Written by Zita Sham, Fairuuz Saleh and Shiv Mohan Banka, Principal Physiotherapists at Phoenix Rehab.Clinically reviewed by Louise Yow, Principal Physiotherapist & Director, AHPC A1300363H.Last reviewed 28 September 2026.

Scar creams are the least important part of scar management and the part everyone asks about. What changes a scar is pressure, silicone, movement and time. A cream that you massage in twice a day works mostly because of the massage.

That is not a reason to skip it. It is a reason to know what you are buying and to spend your effort where it pays.

What a scar is doing while it forms

For roughly the first six weeks a scar is laying down collagen in a disorganized way, and it is at its most active and its most changeable. Over the following months it remodels, which is when it flattens, softens and fades. The window in which you can influence how it turns out is that remodelling period, and it is measured in months rather than weeks. After that, a scar is largely what it is going to be.

For a hand, the stakes are higher than cosmetic. A scar that binds down over a tendon stops the tendon gliding, and a scar across a joint or a web space physically limits how far it opens. That is why scar work in hand therapy is a range problem, not an appearance one.

What the evidence actually supports

Silicone, as a gel or a sheet. The best supported of the topical options for flattening and softening a raised scar. It needs to be on for most of the day, for months, which is the reason it fails when it fails.
Pressure. Compression over a scar, whether by garment, sheet or insert, is long established in burns care and works on the same principle anywhere else.
Massage. Firm, directed, into the tissue rather than over it, and taken to the point where the scar moves. This is the part that maintains glide.
Sun protection. A new scar pigments permanently if it gets sun. Cover it or block it for the first year.
Movement. The scar lengthens along the lines it is repeatedly taken through. Full range, regularly, is scar treatment.

So what about vitamin E, onion extract and the branded creams?

The evidence for the active ingredients in most over the counter scar creams is thin, and vitamin E in particular has been associated with skin reactions in a proportion of people. A plain, unperfumed moisturizer used as the medium for two minutes of firm massage will do most of what a branded cream does, at a fraction of the price. If you like a particular product and it makes you do the massage, that is a reasonable thing to pay for.

When to have a scar looked at

A scar that is growing beyond the original wound margins, thickening rather than flattening after a few months, or is itchy and raised and getting worse, is a keloid or hypertrophic scar question and belongs with a doctor, because the options there include injection and other treatments that a therapist cannot provide. A scar that is hot, spreading red or discharging needs a doctor now.

What we do

Scar management for the hand is scar mobilization, silicone and compression fitted to the site, desensitization where the scar is hypersensitive, and range work aimed at the specific direction the scar is limiting. We also make the silicone inserts and compression that a hand needs, because a flat sheet does not stay on a web space or a finger.

This sits in Stage 2, Move and Mobilize, of the Phoenix Recovery Protocol. If your scar is limiting how far a finger moves, the measurement to ask for is passive range compared with active range, and our Stiff Finger Joint Recovery Program is built around that gap.

Where are you with this right now?

1. It is settling on its own

Most injuries and most flare-ups settle over weeks with sensible load management and a return to normal movement. Improvement is judged over a month, not over a day, and good days and bad days inside that are usual. If you are doing more this month than last, and sleeping better, it is behaving the way it should. You do not need us for this, and we would rather say so.

2. It has stopped improving

You have adapted without noticing. The other side takes the load, you plan movements you used to make without thinking, and you have quietly dropped things you used to do.

Pain is the first thing to leave. Movement and strength are the last things trained back, and most people stop before that part is done. That is the gap worth measuring, and it is not measured by how you feel on the day.

The Stalled Recovery Review is three appointments over three weeks with the same therapist, because what a joint does under load cannot be read in one visit. The first finds what is limiting it. The next two measure how it responds. $690, nett, no GST, which is three appointments at $230.

3. You have had surgery, or you have a date

Recovery after an operation has a shape, and knowing which stage you are in tells you whether you are on it. See the recovery programs, hand and physiotherapy, or the four stages and what each one works on if you are not sure which applies to you.

All of it runs on the same four stages. The Phoenix Recovery Protocol explains what each stage works on and what you have to meet to move up. No referral needed to start.

Next step

Find out which stage you are in

Pain is the first thing to leave. Movement and strength are the last things trained back, and most people stop before that part is done. One Assessment and Treatment is a single 45-minute appointment at $230, nett, no GST. Your therapist finds what is actually limiting you, treats it in the same appointment, and you leave with your current stage and a written plan.

WhatsApp us

Prefer to phone? Each of our five clinics has its own number on the clinics page. No referral needed to book.

What our patients say

Google reviews from our clinics in Singapore.

       
 Excellent5.0555 reviews
 5.0
 Excellent555 reviews
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   Micah 
 55 days ago
 
 
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Amazing experience with Phoenix Rehab, was assisted by Mavis. She’s very kind and professional and did thorough check on my wrist. I feel very comfortable during the process.

I went in for thermoplastic splint, and everything went smoothly. She was able to address my needs on my left wrist sprain.

They were prompt with appointment process and inquiry. Also the clinic is very close to Tanjong Pagar MRT. I highly recommend!
  
 
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   Chiky Phan 
 59 days ago
 
 
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Fist time doing ultrasound for my tennis elbow!! Let’s hope it gets better the next few weeks!! Thank Mavis Tham!!
  
 
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   XIN WANG 
 76 days ago
 
 
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Great treatment from my therapist. My painful wrist felt a lot of relief after the session. I’m glad I can slowly get back to doing my usual activities without constant pain.
  
 
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   Abby Lee 
 92 days ago
 
 
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Very helpful and friendly !
  
 
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   雪梅Cui 
 130 days ago
 
 
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The masseur is very professional and provides excellent service ，yati is very good!
  
 
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   Tra Nguyen 
 221 days ago
 
 
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I wasn’t able to close my fingers due to an injury. Nurul at Phoenix Rehab has helped me tremendously with my recovery process. I have been able to resume my daily activities and exercises after only a few sessions. Nurul has been very professional and positive throughout the entire process. Thank you so much for your help!
  
 
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   Juzer K 
 259 days ago
 
 
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Huge shoutout to Yuna Zhang from Phoenix Rehab for helping in my recovery from golfer’s elbow 🙌

I walked in with persistent elbow pain that was affecting workouts and everyday tasks, and Yuna immediately made me feel confident I was in the right hands. She took the time to properly assess my condition, explain the root cause, and tailor a treatment plan to my specific needs instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach.

What I really appreciated was how personalised every session felt. The exercises she gave me were practical, easy to follow, and actually worked. Within a short time, the pain reduced significantly and my strength and mobility improved much faster than I expected.

On top of that, the pricing is very reasonable and affordable, which made committing to recovery much easier.

Professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely caring — highly recommend Yuna at Phoenix Rehab if you’re dealing with hand-related sports injuries 💪
  
 
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   Fazal Hanafi Chaudhry 
 343 days ago
 
 
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I enjoy coming to Phoenix rehab as they offer a wide variety of services. I had a finger accident and was working with a very experienced hand therapist. Place is clean and comfortable.  Staff were friendly and appointment was on time
  
 
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   Stella Yam 
 484 days ago
 
 
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Very good
  
 
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   Juliana 
 486 days ago
 
 
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Have both physio n Tcm visits here, highly recommend!
  
 
 
  
 
 
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