What should you know about Smith & Nephew silicone gel sheet?

The soft silicone layer sits over the scar and creates a protective, occlusive surface. This can help calm dryness, itching, and the firm feel associated with some raised scars. It is intended for closed, healed skin rather than an open wound, scab, draining area, or fresh incision. A sheet can be trimmed to fit while leaving a small margin around the scar.

Wash and dry the scar and surrounding skin before application. Place the adhesive side over the scar without stretching the skin, and follow the product instructions for wearing, cleaning, drying, and storage. Build up wear gradually if your skin is sensitive. Remove the sheet for bathing or inspection when directed, and check for redness, rash, soreness, or trapped moisture. Stop using it if irritation persists and ask a clinician or pharmacist about another scar-care option.

Get medical advice if the scar becomes increasingly painful, hot, swollen, wet, or foul-smelling, or if redness spreads beyond the scar. Seek assessment for a scar that grows beyond the original injury, restricts movement, or changes quickly. These signs can reflect infection, troublesome scar overgrowth, or another problem that a silicone sheet cannot treat.

Ask whether the skin is healed enough for silicone, how long to trial the sheet, and whether its position is suitable for a scar near a joint or on a moving area. If a procedure caused the scar, ask whether silicone care should be combined with the clinician's wound plan.