Effectiveness is Questionable & People's Compliance with Silicone Sheets for Scar Treatment is Minimal

Summary: Studies show that silicone products for the treatment of scars are of doubtful efficacy and patients who are prescribed to use them do not comply, for they are not comfortable and are not aesthetic. Better products are in need.

Click: Silicone Treatment for Scars and Scarring to start at the main page of our website to explore the healing effects of our natural skin care product.

Customers experience with our products:

I think this stuff is a miracle! Please contact me if you would like to promote this product in my country - I am living proof that it works!
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The two-fold problem of compliance and doubtful efficacy of silicone products.

Silicone gel sheeting or cushions and pressure garments are difficult and distressing, which makes compliance very low not only on exposed areas such as the face where it is not aesthetic.

Regardless of the indication, regular use of a specific product is required to ensure results. So many people fail to complete or follow suggested usage for over-the counter (OTC), as well as prescription products, as a rule.

Topical scar modification with liquid silicone, silicone gels and the like instead of sheets or pressure pads is no different, especially if it conflicts with current lifestyle protocol or aesthetic concerns. Thus no matter the efficacy, without compliance all efforts are useless or lost.

Apart from the issue of compliance, if studies show it is not clear whether silicon products helps prevent or treat hypertrophic and keloid scars, why would you be willing to use them?

Silicon gel sheeting is a soft, self-adhesive sheeting to be used on intact skin for preventing and treating both new and old hypertrophic and keloid scars.

The creators of a "Cochrane Review" (*) wanted to find evidence on whether silicon gel sheeting prevents the development of keloid scarring in people with newly healed wounds, and it´s supposed effectiveness in treating established scars. They searched the medical literature for randomized and controlled clinical trials. They found thirteen trials with 559 patients, 3 trials were prevention studies, eight trials looked at treatments and two trials looked at both prevention and treatment strategies. Their conclusion: " Most studies were of poor quality and it is unclear whether silicon gel sheeting helps".

(*) The Cochrane Library is a collection of databases containing high-quality, independent evidence to assist healthcare decisions. Cochrane reviews represent the highest level of evidence on which to base clinical treatment decisions.

Another study, published in 2006, in Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery: official publication for the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inc. and the International Federation of Facial Plastic Surgery Societies, concludes: "Most treatments for keloidal and hypertrophic scarring offer minimal likelihood of improvement."

" Treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars: a meta-analysis and review of the literature. " by The Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Jefferson Medical College, and Center for Facial Plastic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, US.

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Silicone products doesn't seem to give what they promise. To achieve a definitive solution, we must know why the scarring process happens.

Silicone Treatment for Scars and Scarring

Silicon gel sheeting and keloids prevention

O'Brien L, Pandit A.
Alfred Hospital, Occupational Therapy, PO Box 315, Prahran, Victoria, Australia, 3181.

BACKGROUND: Keloid scars are common lesions originated by a proliferation of dermal tissue following skin injury. They cause functional and psychological problems for patients, and their management can be difficult. The use of silicon gel sheeting to prevent and treat hypertrophic scarring is still relatively new, and started in 1981 with treatment of burn scars.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effectiveness of silicon gel sheeting for: (1) prevention of hypertrophic or keloid scarring in people with newly healed wounds (e.g. post surgery); (2) treatment of established scarring in people with existing keloid or hypertrophic scars.

SEARCH STRATEGY: Trials were identified from searches of the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register (searched September 2005), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library Issue 3, 2005); MEDLINE (1989 to June 2002); EMBASE (1988 to May 2002); CINAHL (1982 to May 2002) and reference lists of articles and relevant reviews. The major supplier of silicon gel sheeting (Smith and Nephew) was approached for details of unpublished, ongoing and recently published trials.

SELECTION CRITERIA: Any randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials, or controlled clinical trials comparing silicon gel sheeting for prevention or treatment of hypertrophic or keloid scars against no treatment, placebo, or any other treatment type except surgery.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: All relevant trials were assessed for methodological quality. Data were extracted independently by both reviewers using a standardized form, and the results cross-checked. All trials, meeting the selection criteria were assessed for methodological quality.

MAIN RESULTS: Thirteen trials, involving 559 people, ranging in age from 2 to 81 years, were included in the review. The trials compared adhesive silicon gel sheeting with control; non-silicon gel sheeting; silicon gel plates with added Vitamin E; laser therapy; triamcinolone acetonide injection, and non-adhesive silicon gel sheeting. In the prevention studies, when compared with a no treatment option; whilst silicon gel sheeting reduced the incidence of hypertrophic scarring in people prone to scarring, (RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.98) these studies were highly susceptible to bias. Silicon gel sheeting produced a statistically significant improvement in scar elasticity, (RR 8.60, 95% CI 2.55 to 29.02), but again these studies were highly susceptible to bias.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Trials evaluating silicon gel sheeting as a treatment for hypertrophic and keloid scarring are of poor quality and highly susceptible to bias. There is weak evidence of a benefit of silicon gel sheeting as a prevention for abnormal scarring in high risk individuals but the poor quality of research means a great deal of uncertainty prevails.