed C-section can be about four to six inches in length. However, depending on the size and position of the baby and the area of the incision, the length of the scar can vary.

1. Horizontal Incision
The horizontal incision is the most common type of incision used during a C-section. The incision is made just above the pubic hairline. This positioning makes the scar camouflage into the hairline and is much more cosmetically appealing to women.

A Horizontal Incision Four days after giving birth looks like the following:

In the above image, two C-section scars are visible. The raw scar is from the most recent C-section, which has been stapled shut. The faint line, which is also visible, is from a C-section performed two years earlier.

A Horizontal Incision Not long after delivery looks like the following:

C-sections are prone to infection. If not well cared for, they can easily become infected which can delay the healing of the incision. An example of an infected incision is seen above.

2. Vertical Incision
Vertical incisions are rarely used during C-sections. This type of incision was traditionally used when C-sections were first performed. Due to the significantly apparent scarring left by a vertical incision, it is not commonly used. Vertical incisions are only used as a last resort

Vertical Incision seven weeks after third C-section looks like the following:

The above image is of a woman who has had three C-sections. You can see her new scar from the vertical incision made during the recent C-section. There are also two horizontal scars visible, which are from incisions made during her normal C-sections performed seven and eight years ago.

The image below is of a women who is pregnant with her third baby. The vertical incision scar is from her previous pregnancy. Vertical incision still apparent after more than a year:

How to Take Care of C-section Scars
1. Incision Wound Care
It is important that you take care of your incision site after the C-section. It will take over a month for your C-section incision to heal; during this time, you will experience bouts of discomfort, pain and fatigue. To stimulate the healing process there are a few steps you can follow:

Rest it	Rest as much as you can. Try not to do any unnecessary work. Sleep downstairs for the first month. Keep necessities for you and your baby close by. Do not lift anything heavier than your baby.
Hold your abdomen	It is important that you maintain a proper posture when walking and standing. You must also support your abdomen where the incision was made when you make sudden movements or when coughing and laughing.
Relieve the pain	The doctor will have prescribed some form of pain medication for you. Most pain medications are safe to take during breastfeeding. Take the medication as required. It will help ease the pain and allow you to give time to your baby.
Stay hydrated	You must drink many fluids to replenish the supplies that were depleted during delivery and while you are breastfeeding. This will help with the Constipation many feel after childbirth. Urinate often to prevent any Urinary Tract Infections.
Get moving	Walking around can help alleviate some of the pain from the C-section and can promote the healing of the incision. Staying active (to a degree) can help prevent and relieve constipation, and reduce the risk of Blood Clots which are prone to forming after delivery. By staying active, you also improve your immune system, which can reduce the risk of ailments such as the flu and more serious infections such as Pneumonia.
Support yourself	If you are breastfeeding, use a support pillow to hold your baby while you are nursing. Do not place the baby directly on your abdomen, as this can strain the abdomen and increase the risk of the incision opening.
Keep it clean	It is vital that you keep the incision area clean. If it is still dressed, change the dressing regularly. Wash the incision with warm soapy water and pat dry with a clean towel. The incision should only be touched with clean hands and only when changing the dressing.
Wear comfortable clothing	Tight fitted pants must be avoided as well as tight shirts and underwear. Loose clothing will allow air to access the incision. Loose clothing will also prevent the incision from getting caught in the clothing or from being irritated by rubbing against the clothing.
Use warm and cold treatments	If an attempt at vaginal delivery was first tried before the C-section, the perineum may be swollen. An ice bag held to the area immediately after delivery works best. A warm compress should be used to relieve the pain of the abdomen incision. The warmth will also increase blood circulation, which can promote healing.
Eat properly	After delivery, it is vital that you eat meals that contain whole grains, leafy greens and protein. These will help promote healing of the C-section and will prevent constipation.

2. Massage the Scar

• Benefits. Once you have visited the doctor for your six-week postpartum checkup and you have the okay that the scar is healed, you can begin to massage your abdomen occasionally. This will increase the blood circulation to the incision site. This technique works similar to a warm compress and promotes healing. Massage of the lower back and lower legs can also help relieve pain. Do not begin to massage your surgical scar if the doctor has not advised you to. This can delay your healing process and may even increase the risk of infection.
• Tips. Once your scar has healed completely, you can begin to massage it to reduce its appearance and heal the surrounding tissues. Work above and below the scar. You want to work the tissues up and down, from side to side. Move your fingers around in circles and ensure that you are targeting pieces of tissue that do not want to move. Massage those areas until you feel them relax and loosen.

Once your scar is less tender, you can begin to massage the actual scar. Pick up the scar between your fingers and just roll the skin within your fingers.

The following video gives you tips and a step-by-step guide about how to massage your scar and the surrounding muscle tissue:

In this video, Heather Porter gives you tips on how to promote your C-section recovery. You are encouraged to reduce toxins and drink more water. She says to increase your vitamin C intake, which will heal wounds and boost your immunity. She gives you tips on how to reduce the appearance of scars. Oils containing specific vitamins can help soothe muscles and help heal scars.

What Are the Signs of Infection?
If you notice that the incision site is red and puffy, contact your health care provider immediately. Other symptoms of infection are discharge from the incision site, a fever of higher than 38 C and any severe pain around the incision.

How to Find a Breastfeeding Position to Reduce Discomfort?
After a C-section, breastfeeding can seem like quite the task. To reduce discomfort, it is best to position a pillow over the incision site to hold the baby. You do not want to put any weight directly on the incision site.

Some breast feeding techniques take the weight off the abdomen and might work better during C-section recovery.

• The football hold. Hold your baby on the side of your breast, while bending your elbows, similar to holding a football. Hold your baby’s head close to your breast with the hand of the arm that is supporting the baby. With your free hand, cup your breast from the bottom. Position a pillow beneath the arm holding your baby to make yourself more comfortable.
• Side-lying hold. You can lie down on your side and bring your baby to face the breast that is resting on the bed. Bring your breast close to your baby’s mouth and allow the baby to latch on. Then use one arm to hold up your head and the other to hold your baby.

There are many resources available for breastfeeding mothers. If you are having any difficulties breastfeeding during your C-section recovery, it is best to contact a lactation consultant for more help.

C Section Scar

C Section Scar






Any woman who undergoes cesarean section would have either a vertical incision or horizontal incision on her belly. Like other operative scar, C section scar also takes sufficient time to heal. You need to strictly follow your doctor’s advice in not lifting weight and do vigorous exercise until the wound has completely healed. It takes enough time for you to get back to the previous position and you may need assistance from your relatives or family for taking care of home chores.

The surgical incision is always prone to infection and inflammation until it is healed totally. Before this time, you should not attempt to run or do exercise which would delay the scar in proper healing. You need to wash the scar daily in the shower without rubbing it. It is good to use antibacterial soap for some time and massage gently on the scar to remove any bacteria or debris on the surface.

Your doctor may ask you to apply the bandage on the C section scar for a week or even more depending on how it has healed. For the first week, you should repeat the dressing in the nearby clinic to facilitate proper healing of the scar. Sometimes, your doctor may prescribe antibacterial ointment to be applied before the dressing of the scar.

Be sure you are seeking immediate medical attention if your scar ooze out pus or develops swelling. This is certainly a rare phenomenon but it can form pus when it gets infected. After it gets completely healed, you can exfoliate the skin gently for removing the upper layer of the dead cells of the skin. Gradually the scar portion becomes less noticeable and mingles with the skin color.

Very often, the C section scar goes inside the undergarments since it is usually cut well below the abdominal area.

Treatment :

Fractional laser therapy is given for minimizing the scar appearance after the C section. In this process, the fraction of the skin is treated leaving the surrounding skin area untouched. This method helps in healing the scar rapidly and is very effective for removing the C section scar. Once the laser therapy is done it removes the dead cells, replacing it with collagen from the body thus forming new skin.

Nowadays modern techniques are used while operating for cesarean using dermabrasion method. Some women would prefer to do tummy tucking for hiding the scar totally. This is very expensive cosmetic procedure and alternatively you can also do another plastic surgery for clearing the scar from the surface of abdomen.

Treating Pain :

There may be itch and pain around the incision area until the skin recovers. Apart from pain, some women experience discomfort on the abdomen for few weeks. You may also find it difficult to sit or bend over for some days. There may be occasional itching or irritation on the incision area.

After consulting your doctor, you can take pain reliever for reducing the pain. Avoid wearing tight fitting clothes and leave some air for the wound to heal fully.

Pictures of C Section Scar :

Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of C Section Scar

Treating Infection on the Scar :

When the skin gets infected on the C section scar, it becomes red and swollen. This is due to the growth of bacteria on the area and it becomes tender and warm to touch. However your body’s defense mechanism would send antibodies to destroy the bacteria. You should contact your doctor immediately if you find any pus oozing out from the C section scar.

The symptoms of infection are reddening of the area, swelling and itching. For some women, there may be pus like discharge with foul smell. If left untreated, the bacteria may invade the internal cells causing infection internally. There may be moderate pain in the stomach and you need to take antibiotics for stopping the infection advancing.

Septicemia is a rare type of infection on the C section scar in which the bacteria enters into the bloodstream. It is a life threatening condition causing fever, chills and palpitation. In that case, the patient has to be hospitalized immediately and put on IV fluids for controlling bacteria.

C Section Scar – Treatment, Removal, Pain, Pictures

C Section Scar – Treatment, Removal, Pain, Pictures

C Section Scar Treatment

Prior to thinking about options for C-section scar removal, there are prerequisites needing to be taken into consideration. They consist of:

• C-section scar needs to heal completely


• Make sure the wound is kept clean and dry


• Checking this C-section scar often to know when it is ready for scar removal


• Avoid straining the scar while it heals


• Exercise proper care and avoid stretching

C Section Scar Removal

One of the more nominal ways to decrease the appearance of C-section scars, without needing a prescription, is silicone. In fact during clinical tests, silicone has been the most effective management for many types of scars.

Silicone comes in many types and some work better than others dependent on the type of scar.
For instance for C-section scars especially, silicone scar sheets have been shown to make the most substantial difference by the toning down of redness. These silicone sheets also have done much for flattening and softening C-section scars than any of the other treatments – in the majority of cases.

You're reading C Section Scar – Treatment, Removal, Pain, Pictures posted by minhhai2d, the information is for reference only.

If the use of silicone is not right for an individual or the individual wants a remedy that is more natural to lessen the presence of the C-section scar, a company known as Earth Mamma Angel Baby has developed a good, also clinically verified, salve for scar healing which contains all ingredients that are natural and is rich in Vitamin C, as well as essential fatty acids and amino acids.

A C-section shelf or scar shelf that is also referred to as “Mother’s Apron” occurs when the skin that is over the scar takes on a small sagging or overhanging of the skin.

The majority of women have a fairly tough time getting rid of this shelf – but exercise and diet can help. The skin is an organ that is very elastic and it is probable to reduce this skin that is excess. It is also as well possible to get rid of deposits of fat under the shelf as well as muscle toning that helps as well, but it will take consistent efforts to see any good results.

Good muscle tone works best. Developing a great muscle to fat ratio is what a woman should strive for – in other words replace any lost fat in the belly with muscle tone.

There are many appropriate C-section recovery exercises that can help tone the muscle and get rid of deposits that are fatty under the shelf. When these muscles are toned as well as using a diet that is low in fat content, a woman can minimize greatly the effects of this shelf. There are plenty of women who have used determination to get rid of this fatty area and have done it.

C Section Scar Pain

A woman with a C-section has not only gone thru childbirth but also a surgical procedure, both which requires some time recovering. This means that as well as the usual postpartum symptoms of afterpains, lochia, breast engorgement, postpartum fatigue and perineal pain, the mother will be also experiencing pain around the site of the incision. After several days of pain, there will be some discomfort for weeks after delivery and then will develop an itch at the incision site. Constipation will also aggravate the situation. But all of these situations usually improve quite rapidly.

C Section Scar Pictures