Three heart operations in as many years left Mrs Stewart with severe scarring running from her neck to her naval. Red, raised and painful, Mrs Stewart expected to see some gradual improvement in the scars' appearance following her last operation. This was not the case.

Talking about her experiences, Mrs Stewart said: "I was in considerable discomfort as a result of the scarring. Not only were they painful but also, because they were red and raised, I couldn't bring myself to wear anything that didn't have a high neck line."

"I consulted my doctor and the surgeon who had performed my operations. They told me I had keloid scarring and the only possibility that was suggested by my doctor was to operate on the scars to remove some of the excess tissue. However, my surgeon advised against this as there was a risk that it could make the scarring worse."

Then Mrs Stewart read in a magazine about a new scar improvement called CICA-CARE^◊ from Smith & Nephew which can be used to reduce red, raised scars.

Mrs Stewart continued: "Since I started using CICA-CARE^◊ two months ago the redness of the scars has started to fade. They are also not as raised as they were and this seems to have helped with the discomfort I was having before. I've noticed a particular improvement at the top of my chest and it has even given me the confidence to go out and buy myself a blouse with a lower neck line than I would have dreamed of wearing before."