5 Home Remedies for Scars
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There’s no known medical or scientific way to make scars totally disappear. The good news is that many scars will become lighter on their own over time.
People promoting natural healing believe that there are remedies which can make a scar less noticeable. 5 home remedies for scars have appeared across the internet over the last few years. Aloe vera, vitamin E, honey, coconut oil and apple cider vinegar are promoted as some alternatives to modern fomulations. Let’s have a quick look at these possible alternatives for scar reduction.
Aloe vera is a plant that’s been used for thousands of years to treat a number of conditions. Primarily, this has been to soothe skin irritation and wounds.
There are several ways that aloe vera applied to the skin may help to reduce acne scar formation. Examples include boosting immune response, increasing collagen and elastin fiber production and reducing inflammation.
Unfortunately, there’s no clinical evidence that supports the use of aloe vera for reducing a scar. Accordingly, it’s important that you discuss any scar treatment with your healthcare professional before treating any scar with aloe vera.
Vitamin E exists naturally in some foods. Studies suggest that the richest naturally occurring vitamin E sources are nuts, spinach, whole grains, olive oil, and sunflower oil.
The vitamin is typically available as an oral supplement or as oil which can be applied to the skin. Vitamin E is a popular treatment for burns and scars. However, studies looking at whether or not topical application of vitamin E helps with scars have yielded disappointing results.
A study looking at vitamin E’s effects found that a large proportion of participants had allergic reactions to the vitamin. In total, 90% reported either an allergic reaction or that the vitamin did not affect their scarring.
However, the vitamin may benefit other skin conditions. Another study suggested that vitamin E may improve symptoms and quality of life for people with atopic dermatitis, or eczema.
At present, there is not enough evidence to recommend using vitamin E to diminish scars by itself. Again, it remains vitally important that you discuss treatment of a scar using vitamin E with your doctor before use.
It's been repoted that honey helps your body’s wound healing process, which may help fade acne scars over time. Reportedly, you can use honey as a spot treatment on scars. It needs to be applied every day or every other day as a paste at the site of your scarring.
You may also see results if you use honey face masks as a part of your beauty routine, as described above. Keep in mind that what we know about honey’s healing abilities is limited, and still developing. A recent study found that honey may not be good for scarring caused by burns and deep cuts. Unfortunately, there's no clinical evidence that supports honey helps to reduce the look and feel of a scar.
Individuals are advised to discuss treatment of a scar using honey with their healthcare professional before application begins.
Coconut oil has been identified by some people to reduce the appearance of acne scars and stretch marks. This substance is also promoted as being able to slow scarring developed from surgical incisions and traumatic injuries.
It’s important that you talk to your doctor before using coconut oil as an alternative treatment method. Unfortunately, medical professionals don't widely endorse the practice of using coconut oil for scar treatment. There just isn't enough evidence to indicate its benefits. For instance, if you have particularly sensitive skin, it may react poorly to the oil.
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been described on the internet as a miracle formula for a wide variety of skin conditions. From treating warts and sunburns to reducing acne and scars, apple cider vinegar can seemingly cure it all!
ACV is also commonly used as an all-purpose remedy for aged skin that causes fine lines and wrinkles. These uses and many others hardly scratch the surface of what people claim ACV can do.
While there is some reason to believe apple cider vinegar can be beneficial, evidence is very limited and anecdotal for others. The use of apple cider vinegar for scar treatment is a controversial subject, and it’s one that demands closer examination.
Countless online sources outline the positive benefits of using ACV to flatten and reduce the appearance of scars. The unfortunate truth is that most of these claims are misleading. Again, we suggest talking to your healthcare professional before using apple cider vinegar as a treatment for scars.
There are many reported home based “natural remedies” for treating scars. Many of these treatments will be found in the kitchen pantry or medical cabinet of any home. Unfortunately, the science does not typically back up the claims made by either users or manufacturers of these remedies.
It must be remembered that you’ll need to speak with your doctor before experimenting too much.
Importantly, scientific research points to the inclusion of silicone as an active ingredient in a scar product formulation. Silicone has been identified for having properties which lighten, flatten and visibly reduce the look of a scar over time.
People promoting natural healing believe that there are remedies which can make a scar less noticeable. 5 home remedies for scars have appeared across the internet over the last few years. Aloe vera, vitamin E, honey, coconut oil and apple cider vinegar are promoted as some alternatives to modern fomulations. Let’s have a quick look at these possible alternatives for scar reduction.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a plant that’s been used for thousands of years to treat a number of conditions. Primarily, this has been to soothe skin irritation and wounds.
There are several ways that aloe vera applied to the skin may help to reduce acne scar formation. Examples include boosting immune response, increasing collagen and elastin fiber production and reducing inflammation.
Unfortunately, there’s no clinical evidence that supports the use of aloe vera for reducing a scar. Accordingly, it’s important that you discuss any scar treatment with your healthcare professional before treating any scar with aloe vera.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E exists naturally in some foods. Studies suggest that the richest naturally occurring vitamin E sources are nuts, spinach, whole grains, olive oil, and sunflower oil.
The vitamin is typically available as an oral supplement or as oil which can be applied to the skin. Vitamin E is a popular treatment for burns and scars. However, studies looking at whether or not topical application of vitamin E helps with scars have yielded disappointing results.
A study looking at vitamin E’s effects found that a large proportion of participants had allergic reactions to the vitamin. In total, 90% reported either an allergic reaction or that the vitamin did not affect their scarring.
However, the vitamin may benefit other skin conditions. Another study suggested that vitamin E may improve symptoms and quality of life for people with atopic dermatitis, or eczema.
At present, there is not enough evidence to recommend using vitamin E to diminish scars by itself. Again, it remains vitally important that you discuss treatment of a scar using vitamin E with your doctor before use.
Honey
It's been repoted that honey helps your body’s wound healing process, which may help fade acne scars over time. Reportedly, you can use honey as a spot treatment on scars. It needs to be applied every day or every other day as a paste at the site of your scarring.
You may also see results if you use honey face masks as a part of your beauty routine, as described above. Keep in mind that what we know about honey’s healing abilities is limited, and still developing. A recent study found that honey may not be good for scarring caused by burns and deep cuts. Unfortunately, there's no clinical evidence that supports honey helps to reduce the look and feel of a scar.
Individuals are advised to discuss treatment of a scar using honey with their healthcare professional before application begins.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has been identified by some people to reduce the appearance of acne scars and stretch marks. This substance is also promoted as being able to slow scarring developed from surgical incisions and traumatic injuries.
It’s important that you talk to your doctor before using coconut oil as an alternative treatment method. Unfortunately, medical professionals don't widely endorse the practice of using coconut oil for scar treatment. There just isn't enough evidence to indicate its benefits. For instance, if you have particularly sensitive skin, it may react poorly to the oil.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been described on the internet as a miracle formula for a wide variety of skin conditions. From treating warts and sunburns to reducing acne and scars, apple cider vinegar can seemingly cure it all!
ACV is also commonly used as an all-purpose remedy for aged skin that causes fine lines and wrinkles. These uses and many others hardly scratch the surface of what people claim ACV can do.
While there is some reason to believe apple cider vinegar can be beneficial, evidence is very limited and anecdotal for others. The use of apple cider vinegar for scar treatment is a controversial subject, and it’s one that demands closer examination.
Countless online sources outline the positive benefits of using ACV to flatten and reduce the appearance of scars. The unfortunate truth is that most of these claims are misleading. Again, we suggest talking to your healthcare professional before using apple cider vinegar as a treatment for scars.
Conclusion
There are many reported home based “natural remedies” for treating scars. Many of these treatments will be found in the kitchen pantry or medical cabinet of any home. Unfortunately, the science does not typically back up the claims made by either users or manufacturers of these remedies.
It must be remembered that you’ll need to speak with your doctor before experimenting too much.
Importantly, scientific research points to the inclusion of silicone as an active ingredient in a scar product formulation. Silicone has been identified for having properties which lighten, flatten and visibly reduce the look of a scar over time.