This post was updated in 2018. Jump to the bottom to see my 2018 Update!
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Just a warning, today’s update on my dog bite is going to contain somewhat gross images. If you don’t like such things, run away!
And now, let’s get into the dog bite update and review of the scar care supplies I used during the healing process.
I have to say, I was incredibly happy to get past the initial stages of pain and wrapping my hand each day. I knew it was necessary to prevent infection but taking care of wounds has never been my favorite. Being a nurse was never a career path I considered.
Previously I did not show a picture of the actual dog bite on my hand, but I figured it would be a good idea to show one today for comparison purposes.
When I was bit the dog punctured my skin in multiple places by her sharp teeth. After it stopped bleeding it looked like this.
OUCH.
OUCH.
OUCH.
It hurt like a mother *. Seriously, so painful!
I cried my eyes out for about a half an hour after the bite happened both because of pain and shock. I think I scared everyone close to me who I called afterwards because I sounded so different.
Afterwards I cleaned the bite and wrapped it up and focused on calming down. I continued to clean and wrap my dog bite for the next week or so as the skin on my hand healed itself.
Once I got to the point where the skin was healed and there was no pain, I focused on the next stage: preventing a bad scar from the bite.
Buying Mederma was one of the most expensive things I bought to help with the dog bite healing process. However, it came highly recommended by friends and family and online reviews. I figured it couldn’t hurt and I didn’t want my hand to look that bad forever.
I struggled with buying it simply because it felt unfair that someone else’s dog injured me and I was spending $50+ on all the medical supplies I needed. Life feels unfair sometimes, but you just have to do what you have to do. Taking care of yourself is important!
I bought the Mederma adanvced gel that you only have to apply once per day. It is very, easy to apply and dried quickly. This meant I could put it on in the morning or at night since I only had to wait a couple minutes before it dried. This helped since I would apply it when I remembered.
And here is what my hand looks like today:
Better, right?
It’s definitely better than if I had done nothing but I’ve still got a ways to go. In certain light you can see the scar a lot better than other angles. Despite the slight discoloration where the scar is that is all that is left. I can run my fingers over the spot and don’t feel anything. Of course I’m the most attuned to it so I notice it every day even though others miss this tiny detail.
I’m happy to see the progress in healing the scar since the bite even though I haven’t been great at using Mederma every day. I’m hoping continued use for a few more weeks will help the scar fade even more. I’m sure more time and sun exposure will contribute to it’s fading.
I would recommend Mederma to anyone you may find themselves in a similar situation. If you need something to help heal your skin and prevent or lessen scars, it does do a good job. Hopefully you are never in that situation where you need it!
2018 Dog Bite Update
2018 Update: Mederma was the best thing I did after getting this dog bite! The scar has faded to nothing and I don’t even see it on my hand any longer.
When I first was bit by the dog I was worried I’d have a scar on my hand that reminded me of the pain forever. Luckily I was able to take care of the immediate situation and using Mederma healed the scar and removed any trace of it. Three years later I look at my hand and don’t even remember that I was bitten by a dog!
Yikes! Glad to hear it is feeling better! It definitely looks better.
My daughter was nipped by a dog on the cheek under her eye as a toddler. (Just one small mark.) We were so scared she would have a visible scar and used Mederma. Today she is a teenager and you can’t see a trace of the bite. Great stuff!
Thanks!
That is good to know it works so well! Glad your daughter was ok and has no scar. :)
Ooh! That was a bad bite! Glad you found something to help fade the scar and thanks for sharing the results with us. My hubby has several scars on his legs that this might help with.
It was a bad bite! Even thinking about it makes me remember how painful and scary it was. Hope the mederma helps! I’ve heard from friends it’s been good for bigger scars like for their C-section scars.