Scar Massage: When to Start and How to Do It Gently

Scar massage means pressing and moving the skin over a healed wound with your fingertips, usually with a plain moisturiser, for a few minutes several times a day. It is often recommended to keep a scar soft and flexible, ease tightness or itching, and stop it sticking to the tissue underneath. The key word is healed: massage only begins once the wound has fully closed and your surgeon, nurse or physiotherapist says it is safe.

Why scars can feel tight

When skin repairs itself, the body lays down collagen fibres quickly, and not always in a tidy pattern. The new tissue can be thicker, less stretchy and more sensitive than the skin around it. Over many months, a scar usually flattens and fades as it remodels. Massage is thought to help by keeping the area moving and supple and by gradually reducing sensitivity, although how much difference it makes varies from person to person.

Scars near joints, such as after knee, hand or shoulder surgery, can also limit movement if they tighten. That is one reason physiotherapists often add scar care to rehabilitation after operations like those described in recovering from knee surgery at home.

When to start

Timing depends on the wound and on the advice you have been given, but these are the general signs that massage may be possible:

• stitches, clips or staples have been removed
• there are no scabs, gaps or weeping patches along the line
• the skin is not hot, swollen or increasingly red
• the clinician looking after the wound has given the go-ahead

For many surgical scars this point arrives a few weeks after the operation, but it can take longer. If the wound is slow to close, that needs attention first; slow wound healing covers the usual culprits.

How to massage a scar, step by step

1. Wash your hands and make sure the scar is clean and dry.
2. Apply a small amount of unperfumed moisturiser, or the product you have been recommended. You need just enough for your fingers to move without dragging.
3. Begin with light circles. Using two or three fingertips, make small circles along the scar, working slowly from one end to the other.
4. Add firmer pressure as it becomes comfortable. The skin may pale slightly under your fingers. It can feel tender, but it should not be sharply painful.
5. Work along and across the line. Short strokes up and down the length of the scar, then side to side across it, encourage the skin to move in different directions.
6. Try gentle lifting. Once the scar is less sensitive, some people are shown how to pinch and roll it lightly between finger and thumb.
7. Keep sessions short and regular. A few minutes, two or three times a day, is a common pattern. Consistency counts for more than force.

Other things that help a scar settle

Shield it from the sun

New scars can darken if they catch the sun. Cover them with clothing or use a high-factor sunscreen once the skin has healed, for as long as the scar still looks pink or red.

Keep it moisturised

Dry scar tissue can itch and crack. Moisturising between massage sessions keeps it comfortable.

Ask about silicone

Silicone gels and sheets are widely used on healed scars. A pharmacist or your care team can say whether they suit your scar and how long to wear them.

Keep the joint moving

If the scar crosses a joint, the movement exercises you have been given matter as much as the massage.

Desensitising an oversensitive scar

Some scars feel so sensitive that clothing brushing against them is irritating. Gradually exposing the area to different textures can help: start with something soft such as a cotton wool ball or a silk scarf, move on to a towel, then to a slightly rougher fabric, a few minutes at a time. Stay at the level that feels tolerable and progress over days rather than in a single session.

Signs to stop and ask for advice

Pause massage and contact your GP, practice nurse or surgical team if you notice:

• the scar opening, bleeding or weeping
• spreading redness, warmth, swelling or pus
• a fever or feeling generally unwell
• a scar that keeps growing beyond the original wound, or becomes raised, hard and very itchy
• pain that is getting worse rather than better

Common questions

How long should I keep massaging a scar?

Scars keep changing for many months. People often carry on for as long as the scar feels tight, raised or sensitive, then taper off as it softens. A physiotherapist can advise for your situation.

Does any oil or cream work best?

The cream matters less than the movement. A simple, fragrance-free moisturiser is usually fine. Avoid anything that stings, and test new products on a small patch first.

Can massage remove a scar?

No. Scars are permanent, although most fade considerably with time. Massage aims to make the scar more comfortable and flexible, not to erase it. For a wider picture of the weeks after an operation, see enhanced recovery after surgery.