A scar is a mark on the skin after a wound or injury has healed. You cannot get rid of a scar, but most will fade over time. This can take up to 2 years or more, but there are some things you can do to help it heal or improve how it looks.
Depending on the scar type, scars can take up to two years to fade naturally. After the two-year mark, it's unlikely your scar will fade anymore. Scarring is a natural part of the healing process following tissue damage. Most wounds cause the skin tissue to break, releasing collagen.
Scars can fade over time as the jumbled collagen fibers within them begin to flatten and smooth out, Cooney said. This process can take around six to 18 months. How much a scar fades depends on its size, location and type.
Mederma gel is designed to tackle a range of scar types including acne scars, burn scars, injury and surgical scars, old scars and more. It contains Cepalin® botanical extract, for old and new scars.
Treatments can reduce a scar's size or appearance, but the scar will never completely go away. Some treatments prevent a scar from forming as a wound heals. Scar treatments include: Dermabrasion: A common acne scar treatment, dermabrasion removes the top layer of skin by gently “sanding” the skin.
Mederma: Although it is often recommended by physicians, this scar gel, which contains an onion extract, has no solid scientific evidence to support its use. Vitamin E: Although it is commonly used in anti-scarring products, clinical studies are disappointing.
Usually, light chemical peels are adequate treatments to remove dark scars or reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation. That said, you may also find that chemical peels can help even the texture of atrophic scars as well, particularly when the treatment is used regularly.
For best results, you should perform scar massage for at least 10 minutes, twice a day, for six months. You should only stop sooner than that if the scar starts showing signs of infection or you experience intolerable discomfort.
Silicone gels and sheets, which experts say have the best evidence of reducing the appearance of scars, form a seal over the skin to maintain skin hydration and protect it from the environment.
Cocoa butter cream and Vaseline are most often used to help reduce the appearance of scars. Applying the ointment daily will help heal scars but will not make them invisible. Another tip for caring for your scars includes surgery. Surgery will not eliminate the scar but can change its shape or make it less noticeable.
Atrophic scars are the opposite of hypertrophic scars. They are depressed, sunken and often have a pitted appearance.
Vitamin E may be hailed as a new miracle regarding scar reduction and fading. However, the lack of clinical evidence suggests that using vitamin E for scars is ineffective and, thus, not necessary.
Chemical Peel or Dermabrasion
These procedures can reduce the look of severe scars. They remove the top layers of skin to get rid of surface scars and bring deeper scars closer to the surface.
Old scars are harder to treat, but their appearance can be reduced over time.
Immediately following wound healing, a scar is usually red in appearance and is referred to as an 'immature' scar. Between 3 months and 2 years the scar should become paler, flatter and softer and can then be referred to as a 'mature' scar.
Some people use certain essential oils — such as Helichrysum, lavender, or tea tree oils — on the skin to promote wound healing and reduce the appearance of scars.
Keloid scars
A keloid scar is an overgrowth of tissue that occurs when too much collagen is produced at the site of the wound. The scar keeps growing, even after the wound has healed. Keloid scars are raised above the skin and are red or purple when newly formed, before gradually becoming paler.
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Brown has reviewed at least three controlled studies showing no proven benefit when Mederma is used for scar treatment. You would see more benefit from applying lotion or Vaseline to a scar – three times per day for 8 weeks – than you would following the same regimen with Mederma.
Here are a few of my personal recommendations that I have seen great success with our patients: 1. Arnica gel - for discoloration, helps reduce any boggy discolored scar appearance. 2. Mederma cream - for scar appearance, promotes the collagen formation that permits the scar to mimic "normal skin".
NEOSPORIN® + Pain, Itch, Scar can help minimize the appearance of scars and provide a nourishing environment for the skin around your wound while protecting fresh wounds from infection.