Scar advice please! (5FU/kenalog shots)
Hi everyone, I (25f) am looking for some advice regarding a scar on my chest from the removal of a moderately atypical dysplastic nevus. Prepare for a long post. I will preface this by saying I went to a plastic surgeon as my derm is an NP and couldn’t perform the removal. I never met the Dr. before the removal and his bedside manners are poor, although I continue to see him. I need advice to make sure I’m doing the right thing or if I need a second opinion. I will provide the timeline corresponding with each photo:
- 12/30/25: Day of mole removal. I had about 10 stitches externally and 5 internal. Skip to 2. if you don’t care about medical jargon from my report: “3 mm margins are drawn circumferentially around the lesion so that the total excision measures 1.4 cm. Marking sutures are placed along the short axis. Extensive wide undermining is performed in a direction perpendicular and equal to 2.8 cm. Complex closure performed of 2.8 cm using 4-0 monocryl through Scarpa's and dermis and 4-0 nylon through skin.”
2&3. 1/6/26: My stitches were removed after one week per the Dr’s recommendation that I have them removed after 7-10 days. The nurse seemed surprised that I was getting them removed so early but my Dr said it looked fine and to remove them. Was 7 days too early? Picture is of after stitches removal with glue, and 5 days after when the scar looked its best.
2/12/26: I started using silicone scar tape after the open wounds fully healed from the stitches removal. The skin around my scar was very sensitive, itchy, and overall super bothersome. I sent this photo to my Dr. who told me to come back in as it looked like the scar was either hypertrophic or early stages of a keloid. When I went back in he recommended cortisone shots. I had 10mg of kenalog injected into the scar (the most painful thing I have ever felt in my entire life!) and he recommended I continue to use paper tape instead of silicone tape on my scar. I have been using paper tape 24/7 since then. Picture is before shots.
At my 4 week follow up I got the shots again, this time with 5FU mixed with the kenalog at 5mg each. Again the most painful thing I ever felt in my life. Picture is of before the shot.
6&7. 6 week follow up. I had the same injections as last time and I tried to use lidocaine 1 hour beforehand to ease the pain, which didn’t help at all. Still the most painful thing I have ever felt, but I didn’t cry this time since I’m now conditioned to how badly it hurts. Pictures are before shot and afterwards.
- Most recent picture taken 5/3. A lot of bruising this time. Upside of the shots is that the scar doesn’t bother me at all currently. 0 pain or discomfort currently.
I have another follow up for 6 weeks again and I am not sure if I should go. Is the pain worth it? My Dr. said sometimes people need 4 rounds of shots or sometimes up to a “year.” He also has not shown any empathy at all to how badly it hurts when he does the shots- as if he doesn’t believe me. I’m leaning towards not going anymore. Based on google research I believe? he is doing the most research-based treatment but I just don’t know if it’s worth it. I’m hoping this last round will make a difference after the bruising subsides.
If you got this far thank you! Looking for any advice or camaraderie. I wasn’t sure if I should post this in r/dermatologyquestions instead bc there’s more traffic in there but thought I would reach out to my scar people first :)