Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
Scarred Tomboys | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
I have five girls and they are tougher than boys. One of my hang-ups is the scars they get from their battles. How do I get rid of old, ugly scars that may affect my girls in the long run?— Tomboy Mom in Tuscaloosa | | | ANSWER |
October 19, 2000 | | | Dear Tomboy Mom,
I don't know of any simple way to remove scars. Dermatologists use many different treatments for severe, disfiguring scars, including surgery, injections of medicines and, more recently, lasers. But I think that you are talking about more run-of-the-mill scars that all active children acquire by falling off bicycles and skinning their knees and hiking through brambles. For these, the best treatment I know is to clean any scrapes thoroughly with soap and water, use a mild anti-bacterial ointment (such as Bacitracin®), and cover the scrape lightly to keep it clean. Most scars fade in time, and are barely visible by the time a child is old enough to care much about them.
One comment about the cause of your girls' scars: Lots of children love to wrestle in a playful way. I'd be concerned, however, if these "battles" were truly severe enough to lead to scarring. This goes for boys, as well as tomboys. One way to preserve your daughters' skin might be to help them figure out more peaceful ways of settling differences. Our site has several articles on this topic, as it was a favorite of Dr. Spock's: Try Sibling Quarrels and our section on preventing violence
— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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