What Are the Best Scar Treatments and Why?

Vitamin E (Tocopherol) - Topical vitamin E may be good for preventing sun-induced skin damage but it has NO effect on, and actually WORSENS the appearance of scars in up to 90% of adults. Up to 33% of users develop a contact dermatitis to vitamin E (redness, itching and flaking). American dermatologists and Canadian pediatricians recommend completely avoiding vitamin E scar products.

Vitamin C - One of the skin's main components is collagen. Scars heal through new collagen formation. Untreated skin produces unorganized, haphazard collagen. Vitamin C scar treatments help to improve and organize collagen formation. Improved collagen formation leads to faster and more cosmetic scar healing. Vitamin C also decreases inflammation and is used to lighten dark scars.

Silicone Sheeting and Gel - Silicone will improve the appearance and texture of both an old and new problem scar. Silicone sheets are cumbersome and interfere with clothing and make-up. Silicone gel (Dimethicone) is as effective as silicone sheeting and is much easier to apply. Easy make-up and sun-block application is an added benefit of the gel. Always check the ingredients to make sure the silicone is Dimethicone (certified as safe) and not potentially harmful silicones like D4 or D5 (eg Cyclomethicone, Cyclotetrasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cyclopentasiloxane).

Topical Steroids - Most people know that steroids decrease inflammation. However, independent studies have shown that topical steroids have no effect in reducing scar thickness or improving the cosmetic appearance of scars.

Onion Extract (eg. Mederma skin care) - Several scientific studies in humans and animals have focused on onion extract, one of the main ingredients in Mederma skin care products. All showed NO benefit from topical use. Mederma performed no better than plain petroleum gel (or Vaseline) for scar redness, itchiness, pain, burning, thickness and overall scar appearance.

Botanicals (Natural Plant Extracts) - Many skin care products include natural plant extracts as ingredients, mainly because of their anti-inflammatory effects. Examples include aloe vera, licorice, curcumin, green tea, ginko, ginseng, soy, tea tree oil, arnica, bromelain, sunflower oil, safflower oil and chamomile to name but a few. Of these, only a small handful improve the way a scar heals and fades.

The following botanicals improve the appearance of scars:

Aloe Vera - accelerates wound healing - decreases inflammation - stimulates new skin growth through amino acids - promotes healthy healing in the deepest skin layers

Linoleic Acid (Safflower Seed Oil) and Oleic Acid (Sunflower Seed Oil) - regenerate lipid biolayer crucial for skin moisture - improve wound healing - improve scar elasticity - control production of prostaglandins, one of the skin's main "building blocks." - prevent disturbance in prostaglandin production which causes poor healing - lighten dark pigment (hyper-pigmentation)

Licorice Extract - strong anti-inflammatory - accelerates skin renewal - lightens dark scars and brown spots including melasma (especially when combined with a stable form of vitamin C) - anti-acne effects (both prevention and treatment)

In summary, vitamin C, dimethicone silicone and botanicals like aloe, licorice and flower seed oils with high oleic and linoleic acid contents have all been shown to improve scar appearance. Interestingly, most products on the market contain vitamin E, steroids, onion extract, or combinations of these ingredients, none of which have been shown to improve scar healing. Always check the ingredient labels when comparing scar treatments.