Choosing the Best Scar Cream for Your Scars

Many people faced with problematic scars turn to a scar cream to improve the appearance or texture of their scars. Scars can be caused by a variety of reasons: surgery, cuts, stretch marks and acne, to name just a few. These scars can cause embarrassment or social stigma, causing many individuals to seek treatment with one of a number of over the counter scar products. All these products promise to improve scars.

Unfortunately, many individuals are left disappointed by the results. Most scar creams contain very few active ingredients or none at all. Most popular treatments are often bought because of their marketing and not their effectiveness. Before buying or using a scar treatment, be sure to research it's ingredients using reliable sources including medical literature if possible.

Vitamin E, for example, is found in many scar products. Multiple scientific and clinical studies have shown that vitamin E scar treatments do not improve 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.

Onion extract is another example. What do the studies show?.... It is no better than plain petroleum jelly (ie Vaseline) when it comes to improving scar appearance.

On the other hand, studies do show that Vitamin C improves 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 fibres within the scar. The exact mechanism by which silicone scar treatments work is unknown but it is thought to draw moisture into the scar.

Most skin care products contain water which encourages bacterial growth after the product container is opened and the cream is contaminated. There are about 50 approved preservatives to keep products "bacteria-free", but the market is dominated by just a handful: parabens, formaldehyde, metylchloroisothiazolinone, and methylisothiazolinone. This is bad news, since these chemicals are among the most irritating preservatives. About 6% of people have a contact allergy to preservatives and fragrances. Allergies to formaldehyde are as high as 9%.

To optimize scar healing, it is important to take care of the wound properly from the get-go. All fresh wounds must be kept clean and it's also a good idea to keep them covered for the first few days. Washing gently is recommended using clean water and a gentle soap (like Dial).

Some wounds will need a fresh dressing up to 3 times a day (ask your doctor). Many people use peroxide. This is fine to use to clean a dirty wound initially but should be stopped once the wound is clean. Peroxide cleans wounds very well but also prevents healing. Start using your scar treatment of choice as soon as initial skin healing has occurred (the skin has healed over). If it's a surgical scar, start as soon as the sutures are removed.

Even the best scar treatments take time to improve scars so it is important you keep using your scar therapy until you stop seeing an improvement. It is also important to realize scars continue to improve and "mature" for up to 2 years after the skin injury. It is during these first 2 years that you'll get the biggest "bang for your buck" from your treatment.

Protect newer scars (less than 2 years old) from the sun with sun block or clothing. Repeat, prolonged exposure to the sun can cause scars to become dark or more red, making them even more noticeable. Color changes are not as likely once the scar is more than 2 years old.

Scar massage is a must, regardless of which product you choose. Most plastic surgeons recommend massaging scars firmly for several minutes a day (you can't overdo it) to help soften and flatten scars. This can be performed in conjunction with applying the scar cream or lotion to make massaging easier.