In this article, you’ll find and discover home remedies for scar removal {what really works and what doesn’t work}, plus recipes you can try at home.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera gel is one thing that can help scars heal faster by strengthening the collagen structure within the scar. Scars result when your skin begins healing after an injury that damages its surface, such as a cut or scrape. The size, shape, color, and severity of your scar will depend on several factors such as your age, skin color, genetics, and other types of skin conditions. While no topical treatments can make your scars vanish, applying a gel such as an aloe vera to the skin may help lessen the severity of your scar’s appearance, as well as keep your skin moisturized while it heals. It should not be used on open wounds, but on healing wounds, it can hasten to heal and lessen scar formation.

Aloe vera is a natural scar removal remedy due to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It works as a natural emollient to help repair damaged skin and promote the growth of healthy skin. In addition, it will improve your skin texture.

Recipe

1. Peel the outer green cover off an aloe vera leaf and scoop out the gel-like substance.
2. Apply the gel on your scar and massage in circular motions.
3. Leave it on for about 30 minutes, then wash it off.
4. Apply aloe vera gel twice daily.

 Coconut Oil

There are many different kinds of scars. Some are light, flat, and hardly visible, while others are raised, discolored, and very visible. Stretch marks are considered scaring and most women (and some men) suffer from these appearances on their skin. People try many things to get rid of scars and stretch marks and even go as far as surgery. Before you decide on such a serious course of action, try coconut oil. If you apply it three or four times a day, the compounds in the oil may help reduce the appearance of your scars.

Coconut oil contains a natural dose of vitamin E. Often a lot of people find that vitamin E alone is very harsh on their skin, but the dosage in the oil combined with the other moisturizing compounds soothes the skin and keeps it healthy. In combination with the natural oils that coconuts produce, vitamin E can be used over a long period of time to help remove the appearance of scars.

Vitamin E Oil – Is a NO NO

Vitamin E oil is an effective antioxidant that can help fade scars. Its moisturizing property hydrates the skin and helps repair damaged tissue and improve the appearance of scars. For example, vitamin E protects the body’s tissues from free radicals, which can damage cells and accelerate aging. It’s also critical for the formation of red blood cells, which distribute oxygen around the body. Both functions are vital to healing.

Taking too many vitamin E supplements can be harmful. That’s more than 1,000 mg daily in natural form or 670 mg in synthetic form. It can thin the blood, increase the risk of bleeding, and even cause bleeding in the brain.

According to Sydney dermatologist Dr. Phillip Artemi, the answer is no. He says despite the marketing hype, research has clearly shown vitamin E DOES NOT help scars.

As your body forms a scar there is a natural process of slow and gradual improvement over a period of about 12 months. And this will happen regardless of whether vitamin E oil is applied.

It is true that collagen, a fibrous protein in the skin, is involved in scar formation and that vitamin E, when present in the body, influences the formation and arrangement of collagen fibers.

But Dr. Artemi says it does not automatically follow that applying vitamin E to the skin will improve the way collagen is formed and laid down when wounds heal and scars form.

In fact, several studies have tested this exact idea and shown it to be false. One study even found that in almost a third of cases, vitamin E caused a common skin irritation — known as contact dermatitis.

Dermatologists now consider it “a proven scientific fact” that applying vitamin E is of no value to scars, Dr. Artemi says.

Remember, It’s always best to discuss the use of supplements with your doctor.

Olive Oil

Most of us know that olive oil is a healthy choice, but not many know about its ability to heal the skin. Here is why you should use olive oil for acne scars –

• Olive oil is rich in vital vitamins, which quickens the healing process of acne scars.
• Loaded with antioxidants in the form of phenolic compounds like oleuropein and squalene which keep oxidative damage at bay.
• Possesses excellent anti-inflammatory properties that enhance the healing process of scars from acne and other skin ailments.
• Non-comedogenic (does not clog skin pores) by nature, which makes it an ideal remedy for acne.
• It is also an emollient that hydrates and nourishes the skin and keeps it supple.

Recipe:

1. Apply some warm extra-virgin olive oil to the affected area and massage using small, circular motions.
2. Wait 30 minutes, then wipe off the oil with a clean cloth.

You can also leave the oil on your skin overnight.

Repeat these remedies several times a day until you get the desired result.

Lemon

Lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent, and it also has some mild exfoliating properties, due to its acidic nature. Therefore, if you have a scar that is thickened or darker than the surrounding skin, lemon juice might have some effects on the thickness of the scar and may lighten its color a bit.

Lemon contains alpha-hydroxy acids, which have healing properties that can help treat scars of all types. This fruit can remove dead skin cells, promote the growth of new skin cells, and improve skin elasticity. The vitamin C in lemon also helps regenerate and repair damaged skin. In addition, the bleaching property of lemon helps lighten scars.

Note: As lemon can make your skin photosensitive, avoid going out in the sun immediately after use, and be sure to use sunscreen when you go outside.

Honey

Honey is a natural moisturizer, making it an effective scar removal treatment. It prevents accumulation of dead skin cells and stimulates skin tissue regeneration.

Rachel Nazarian, a dermatologist in New York City, says honey has been shown to help wounds heal, but it won’t affect scarring. “Many studies have been done using honey as a topical treatment following skin burns, as it does appear to help stimulate wound healing and also to prevent infection. But no evidence exists that it can help with car repair,” says Nazarian. However, Chiu says, honey’s ability to speed healing could help reduce any leftover redness from a big breakout. “Honey could decrease healing time, which would, in turn, minimize the hyperpigmentation some people experience from acne. But once you have a scar, there is nothing in honey that will make that scar disappear,” she says.

Apple Cider Vinegar

And because apple cider vinegar can help eliminate dead skin cells, it may even help fade away acne scars.

Recipe

1. Mix apple cider vinegar with honey
2. Then, using a cotton ball, apply to the skin or affected area.
3. Leave it on for about 10 minutes
4. Rinse.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter can be applied both to scarring and the skin surrounding it. In addition to softening and moisturizing your skin, it will smooth out the tone and texture of it, making scars look less noticeable. Furthermore, applying cocoa butter topically on a daily basis can help facilitate repairing damaged skin.

Recipe:

1. Apply a spoonful of pure cocoa butter on the scar and massage it gently using firm, circular motions.
2. Leave it on overnight and wash it off the next morning with lukewarm water.
3. Repeat daily until the scar fades.

Tea Tree Oil

It’s very effective because it has antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. As an effective natural acne treatment, tea tree oil is effective in healing acne scars. It’s most beneficial in healing hypertrophic scars and may gradually diminish the scar.

Recipe

Spot treatment

In a bowl, take some coconut oil and add in few drops of tea tree oil. Mix it well and using a Q-tip apply the oil on acne scars or any scars on the body. Sleep with it and wash off in the morning.

Mask

In a bowl, take some yogurt and add in few drops of tea tree essential oil. Give it a good mix and apply wherever you have scars. Let it sit for 20 minutes and wash off.

Mist

In a bowl, add 1 teaspoon witch hazel, 1 cup water and few drops of tea tree oil. Pour it into a spray bottle and shake well. Spray on your skin and rub it in.

Note

Never use tea tree oil undiluted. Also, if using this essential oil for the first time, do a patch test.

Sandalwood

Sandalwood paste is the best remedy for getting rid of scars and blemishes caused by acne. Not only is it completely natural, but it is effective too. We are all born with flawless, smooth skin.

According to Ayurveda, sandalwood has skin-regenerating and soothing properties that can reduce the appearance of all types of scars.

1. Mix equal amounts of sandalwood oil and any carrier oil of your choice.
2. Apply it on the scar with a cotton ball.
3. Allow it to sit for about 30 minutes, then rinse it off with warm water.
4. Do this twice daily.

Create a Healing Paste

1. Another option is to mix 1 teaspoon of sandalwood powder and add enough rose water or milk to make a paste.
2. Apply the paste on the scar and rub gently.
3. Leave it on for 1 hour before washing it off with cold water.
4. Do this daily.