There’s a plethora of commercially available home remedies for scars. Think about scar creams based on vitamin E or onion extract like Mederma, Bio Oil, cocoa butter, Aloe Vera, cucumber butter, lime juice, skin remodeling copper peptides and so on.


The superabundance of positive online reviews and upbeat testimonials would indicate these remedies to be helpful in the struggle to reduce scars.


However, considered from a scientific perspective, there’s only one type of home remedy that is proven effective. With proven effective I mean backed by science.



Silicone Gel Sheeting
This is the type of home remedy I am talking about: silicones for scars. Several clinical trials and other studies [1],[2] have demonstrated that silicone gel sheeting prevents the development of problematic scars. It has also shown to be an effective home remedy for keloid and hypertrophic scars.




Silicone gel sheets significantly and clinically improved the appearance of scars. More specific; this remedy makes red, raised, stiff scars more skin colored, softer, pliable, and flat. Also the anti-itch and pain reducing abilities have been proven by studies. It will not surprise that silicone sheets, recommended by many plastic surgeons, burn centers and dermatologists, are called ‘the golden standard in scar treatment’. However early treatment is ideal, silicone gel sheets may also be beneficial for older scars



Medical grade honey for wound care
Wound healing, which can be a of major influence on scarring, can get a real boost when wound care products based on medical-grade honey are used.

A review in which 22 clinical trials were evaluated concluded that honey minimizes scarring, removes infected and dead tissue and speeds healing by stimulating new tissue growth. Some researchers even suspect this type of honey to have beneficial effects when applied directly on scars but at present there’s no research done.

A 1996 preliminary study from India showed that burns treated with honey healed sooner than those treated with conventional methods (petrolatum and gauze) and that scarring was reduced. (6.2% of the 450 patients treated ended up with scars compared to 19.7% of the same number of patients who received conventional treatment)



Conclusion
When we rely on medical science we can conclude that the best home remedies for scars are silicone gel sheets (or gels) and, in case of wound care, medical grade honey dressings. Recently, FDA approved medical grade honey dressings have become available on the consumer market.

More on how silicone gel sheeting works. The best brands to buy, and Medihoney wound care products.

[1] Topical treatments for hypertrophic scars Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology – Volume 55, Issue 6 (December 2006)
[2] Evolution of Silicone Therapy and Mechanism of Action in Scar Management by Dr. Thomas A. Mustoe Aesth Plast Surg (2008) 32:82–92 link (.pdf)

none

Many widespread over the counter scar treatment products are incorrectly thought to be effective. Questions of people asking scar treatment advice online are regularly answered with the same false statements. Cordial replies such as; “rub it  in with Vitamin E capsules” or “Mederma works really great”. Fact is that scars improve over time and the common denominator in these approaches is scar massage. Whether someone uses cream X or Y, their scar will probably improve on itself. Probably thanks to time passing and the effects of massaging the scar tissue but not as a result of these products. When determining which product really works it’s best to focus on scientific research like clinical trials and other studies.

Such studies show DIY treatments like the topical use of vitamin E, the use of scar creams based on vitamin E or onion extract like Mederma don’t work. Various studies do show onion extract gel did not improve scar appearance when compared with a petrolatum-based ointment.

Clinical trials illustrate that vitamin E provides no more effect than other emollient-type ointments, and hydration appears to be its only beneficial effect. Furthermore, topical vitamin E may actually cause more harm than good, possibly worsening a scar’s appearance and causing contact dermatitis (red rash), and other skin irritations in a large percentage of patients. That’s why many experts disencourage the topical use of vitamin E capsules.

Studies on the effects of onion extract, active ingredient in Mederma scar cream, on scar appearance have shown no benefits. Onion extract based ointments did not show to be advantageous over petroleum gel (Vaseline). A leading dermatology website advices medical professionals to tell their patients that using this product will likely not cause any harm but will not lead to an improvement either.

Also cocoa butter, cucumber butter, lime juice, Aloe Vera, skin remodeling copper peptides are used regularly. A scientific approach however, shows these over the counter products are not effective at all or no research has been done yet. (On Lime, cucumber and lemon juice and cocoa butter are no studies done). Information on products that do work here.

none