I used to come here for a couple years for ideas and just support, reading through the posts. I wanted to write and tell you my experience because I am finally not plagued by the fissures.
I have lichen sclerosis and both this genital skin condition and the steroid cream used as sparingly as possible make my skin down there so fragile. So for years I was just constantly ripped up. Every stool brought pain and blood. My anus itched constantly. It was my private hell as I lived the rest of my life. The rips just would not heal. I felt like there were about 3 of them. The biggest was so deep and long that it created a tag that just kept growing. It is probably an inch long now.
I gave birth last year, by c section, and afterward, I had no appetite and no poop for about 6 days. I didn't itch and I had high hopes: could the fissures have had time to heal, finally? I took stool softeners and hoped. But alas. When I began going again, the fissures were there, open, bleeding, itching. Argh!!
About 3 or 4 months ago, I was desperate to find some solution. I thought I might need stem cell surgery for the lichen sclerosis and that would help my skin there. I still might, for the vulva symptoms. However, out of just tiring of the commercial wet wipes that I always used to clean my tush, I decided to switch to coconut oil and regular cottonelle toilet paper. I was using coconut oil on my baby's tender butt at each diaper change, and it has antibacterial properties as well as being One Ingredient, healthy as can be. So I put a jar in the bathroom, and after every poop I'd use folded toilet paper with a generous bit of coconut oil (which is a soft solid form until 75 degrees F) on it. For each wipe. Yes, it's unwieldy, yes, you need a lot of paper, but so what? After just a few days I noticed it wasn't hurting or bleeding or even itching quite as much. After a couple weeks, I wasn't even having middle of the night insane itching. I forgot. About. My. Butt. Can you imagine??? After years of fissures, I got to break up with my abusive relationship with my butt!! I paid no attention to it except for the actual having to eliminate! Like other people!
I still only use coconut oil and paper, it's been probably 4 months, and just changing my wiping habits has healed me. Maybe the chemicals in the wet wipes and all the harsh cleaning I was doing (I really like to be totally clean including inside the opening) were keeping the fissures open. Now I can clean as much as I want, and the soft healing oil has cured me.
The large tag is still there but it probably always will be. It doesn't hurt at all and I don't like the sound of the painful surgery. I am very happy. No more itching, bleeding, or pain. Just hope this can help someone else.

I want to add about diet and stools -- I have never had hard stools. Well, maybe not never, but very rarely. When I ate almost vegetarian, for many years, I went about 3 times a day. 2 years ago, I went more paleo, so lots of healthy meats and dairy, and healthy carbs (no gluten). I tend to poop about once or twice a day. They are type 4 - 5 and sometimes 6 on the Bristol stool scale.
This is to let you know that fissures are not only caused by hard stools. I had at least 3 big fissures with frequent, softer stools! So don't always reach for fiber. It wasn't helping me. I had all the bad fissure symptoms on both of those diets above. It didnt seem to matter what I ate. Just in case that further helps someone. No one deserves anal fissures. I feel for all of you.

Great post! I have not tried coconut oil, but the more I hear about it, the more it seems time to try it.

And I didn't even eat it. I know it's wonderful in the diet too, but this benefit was for right where it counted. :)

Thanks for your success story. Hope you stay on top of your battles.
GL

Yes great post!...Thank you!! :)
Sav, I'm thinking the same as you - I am going to have to buy the coconut oil. It just seems to help so many people!!! I'm hoping it might relieve the ails of piles too, which is what I seem to have ended up with!....
Also a REALLY interesting point about baby wipes and OVERwiping. Too many of maybe the wrong type of baby wipes I think, can actually be really irritating. I've been having to rely on them more the last few days as I've not had access to a detachable shower for post BM cleaning (Been away and staying in a hotel) and my bottom became sorer and sorer after using them more (and the piles worse). Like you, I am a bit obsessive still about the cleaning up and feel the need to get "inside" the anus - I think that stems from getting an abscess and then fistula and feeling that uncleaned debris had caused this issue.....but you say the coconut oil helps when you clean up too? Are you still that obsessive about it? I think this is a key point in complete healing for me, the issue of overcleaning, and thank you SO much for posting this! We never stop learning!
Congratulations on your birth too, which provides further reassurance & hope to so many women contemplating pregnancy V an anal fissure. That topic appears a lot!
So good to read your post and truly hoping you live fissure free happily ever after!