**Warning…This post contains some photos that may be graphic to some viewers.
Well, we had an eventful evening last night. The kids and I went to my eldest daughter’s soccer game. The oldest boy took the younger two girls to play on the playground while I watched the soccer game with my other son. (The Hubs was out of town…of course)!
The game was almost over and I heard a child crying and saw a mother carrying her along the sidelines. And thought…oh, that lady’s child must have gotten hurt. Then I looked closer and realized she was carrying MY daughter! Just as I noticed, someone across the field pointed to me and I ran over (across the soccer field…while the game was going) because I could see blood…a LOT of it. The lady said…”she is NOT okay!” Well, that made me really nervous. Her head was really bleeding and I could tell that the cut was large and deep. There was no question we needed stitches.
Luckily my friend was at the game (our daughters are on the same team). She came running over and told me not to worry. She would gather all our chairs and blanket and her and her husband would bring them and MY 4 KIDS home and get them in bed while I took my daughter to the hospital. Thanks goodness for good friends!
The lady carrying my daughter was covered in blood, and now I was. My daughter was starting to act a bit loopy and said she was tired. That made me nervous and I thought she might be going into shock. Luckily InstaCare was only 5 minutes away so I headed there rather than to the hospital which would have been a 20 minute drive. I wanted to get her vitals checked as I wasn’t sure how hard she had hit her head.
We got to InstaCare and they immediately took her back and checked her vitals. By this time she was acting like herself again and seemed to remember everything that had happened. That was a good sign. Then they filled her gash with a numbing medicine. That was when I really got a good look at it. YIKES! I could see her bone. It is about 2.5 to 3 cm in length. My poor baby! All I could think about was the lovely scar she would have now…boo!
Then while we waited, I cleaned her up with a washcloth and took some pictures of her. She called her dad on the phone and he told her stories while she waited for the medicine to numb her forehead. Then they stitched her up. Luckily the medicine worked and she didn’t need a numbing shot. She was a trooper and so very brave. She just laid perfectly still while they were stitiching her. I thought she had fallen asleep.
The doctor did a great job and stitched it so cleanly and smooth and I am hoping the scarring will be very minimal!
In talking to my daughter, (to find out how it happened) she said that she and her friend were playing in the wood chips and decide to go down the slide. They both took off running to get on the slide and my daughter ran right into the play telephone (it is a round metal tube that has two ends one each side of the playground and works like a telephone amplifying the sounds so you can hear one another on each end). The metal is rounded and smooth, but she must have just hit her head squarely on the edge of the tube.
Does anyone know how to treat a scar so it heals well with minimal visibility??
Glad she is okay. Being a mom has some scary moments. I know this is very small considering some of the things you other mothers may deal with or be dealing with when it comes to your children! Being a mom is a tough job sometimes. It’s tough having your heart so connected to these little people!
**pictures taken with cell phone.
**Update 3/6/2011
I have had several of you inquire as to how my daughter’s scar is healing. I really appreciate your concern and all of your support and encouraging words. One thing I love about this blogging community is seeing everyone support and encourage each other…Thank You!
Here is her update:
This is a picture of my daughter and her new stitches the morning after the accident. She had a pretty good sized goose egg and was a bit swollen for a couple of days.
We went back to the scene of the crime exactly a week later for another soccer game and got a picture of her with the park “telephone”. This is what she ran into the side of that split her forehead open. She has clearly forgiven it!
Here she is 3 months after. It has faded quite a bit and she still was wearing a band aid everyday to keep it out of the sun. We also rubbed it with Vitamin E oil and Mederma 2-3x daily.
Here she is on Valentine’s Day this year. It is really looking great and I believe it will continue to fade. We plan to keep it out of the sun for the rest of the summer as well and use sunscreen and more band-aids if needed.
For the latest updates you can check my highlight reel on Instagram where I share some updated photos of her in 2023!
*Update: May 6, 2015
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Ash says
How scary! Glad she's okay. Hoping the scarring is minimal. Vitamin E oil is suppose to help with that.
I second the Vitamin E oil… buy vitamin E capsules at the drug store, pierce them with a pin and squeeze the oil onto the scar.
I burned myself with a hair straightener (duh) and didn't get a scar, i think the Vit E really helped.
Oh my! poor girl. My daughter ran straight into the edge of a shovel when she was two, and it was terrifying. She had a gash right above her eye and the amount of blood was rather horrifying!
My only suggestions for not scarring is Vitamin E and stay out of the sun (use sunscreen once healed better).
You can barely see where my daughters stitches were and now she just kinda has a wonky cute eyebrow if you look closely!
Hope she heals well!
Thanks for sharing this post! My daughter just had her face stitched up tonight. I am hopeful that the scar won’t be so bad. I can barely see it on your daughter.
Tonga- I hope that it heals quickly!
That is so sad…poor little thing, I hope she will be alright!
We used Mederma kids on my daughter's chin stitches- no scar!
Poor sweet girl- what a trooper!
What a little trooper, she is even smiling in the photos. So sorry to hear this but very glad she is okay! Hope you're okay too mama!
What a bad night! I hope she heals quickly. I am a peds ER nurse, and here are some of the suggestions that I pass along to parents to minimize scarring.
First of all, it takes 6-12 months for it to fully heal. Secondly, the biggest thing you can do is to protect it from the sun. You can also do some of the scar treatments (Miderma, vitamin E oil, etc.) to help with the healing process. You don't want to use these for about the first 2-3 weeks though, because you don't want it getting into the wound – it needs to completely close and heal first (the sames goes for any sunscreen on the cut).
Hope that helps! :)
Definitely sunscreen EVERY day once it has healed. My niece got a large cut herself just about a year ago but now you can barely notice it because they were diligent with the sunscreen.
OMG, poor little girl. I wish her all the best and no scar. You were very brave too, did not panic. When something like this happens I can not tell the story afterwords – I panic so much, it all gets mixed up in my head, never mind taking pictures. You handled the sutuation very well! All the best!!!
scary indeed so glad it all turned out ok. try some vitamin e oil on the scar helps with pregnancy strecth marks should help with this
I did have to a giggle a little that you took pictures, I guess we all do that now I don't think my parents would ever have thought to do that. scrapbooking has really opened the world as to what we photograph.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Stitches are not fun!
Mederma is fabulous!
To heal the scar without showing it keep it off the sun till the slin is healed, then use high protection screensun EVERY TIME she go outside, also if it's cloudy and you don't see real "sun".
The healing process of the skin is fast, but the proper healing of the scar will took months, it will turn pink and then white.
You'll have to protect it from the sun for all its healing time… yes for months.
If you care for it it will be plain and just a little lighter in colour than the skin around.
guess i like graphic photos cause i still clicked.
Feel better soon!
awww hope she feels better soon u_u
rose hip oil is also really good for stopping scarring. we used it on my hubby's hernia scars and it worked a treat.
How frightening! I am waiting for the day when someone brings me my kid with a broken arm or something. Friends are a blessing, that's for sure!
Oooooh, poor babe 8-(
I've heard that the over the counter scar creams like Maderma work pretty well. My doctor advised me to use it when I had surgery on my toe. I didn't really use it because I wasn't too concerned about a scar on my toe so I can't personally vouch for it, but I've heard it works well.
USE MEDERMA…was in a major car accident slice my entire eye underneath open…numerous stitches…used mederma and vitamin e oil…maybe a 1/8 of a inch visible scar..
Poor baby! I've heard Mederma works well, but I don't have any first hand experience. I did want to let you know that I have a very large scar on my forehead in almost that exact same spot. I was pushed by a neighbor kid (on accident) into the corner of a brick wall. The scar looked terrible (red and puffy) for a few years, but by the time I was in high school it had faded to a very thin white line. I never think about it at all. It's just a part of me that has always been there. In fact when people comment on it, I often don't realize what they are talking about right away. I've known some people for years and they have never even noticed I had a scar. My cut was to the bone as well, and my mom always promised that I could get plastic surgery later if I wanted to try and cover it up. By the time I was old enough to care how it looked, it was so faded that I never felt I needed anything. So it will be okay! Hugs!!!
I am soo sorry for your daughter :(
she looks like she's a toughie! i just wanted to suggest possibly having a plastic surgeon look at it?? my friends daughter had a big gash on her forehead as well..and they ended up taking the stiches out that insta-care had done, and put the invisible stich stuff over it for minimal scarring! Totally your call..but she ended up being a lot happier with the outcome, you can not see the scar now, and it happened less than a year ago! I wish your daughter happy healing!! :)
Poor thing, stitches are never fun.
I second (or third, or whatever) Maderma. Works like a charm!
Oh, gosh, Amy! I'm so sorry your little girl got hurt! Sounds like she was super brave!
I forgot to say that if you decide to use it you will have to be persistent. And use more than one tube, but the scar will be gone.
My best,
Maya
Vitamin E oil capsules, squeeze the gel out of the capsule onto the cut. Do it often! it really helps.
Oh my goodness! So glad she's ok! and that you have such awesome friends! Prayers for quick (and non scarring) healing!
My daughter had a very similar accident in the exact same spot when she was three. It was also down to the bone and it required 3 layers of sutures and she had to be put to sleep for the stitches. She is now 6 and the scar is barely visible. Most people would never even see it, but if I look really closely I can see where it was. We were religious about sunscreen afterwards and also tried vitamin E and mederma, but our doctor and a dermatologist friend said that massaging the spot when they were applied was the most important part of the process. They said that once it was entirely healed to massage the area firmly several times a day and that would help to prevent any scar tissue from forming.
Wow I am so glad she is ok! Being an accident child myself I have 8 scars on my face ranging from a few centimeters to a few inches. I even have a cross smack dab in the middle of my forehead that was formed from two different accidents. My mom made me take those vitamin E squishy pills and poke them with a needle (my favorite because it was so neat to a 6 year old) and squeeze it onto my wounds (after the stitches were out of course)several times a day. The trick is to never let it dry out. No one notices them today unless I tell them! Good luck…at least she has a battle wound to show off! =)
Oh no Amy!!!! {hugs} to both of you! What did she hit her head on?
So glad she's ok, and how brave she was!!!
The poor thing. I had the something similar hapeen at my daughter's tee ball game. Only my son fell and broke his wrist and I watched it happen from across the field!
Make sure she always puts tons of sunscreen on the scar. It will burn badly and thus be more visible if sunscreen isn't put on.
oh, i'm so sorry! my 11-year-old just had a few staples in his head last week, so i know a little how you feel, but his injury was in his hair, so the scar (if there is one) will be covered by hair . . . at least for another 20 or 30 years at least, i hope. it's not so fun. hang in there!
shana
wowzer!! the same thing happened to my son about 1 1/2 years ago and the scar is completely visible. He looks a little like frankenstein..really. He is such a cute boy, it makes me sad that he has to have that, but it adds character, right?
One thing I wish we would've done was to ask for a plastic surgeon in the ER. The dr. that did the stitching did a bit of a botch job…and that is part of the reason it looks so bad now.
Another thing I would've done was get the stitches taken out the first day they recommend. I was pregnant with baby #3 at the time and was slow getting to the dr's office. Big mistake. You can see every single suture line.
I would listen to all the advice you can get.
Poor thing! Glad it wasn't any more serious.
As for the scar, I don't know about treatment to lessen its visibility. But I do know that I have a small but obvious scar on my face from when I was young. I used to hate it and pose so it wouldn't show in photos. But it's a part of me, and I don't hide it anymore. She'll learn to love it like I did!
Poor sweet thing.
My daughter had to have stitches over her eye a couple of years ago. We used Mederma kids and sunscreen every time she went out. I really think, though, that massage of the area with the Mederma is what really is the secret. It keeps scar tissue to a minimum. I just bought my daughter a Water Babies sunscreen stick for her backpack and she applied it at school before recess and I kept one in my purse, too, for outside activities. Oh, and if she's worried about the pinkness for the first few months, bangs probably would cover most of it! She was a brave girl!
I agree – vitamin e oil is good, Mederma is fantastic too. Make sure you follow the recommended directions of when to start using it. It really does work.
Bless her heart!! (and your's!) My baby had to have a cyst removed from his nose, and his doc did his residency in plastic surgery. He told us that once it was healed (7-10 days) to gently massage the scar a few times a day with lotion, vaseline, or vinamin e oil-the key is moisture and gentle massage. (do this for months) He said it would keep the scar from bring raised or discolored. Also, to keep it covered or keep sun block on it for the first year when out in the sun. He said it would be pink, but it will fade over time. Hope this helps!!
Make sure to put sunscrean on the scar for the first year – at least. The sun aids in making it worse.
Scary!!! Poor girl!!
I have a huge scar on my head. About that size, plus shorter ones on both sides of it! And it has never to this day bothered me (and it's been like 25 years!). It's definitely there and noticeable, but actually, most people DON'T notice. It's funny because some people I'll be around for years before they notice and ask about it!
Now, I'm sure it was stitched up even better than mine (25 years would make a difference right?) and you got a lot of suggestions, so she'll be fine!
I am so sorry for your little girl. I am glad that she is alright. A few years ago I had a third degree burn on my finger. As it started to heal a friend suggested vitamin E capsules. You break them open and smear them over the scar…I am happy to report you can't even tell I was ever burned.
Poor thing! She looks like a trooper though, not to mention that she is absolutely beautiful! I don't think anyone would notice a little scar on a beautiful face like hers! :) Hope the healing is quick!
♥ Aleesha
I also came here to say Vitamin E oil capsules. That's what my mom swore by to reduce scarring. Sorry you both had to go through that. It's scary how much the head bleeds, huh? Glad all's okay. :)
Our doctor told us to put sunscreen on my daughters head every day for a month after the stitches are out and then when she goes outside. We did good about every day for a month, not so good every time she goes out, but that was a few years ago and we don't even notice it now. Good Luck!!!
Ouchie!!! You both must be exhausted. I'm glad she's ok, so what did happen anyways? (Oh and my son had a head injury when he was 3, stitches right above his eyebrow, and I was a lunatic about the Mederma and the sun protection (I used sunscreen and bandaids to keep it out of the sun). You can barely see it today, but I did this for nearly an entire YEAR.
Mederma! Not sure of the spelling. That works wonders and she can get the prescription strength. It may disappear completely with that!
Oh my gosh!! She looks like one tough cookie!!
Mederma is the bomb for help with scars!!
Poor girl! I'm glad she is ok! The MIRACLE scar medicine is mederma! I had a LOT of scarring from a surgery! I use mederma like it says two to three times a day for 2 months! I am coming to the end of my 2 months now and the scarring is MINIMAL! I highly recommend this!
Oh what a night! I second the use of Vitamin E oil or Mederma. Sunscreen is a must! Pat yourself on the back…you did a great job! Hope you're both doing well today!
Something similar happened to a friend of mine this spring. In addition to sunscreen, she had her daughter wear a floppy hat all summer. Perhaps your daughter could sport a fall/winter hat when she is outside. Sounds like a craft project. :-)
My husband was helping his mom chop wood about 2 winters ago and ended up chopping himself in the head with the ax instead! His wound was to the bone and a big longer than hers (glad she's okay!) and for a while it looked like Harry Potters scar but now you can barely notice it. We mostly used OTC scar medicene.
Oooh! :( Poor girl! I hope she heals up nicely! And thank goodness for your friends — isn't it great when you have people like that around!
Poor girl and poor mama. I know how you feel. My 17 month old fell two weeks ago and had to have two stitches above her eye. Unfortunately she was not calm when they stitched her up. You're brave for watching and taking pictures. I just sobbed while she was getting the stitches (the nurse was worried I was going to go into labor). I hope your daughter heals quickly.
It's not small when it's your baby. Bless her heart! My lil' boy split his chin open from side to side when he was 4 and we used Mederma and Vitamin E and kept a bandage with a lil' dab of vaseline on it to keep it moist. Apparently it heals more evenly if it doesn't scab, etc. You can barley see his scar. So, it worked. Good luck! Oh, no sun. Sun will cause it to turn red… at least that's what we were told.
Poor baby! How scary that must have been for all of you!
I agree with using sunscreen daily for quite awhile, even this fall/winter.
Also, use Mederma. It's a bit costly, but the tube should last you awhile. I was playing with my cat once and his back claw made a huge gash from my nose down to my lip. I didn't need stitches, but it was pretty deep. The Mederma helped it clear up completely.
Thank goodness you have such wonderful friends!
At the health food store you can buy Dr. Christophers "Complete Tissue Repair" It is awesome.
Poor thing!! Both of you- I tend to overreact when we get scraped knees here! :) Vitamin E or Wheat Germ oil (this will help if there is any pain or tenderness too). Just buy the capsules in either form and poke with a needle to administer-it goes a long way like that. Also, Coconut oil. These are a more natural solution and being on the head so close to the eyes may be better then something else.
I can't believe she just lied there and let them stitch her up! That is so brave and I don't think I could have done it.
My mom recently had surgery and her doctor told her to use Mederma for her scar. It's working great and only two weeks after the surgery it looked more like a cat scratch then an incision.
Poor little darlin'….and poor mommy! Hang in there!
I have used both mederma and vit e and I think mederma works the best even though it is more expenseive
Oh no. Poor kiddo.
Hi Amy! I was a medical asst. at a dermatology clinic before my baby was born. All of the doctors recommended washing the stitches with soap and water every day, then applying a generous amount of vaseline on the stitches (from a NEW jar and using a NEW q-tip to apply it each time…not an old jar of vaseline or your finger – too many germs). Then, cover the stitches with a bandaid. Do not let stitches dry out and scab over, or the scar will be more noticeable once the stitches come out. Once the stitches are out, continue with the soap and water and vaseline daily until healed. A band-aid may not be needed anymore. Once it's healed, you can get silicone scar sheets from CVS or other pharmacies and they work well to minimize the appearance of either new or old scars. I hope she feels better soon and everything will be ok!:)
Mederma!! It's expensive, but totally worth it!
I am just glad that I am not the only crazy mother that would take pictures and create memories from it!
When I was about your daughter's age I was attacked by a dog and had to get a long line of stitches on my cheek… now people don't even notice the scar even after I point it out! All we did was put hydrocortisone cream on it like the doctors said and then as I grew the scar shrunk! She'll be good!
Oh no, how scary! I'm glad you had friends at the game so you could rush her to the clinic. She looks so calm! Her age is in her favor as far as scarring. My horse threw me into a barb wire fence when I was 14 and I had stitches on my forehead, under my eyelashes, down my cheek and across my nose. None were visible a year later. Only now is the one on my forehead showing, and really, it doesn't look like a scar, just a dent (it's because I've gained weight and the fat doesn't stick to the scar).
There are so many products available now. Maybe a trip to a plastic surgeon to find out how to minimize scarring?
btw, I got a chuckle out of your photos. I thought I was the only one who whipped my camera out at every opportunity. lol
Ooh, I feel for you both! I've had a child with large tumors removed a couple of times in addition to her having a scar revision. I have another child who has had 12 stitches on his forehead. I also did some wound care as a hand therapist before I had children.
My suggestions would be: Keep the wound clean & keep it moist (Vaseline is commonly used). Then after a couple of weeks when it's healed, use Vit. E or Mederma 2x/day massaging it in well. We used *Mederma* and a silicone scar pad with ace-type wrap (at night) on my daughter's 7-inch scar for a year, and it is now soft & flat with no discolorations. Scar tissue has a very long growth life (year+) and tends to whorl up and not want to stay flat, so the more pressure through the scar pads, massage, and moisture–the better. When she can tolerate it, you can put a little more friction in to the massage to ensure there will be no adhesions to the underlying tissues. We kept our son's scar *covered* from the sun (bandage/hat) for a year, and now we just always use sunscreen on it. Best wishes!! Poor dear!
Wow that gash is horrible – I can't believe she is smiling. What a brave girl.
We had a very bad car accident when my son was two and his forehead burst open with the impact so he has a big scar on his forehead but it's really faded and not that noticeable now. The hospital gave us some gel like stuff to smooth in to the stitches to help with the itching so ask them for some of that.
Also Bio-Oil is really good for scarring. In the UK plastic surgeons recommend this stuff. I'm not sure if you have it in the States but if you don't let me know and I'd be happy to post you a bottle – it is really good stuff.
Hope she feels better soon (and you too!).
~Sam
What a bummer! She is one tough cookie! I am kind of curious as to how this happened, are you going to share her story? I am glad you had a good friend close by to help out. Good luck with the scar treatments everyone has talked about, I hope it all works. If not, she will have a great story to tell. :)
Poor thing!!! Ouch!!!
If it were my child I would use pure vit. E oil. You can buy it at Health Food Stores. They come in capsules that you pierce with a pin and rub a little onto the scar.
I'm so sorry! But I am so glad she is ok!!
Try TEA TREE essential oil. My son burned both hands badly- probably 2nd to 3rd degree burns. I just treated it with tea tree and the blisters disappeared after 2 days, with no scarring. It is no my "go to" for everything hurting! Good luck- hope she heals soon.
I am so sorry to hear about your daughter!!
I have three boys and we get LOTS of scars!! I have found Burts Bees ResQ is AWESOME for scars!! I had to buy the ResQ at a health food store. It also works on burns, cuts, bug bites… you name it!! Totally worth the money for the tiny pot!!
good luck!!
Oh. My. Goodness!!! Poor thing, I hope it heals quickly.
Ouch! Glad she's doing okay. Head wounds tend to bleed profusely! When my son was in 4th grade, he split his head open clear to the bone & chipped his skull. It's in the back, so it's covered by his hair. He has so many scars on his head, he looks like a baseball!:)
So glad she's okay! Bonks to the head are always worrisome.
My sister had a similar gash on her forhead when a weight lifting bar fell on her head as she was lifting. She put vitamin E on it and massaged the scar tissue so that it would break up and go down. You honestly CANNOT tell anything happened to her. But I really remember her ALWAYS massaging it.
Oh my! I would be sooo scared if something like that happened to my step kids!! Lordy!! I really dont know of anything to help but im sorry!
I would contact someone about that play phone!
Oh no!!! Poor girl.
Once the stitches are out, buy some Maderma to put on it. My sister in law is an esthetician and she loves the stuff for scars and stretch marks.
While it still has stitches, I would say to keep the bandage clean and keep her from touching it!
My friend's little boy had stitches in the same spot she used Mederma almost everyday and it's not near as noticeable now.
Oh my! Mederma, mederma, mederma and religiously! My daughter had a gash on her eyebrow and all I thought was how the scar would heal. I ran into a Korean lady at the park and she told me all about it. Ask an asian friend–they seem to be very privy to the excellent skin care. I've seen another asian friend put a bandaid over the mederma to keep it away from the sun, which also can harm the healing. Yikes, I would have been in tears, what a trooper, and so glad you had a friend there to help! Glad you took some cell phone pics:)
P.S. what Rachel (7th comment) said here is great advice–it will be red for a loooong time, but will eventually go to a white/flesh color. And wait for the mederma until the wound closes. And when it does, rub it severa times a day to break up the scar tissue underneath.
sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!
definitely mederma for kids, it's awesome.
ouch! there is a gel called arnaca. its in health food stores. there are also little capsules. My dad used it when he had his triple bypass. And i used it after a bad car accident that beat up my face pretty badly. We both look great these days. And I saw this mentioned, but yes, Sunscreen. But i'm telling you, Arnaca is amazing stuff. Awesome with bruising too. hope she feels better soon.
Oh my word! things always go crazy when one parent is out of town! yikes! glad she's okay and thank goodness for good friends, close doctors and a calm mommy!
I feel for ya!! About 4 years ago during Christmas night my kids were playing with a new train set from their bedroom to the living room setting up the track while my husband and I relaxed to watch a movie. The kids were playing happily until the curtain along with the rod got pulled down. In a split second my second oldest son who was 2 at the time got hit with it and we rushed to the ER. It was right between his eyes. We thank God so much that it wasn't worse.
We used Mederma and the dr. told us to keep him from going out in the sun during summer so it won't scar worse. She said make sure to use sunblock if you do go out. To this day no one doesn't even notice a thing!
Also, my sister-in-law had surgery for her thyroid and used Cocoa Butter from Palmer's every single day. I don't even notice as well.
I will say a prayer for your daughter that she will make a huge recovery from her stitches and that her scar will be healed to the point where it won't even be noticable.
Give it time and all the anxiety will disappear. Remember that she is in God's hands :)
I'm glad she is ok. My son had to have surgery on his head & therefore has a huge scar from ear to ear & they just had me poke a vitamin E capsule with a pin & rub in on twice a day. I hope it heals quickly!
Oh, wow! No fun! But what a blessing for good friends to take care of your other children.
My daughter had a bad cut on her forehead as well, but she was 15 months old and cut it by falling (while trying to bend over) on a small rock on a cement sidewalk. That said, her cut was much more jagged. It looks like your daughter's is at least a nice straight cut. So I'm guessing you'll have excellent results with Mederma, vit E and sunscreen.
What a strong little girl and smiling thru the process. She will have something to talk about for a good while. Thankfully it wasn't more serious than a battle wound.
Emu Oil is very good for healing and preventing scars.
Oh my goodness. So sorry about your daughter. What a brave little trooper you have! I've had two c-sections and used Mederma scar therapy and you can barely see my scar. Good luck!
Wow! Just saw this. Definitely use the Mederma – I've only heard good things about it. She definitely a trouper!!
Vitamin E works wonders. When my sister was 10 she fell off a scooter and down a huge paved hill scraping her entire face and teeth going through her lip. My mom put vitamin E on her face religiously and a year after her accident there were no visible scars. I hope her little forehead heals up beautifully!
I just saw what happen to your sweet daughter. I am glad she is fine but how scary. My daughter who is 6 years young said to your daughter I hope you feel better.Hugs to both of you!
Ouch!! Horrible and scary, I'm sure. Glad to hear she is okay. We use Vit. E oil and Miderma. Miderma is made for scars. They even have a kids version that is a little milder and doesn't stink as bad. :O) We used it on my daughter when she fell and split her eyebrow open. Hope this helps. ~Shirley
I'm sorry about your daughter getting hurt and the scare you had. I was shocked when I got to the part where you said how she did it because last Oct I got a call from the school nurse that my son ran into the same talking tube on the playground. When I walked in to get him he had a huge bandage all around his head and I wanted to cry. He also needed stitches but we lucked out and his cut was right in his hairline so we can't see the scar. I hope your daughter's scar is minimal, I agree with the mederma and the vitamin E.
Hi, the pictures look like my daughter last night. I'm still in shock and worry about scarring. She's eleven and beautiful. We went to a second hospital where a plastic surgeon came and met us. Could you post a recent picture, I think it would make me and my daughter feel better. My thanks!
Hi, the pictures of your daughter look exactly to what happened to my daughter. We had a plastic surgeon. I think it would make my daughter and I feel better if you could post a recent picture. We're both in a little shock today. Thank you ahead of time if you can post a photo.
@Joan–Oh no! I am so sorry! It is pretty scary when that happens. I just updated the post with some pictures so you and your daughter can see how nicely her scar is healing up! It is a really faint pink line now and it getting less noticeable all the time. Use Mederma, Vitamin E when it heals up and keep it covered with a bandaid or sunscreen. Our diligence has really paid off! Best of luck to you and your daughter's healing!!
Hi Amy, very scary.
Any advice on helping lessen the pain when her stitches are removed?
Thanks so much, you'll never know how much you helped when I found your pictures. Hope! We'll follow advice about aftercare. Tell your daughter thank you for sharing her pictures, it really is giving us hope. She looks so beautiful!
Thanks, Joan Ross
@Joan–As far as I know the removal of the stitches was pretty painless. They did not have to give her anything and they just snipped them out. My daughter just laid there and didn't wince or anything! Hope that helps!
But do make sure you get them removed when the doctor recommends it. Ours said 5 days. No sooner and no later. I have heard people who have gone early and had it reopen or later and then you get the stitches that leave more scarring! We went in exactly when told.
We were also told that about two months after the scar would be really red and ugly…it was! But then it quickly began to fade. I also try to remember to massage her scar when we are snuggling or reading stories or watching tv or a movie together.
Thanks so much for your kind words!
Amy,I keep returning to this page to give myself some hope. My daughter had a recent injury similar to your daughters, but smaller and nearer to the hair line. Your daughter seems to have healed Beautifully. How does the scar look now? I am pretty much a wreck over it all. She is just 3 though. I’m hopeful that her age and my extra tlc will minimize the scar. Did you try any of the scar silicone sheets? I plan to do vitamin e and mederma plus a silicone gel cheet. I just feel so sad about it. I’m in the first few days of healing though. I’m sick that she will always have this physical reminder of an accident. Thankfully hers could be covered with some fringy bangs. Any advice? I love your blog and have read it for years.
Oh no!! I am so sorry for you and your daughter. I remember being so worried about the scar It has now been over two years (wow!) and it healed so nicely. You can barely see a thin faint line. I think the best thing we did was to keep it out of the sun!! She wore a bandaid on her forehead every single day. It was funny. She had quite the tan line! We also made sure to put Mederma on it morning and night. We just made it a day time ritual. We also softly massaged the scar after it healed completely. Vitamin E oil was also great! We did not try any of the silicone sheets. Don’t really know anything about those. Thanks so much for the sweet words. I would be happy to email you a picture of her scar now just to help reassure you with how awesome it has healed! Send me your email if you want! [email protected]
How does her scar look today? My daughter had a similar injury and I’m so concerned about her scarring. I’m agonizing over it. We have kept it covered also, and it has been some time, but I’m really hopeful that with even more time it will fade some more. :(
Vanessa…great question! Sorry to hear about your daughter! It has been over 4 years since my daughters accident and you can hardly even see her scar. I just posted a photo and updated the post so you can see it if you would like. Thanks for reminding me to add one! Hope your daughter heals quickly. The best advice I can give you is to keep it out of the sun! She wore a bandaid over it EVERY day for a whole year!! We also used Vitamin E daily once it healed enough to apply it! I really believe that is what made it heal so nicely! The only time you can see it now is when she scrunches up her forehead because it pokes out just a bit!
Thanks for posting the 2015 photo. We are 6 months into our scar healing (similar injury) and wondering what it will look like. Did the scar grow in length?
It did not grow in length. Hoping yours heals nicely too!
Thank you for sharing, it is giving me a lot of hope, my som had a similar injury.
Dear Amy, has your daughter been stitched by a plastic surgeon? We are planning scar revision for our son.
Thanks,
Rohrmaus
Yes, curious if a plastic surgeon did the closure. Her scar looks great! I got a bad cut on my forehead from an accident earlier this year. I had a plastic surgeon stitch it up but because the cut was so bad (jagged star shaped with torn edges) my scar healed less than ideal. I’m currently healing from a scar revision, but I’m not liking the results so far :(
Thank you for posting. My 6 year old girl just experienced the same thing and I am devastated… your post gave me hope. Thank you.
I just wanted to thank you for your post over the years
My daughter has recently had an accident resulting in a similar wound to your beautiful daughters
When realising my daughter was ok my next concern was the scar she would have in the future
Yours is the only post thAt shows the progression and expectation of a wound on a child’s face over a period of time
I cannot thank you enough for the comfort you and your beautiful daughter have provided me and I only wish there were more stories out there like this that can put mother’s (and fathers) at ease
I have promised myself to document my daughters progress because your post has provided me with such wealth and comfort
Thank you again from the bottom of my heart
Anna
Anna- I am so sorry to hear that your daughter had to have stitches too. I hope she heals quickly. Thank you so much!
Hello,
I am so happy to stumble across your site. My 5yr old daughter had the same injury on her forehead last year July, the edge of a wardrobe slammed into her face causing the vertical cut. She was treated by having the wound glued together, I, like you, had it taped down after the surgical tapes came off and kept it moisturized etc. It has been about 18 months now and the scar is better, I still feel the guilt when I look at her forehead. Reading your story made me feel a bit better and I will continue to put oils on the scar to continue it’s healing, hopefully the fading will continue.
Thanks again
Peggy- Oh no! No fun! I sure hope the oils help. They helped my daughters scar to heal so well.
Hi! Thank you so much for your post. My 20-month old fell today on the corner of a piece of furniture and got 6 stitches on her nose. She was super brave by the way! I’m very worried about the scar, although your post gave me a lot of hope. Could you please explain how often you applied sunscreen, Mederma and vitamin E? Together or separated? Thanks a lot
We rubbed it with Vitamin E and Mederma 2-3x daily until it fully healed. So after the scabs had gone we used it still for another month or so, applying once a day. We used sunscreen all summer and still try to apply it whenever she is outdoors. Hope your toddler is doing better. So scary!
Thanks a lot! My little one is doing great and she’s giggling all day long. You can’t imagine how much your post has helped me cope with this situation. And kudos for making your daughter smile and feel relaxed at the hospital and during the next days. The fact that she looks so unconcerned about her scar speaks volumes about haw a great mom you must be. Thanks!!
Happy Mom- Thank you for the kind words. Glad that you found this post comforting.
I’m so glad i found this post. My daughter is 3 and just had stitches in the exact same location on her forehead. It’s only been 2 months and I’m stressing so bad over the scar. I feel So bad for her. Your post gives me some hope.
I hope all goes well and it heals quickly. It can be so stressful though.
Can I ask whether the scar turned a bright white to begin with and continued to fade? We had an incident where my daughter cut her head on tiles one night and it was not a huge cut but it was on her forehead, so the skin was stretched. Stupidly, we did not get stitches because we knew it wasn’t deep enough to cause an infection and I was not knowledgeable about scarring. We just used band-aids and antiseptic but no scar cream (I had no idea it was actually effective), didn’t keep it out of the sun because we didn’t know about that either :( and it seemed to be healing well, but 2 years later I have noticed that the red scar has faded to white but it is a very bright white, especially in the sun. I’m kicking myself and I feel so guilty she has been left with a scar – I’m looking for some hope that it will continue to fade! Thanks
Yes, it was white and has continued to fade. Hope your daughters scar heals quickly!
Hi, thank you for posting your daughter’s story. I am wondering while it was healing, her scar was ever slightly depressed or sunken in appearance and then filled in over time. Thanks so much!!!
Yes, it was a little. Over time it filled in and looks so much better.
Like others who have posted above, my daughter also had to get stitches in almost the exact spot on her forehead! This blog post has been a source of comfort to me as I have seen the healing your daughter had over months and years! Thank you so much! It has been very stressful. We are three months in now and it is still in the “red” phase. I am keeping it out of the sun by using hy-tape (UPF 50, looks like a bandaid) and rubbing biocorneum (a silicon scar gel) on it twice a day. I am feeling a little better about it because I do see it starting to fade. Just want to say thank you again and to all those moms out there stressing about forehead scars, I am with you but it does get better!
Carrie- It can be a stressful time. I hope your daughters scar continues to fade. Thanks for following along!
Hi there-
Can’t thank you enough for your post and am so glad your daughter is faring so well. My daughter has recently had to get stitches on her forehead (close to where your daughter’s were) after a bad fall. Our concern is that the medical facility (one of the only ones in the area where we were vacationing) did not do a good job with the stitching. There was no plastic surgeon available and a physician assistant did the sutures. This was not a pediatric hospital either—so all around, not an ideal scenario. Did a plastic surgeon do your daughters sutures?
My question is how soon did you begin putting on vitamin e oil and mederma? It has been about 2 weeks since she got the stitches in and about 10 days since they have been taken out. It still looks pretty raw and red and don’t want to put anything on prematurely (we have just been keeping neosporin on it for now). Thank you!
Sorry you are having to go through this too! Here is what it says on the Merderma instrutions: Begin using Mederma® Advanced Scar Gel as soon as new skin has formed, typically two or more weeks after the injury or surgery. Make sure the scab has come off naturally and any stitches have been removed. On older scars you may start using Mederma® immediately. Do not apply to broken skin. Also, I may do the same for the Vitamin E Oil. To answer your question about the plastic surgeon, the doctor was someone at our local instacare. He did a great job! Hope your daughter heals quickly and there is minimal scarring!
My 2 year old daughter recently got stitches in the same spot about 7 weeks ago. I am so worried about the scar. It looks very red and angry. And what worries me the most is that It also looks sunken in/depressed. Was your daughter’s fairly smooth when the stitches came out? I am hoping it fills in. Thank you for posting these pictures. It gives me hope and comfort.
Jennifer- It was little sunken, but over time it seemed to fill in. Hoping for the best for your daughter too!
Can you post recent pic of your daughter i want to now how her acar look. I am mum and my daughter went through the same
Gayu- I will try and put some more updated pictures on the post. Her scar is barely visible now. I am really impressed how well it healed.
Hi
Can you please tell me during the healing process…did the cut seemed widder when it was red and then when it faded got thinner? I have a toddler 18 months..he got 4 stitches 2 months ago…it was a straight line..but when the stitches came out and healing started..now it is red and it is wider. I am using Vitamin E and silicon gel and keeping it out of the sun. I hope it is just a healing stage
Doris- I has been awhile, but I think it was red and wider during the healing stage. So sorry you are going through this too.
Hi! Thank you for sharing. Need to follow what you did for my kiddo. A couple questions as my mind is racing. How soon did you start the vitamin E and Mederma after the stitches were removed? What type of vitamin E did you use? What was your vitamin E and Mederma application routine look like on a daily basis? Sorry for all the questions. Just want to stand a fighting chance in getting results like your daughter’s. Though, I am doubtful, as I am nervous more stitches should have been placed in as the seem too far apart compared to your daughter’s. :( Not sure how that will impact healing and scarring?!?
I am not sure on the brand of vitamin E oil. We rubbed the wound with Vitamin E and Mederma 2-3x daily. I was very nervous too. I hope everything heals well for your daughter!
Hi!!!! I just came across your message about your child’s stitches being too far apart and not enough. I’m worried about the same thing with my child. It looks like they didn’t put enough stitches in so I’m worried about a bad scar. May I ask Since it’s been a few years how it’s going? Did it scar bad? Also, may I ask What you used and what your routine was?
Thank you!
I hope you child is healing well. I don’t remember the exact routine, but I can barely notice the scar now.