Whether from surgery, trauma, pregnancy or acne, scars can be problematic or even embarrassing. A safe, effective scar treatment can be hard to find though. There are so many over the counter (OTC) products to choose from and they all make the same amazing claims. So where do you start?
The good news is that you don't need a prescription from a doctor for most scar products. The bad news is that most popular scar creams are successful because of clever marketing rather than true science. Before you commit, research the ingredients to find out what science, if any, exists to support the claims made on the packaging.
Vitamin E, for example, is found in many scar products. Multiple scientific and clinical studies have shown that vitamin E does not help get rid of scars. In up to 90% of cases, vitamin E either fails to improve, or even worsens the appearance of scars. To add insult to injury, 1 in 3 people also find themselves being allergic to it. Contact allergy to vitamin E can cause redness, itching, swelling and flaking. Because of this, vitamin E is not the vitamin of choice to improve scars and should be avoided.
Another common ingredient is onion extract. Here again, many studies have found this to be ineffective as a scar therapy and no better than plain petroleum jelly.
Vitamin C on the other hand DOES improve scar healing, as does silicone. Both help improve scar appearance and texture, fading and softening both old and new scars. Vitamin C acts by encouraging healthy collagen formation (rather than unorganized collagen), and improves orientation of collagen fibers within the scar. The exact mechanism by which silicone works is unknown but it is thought to draw moisture into the scar.
Most scar products contain water which encourages the growth of bacteria. These bacteria are introduced into the cream once the container is opened by the user's hand. To prevent this growth of bacteria and potential infections, skin care companies use preservatives like parabens, methylparabens and formaldehydes. While there are plenty more to choose from, these are the most commonly used preservatives. Unfortunately, they are also among the most irritating and cause contact allergy in as many as 9% of users.
The good news is that you don't need a prescription from a doctor for most scar products. The bad news is that most popular scar creams are successful because of clever marketing rather than true science. Before you commit, research the ingredients to find out what science, if any, exists to support the claims made on the packaging.
Vitamin E, for example, is found in many scar products. Multiple scientific and clinical studies have shown that vitamin E does not help get rid of scars. In up to 90% of cases, vitamin E either fails to improve, or even worsens the appearance of scars. To add insult to injury, 1 in 3 people also find themselves being allergic to it. Contact allergy to vitamin E can cause redness, itching, swelling and flaking. Because of this, vitamin E is not the vitamin of choice to improve scars and should be avoided.
Another common ingredient is onion extract. Here again, many studies have found this to be ineffective as a scar therapy and no better than plain petroleum jelly.
Vitamin C on the other hand DOES improve scar healing, as does silicone. Both help improve scar appearance and texture, fading and softening both old and new scars. Vitamin C acts by encouraging healthy collagen formation (rather than unorganized collagen), and improves orientation of collagen fibers within the scar. The exact mechanism by which silicone works is unknown but it is thought to draw moisture into the scar.
Most scar products contain water which encourages the growth of bacteria. These bacteria are introduced into the cream once the container is opened by the user's hand. To prevent this growth of bacteria and potential infections, skin care companies use preservatives like parabens, methylparabens and formaldehydes. While there are plenty more to choose from, these are the most commonly used preservatives. Unfortunately, they are also among the most irritating and cause contact allergy in as many as 9% of users.
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