Experience with silastic gel sheeting in pediatric scarring.

Silicone gel sheeting was applied to five hypertrophic scars on five pediatric outpatients at an acute care pediatric hospital. After silicone gel application, three of the five scars showed initial positive results including reduction in the scar size, reduction in the scar thickness, softening of the scar, a decrease in vascularity of the scar, and more uniform pigmentation. Many negative results including rash, skin breakdown, cessation of scar responsiveness, problems with the gel sheet application, and poor durability were documented. Preliminary results indicate that topical silicone gel application is not a viable treatment option for the control of hypertrophic scarring with a pediatric population.