What should i use to fade scars

The trick to treating these kinds of scars at home, according to Lancer, is keeping pressure on the injury to prevent it from rising, which can be done with anything from bandaids and tape to scar dressings made of silicone. Bailey says in a dermatologist's office, they can be treated with cortisone injections or they can also be surgically excised or treated with ablative lasers in the hopes that the new wound heals with less excessive production of collagen.

As Lancer describes it, when hypertrophic scars mature, they're called keloid scars. These are rounded, hard, and rubbery and have a shiny overlying skin, and Bailey adds, they can be red and tender as they grow. Though any part of the skin can form a keloid, Bailey says they're not typically found on the face and appear more often in the mid-chest.

Keloids occur in all ethnicities, though some people are genetically prone to them and they can run in families. A tricky kind of scar, keloids can be caused by injury but they also can form spontaneously. Lancer says silicone sheets could possibly prevent the scar from growing, but unfortunately, treatment of this kind of scar is difficult because many remedies may stimulate growth. Contracture scars are often the result of burns , but Bailey adds that all scars contract to some extent.

Again, silicone scar dressings can help in this instance, but Bailey adds that a scar like this can be softened by careful use of cortisone cream as well as massage. The first three months involves the formation of the scar to seal and heal the injury. By three months, a scar is strong enough to hold the skin together. From month four to 12, the scar is remodeling into its final form. This is the time when doctors typically recommend massage of a surgical scar to help soften it and prevent excess contracture.

Thank you [email] for signing up. Please enter a valid email address. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Byrdie. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

If you avoid meeting people because of your appearance, it's easy to become socially isolated. This can lead to depression.

See a GP if you feel your scars are making you depressed, or if they're affecting your daily activities. Read more about living with facial disfigurement and improving self-esteem. A number of support groups and organisations provide help and advice for people living with scarring. When the skin is wounded, the tissues break, which causes a protein called collagen to be released.

Collagen builds up where the tissue is damaged, helping to heal and strengthen the wound. New collagen continues forming for several months and the blood supply increases, causing the scar to become raised and lumpy. In time, some collagen breaks down at the site of the wound and the blood supply reduces. The scar gradually becomes smoother and softer. Although scars are permanent, they can fade over a period of up to 2 years.

It's unlikely they'll fade any more after this time. There is little evidence to support the use of aloe vera to improve the appearance of scars.

However, it is likely safe for most people to use, and may hydrate the skin to reduce scar tightness. OTC medicated creams and gels are available to improve wound healing and reduce scar appearance.

An antihistamine cream, for example, may help with scar sensitivity. Silicone sheeting or gel can also improve scar appearance, according to some research , and relieve itching and discomfort. People should apply silicone sheets or gel to the scar for 12 hours every day , for a minimum of 3 months, to see results. Learn more about the best creams for scars here.

Daily use of sunscreen is unlikely to get rid of leg scars, but it can help them fade faster and reduce skin discoloration. Sunscreen is especially important if people use scar-fading products, such as glycolic acid. People should reapply this frequently throughout the day. While home treatments may work for small areas of scarring, older or more visible scars will often only respond to medical or cosmetic procedures.

Professional treatments for scars on the legs are:. Pressure dressings flatten and soften scars. People typically need to wear them for 6 — 12 months , 24 hours a day, to see results. Raised scars may respond well to cryotherapy , where a doctor uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the scars. Cryotherapy can flatten these scars and reduce their growth. Learn more about cryotherapy here. Chemical peels remove the top layers of skin, and may reduce moderate to severe scars.

The new skin that appears may become red, swollen, or sore for several days or more. Learn more about chemical peels. Microneedling involves a small roller or pen with hundreds of tiny needles. A medical professional will use this to poke small holes in the top layer of the skin, where there is scarring. This encourages the body to produce collagen to reduce scar appearance. Several treatments are typically necessary to see results, and the results vary considerably.

Here are 16 of the best sunscreens on the market in spray, lotion, and solid forms, and for different needs. They're tried and true. Blue lips are most often caused when something is preventing you from getting enough oxygen into your body. Read on to discover some of the causes of…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Types Remedies Takeaway We include products we think are useful for our readers. Different types of scars.

The top 10 remedies for getting rid of scars. The takeaway. Read this next. How to Get Rid of Pockmarks. How to Get Rid of Keloids. Medically reviewed by Catherine Hannan, M.