answer:vitamin e. i've used it for years and it's made a big difference for my surgical scars, although they don't sound as big/severe as yours, and i've heard the same from others. it's really good for your skin, no side effects i know of, so no matter what you can't loose by trying it (except some $ i guess). get the pure stuff. it's pricey but worth it (maybe $15 for a two-inch bottle? i haven't bought it in a long time). the stuff with fillers is NOT as good from my experience. you can find little bottles of pure vitamin e oil at natural-ish grocery stores (even safeway i think), some drug stores, and i'm sure other places. beauty places maybe. and a little bottle can last surprisingly long. if you can't find it, you can also get the vitamin pills (still read it well to get the pure thing) and pop them open with a needle. that's actually pretty convenient sometimes, but it's smaller quantities than you might need. just put it on the scars and a little around them when you have time to leave it there at least a few hours. i often do it before bed. it is oil, so it's sticky and will get on clothes, etc, so you have to work that out. but literally when i wake up in the morning i SEE the difference. if you keep to it (daily, every couple days, whatever) over time it could really help your skin. another more intense method is laser surgery. i had it done once but i can't remember well the difference it made (it was many years ago). i think like the stripping it can work or not. you could look into it. besides that, i'm sure you've been told the usual -- try to keep the scars from the sun, keep them well moisturized (i recommend aloe vera and oils), and massage them whenever you think of it to bring blood flow and your body's attention to the area.