I recently had some moles removed from my back. I opted not to have them cut, rather shaved to reduce the length of the scars I'd have. The plastic surgeon was taken aback by the amount the scars had risen above skin level when I saw him and gave me dermatix to put on them. Since the instructions don't call to massage in the gel, I'm not sure if your nurse friend is quite correct in relation to this product. (She may well be righ in the suggestion that massaging helps them to flatten though) I for one have noticed a significant reduction in the scars since using it. HTH. He did say that this is not a quick fix and we're talking 6 months use, 23 out of 24 hours. (the hour is to take a shower etc).