Help with scars

[crispysoap]

Hi everyone, my sister suffers from some pretty bad acne scars. For the last two months she has been using a version of Ginny's Shampoo Bar (I made a few very minor adjustments) which has completely cleared her acne, but the off shoot of having clear skin is that her scars are now very prominent.

At the moment she is using body butter on her face (seems to work for her) which is 50% Shea butter, 25% coconut oil and 25% SAO.
Any suggestions on other ingredients I could add to help her scars fade/appear reduced?

Thanks
Chris

 

[Arimara]

Time's the only thing I can say unless you want to try alpha hydroxy but that's something I would buy at the store and would NOT use in the morning. I've used this in the past but I have not found it in stores as of late. I also have a curious little girl so I'd probably not buy it until she's older.

 

[Susie]

There are bandages/dressings/Band Aids available that are made from silicone that will help reduce the appearance of scars. They never completely erase them, but I have seen them reduce some severe AND old scars to barely noticeable ones in patients. I think I saw some at Walmart. If not, I would be guilty of looking on Amazon.

ETA: Here they are: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AJ4L1E/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Arimara]

There are bandages/dressings/Band Aids available that are made from silicone that will help reduce the appearance of scars. They never completely erase them, but I have seen them reduce some severe AND old scars to barely noticeable ones in patients. I think I saw some at Walmart. If not, I would be guilty of looking on Amazon.

ETA: Here they are: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AJ4L1E/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I like that better.

 

[newbie]

I have heard tamanu oil touted as helping decrease scars but you know the whole issue about medical claims....

 

[Susie]

Plastic surgeons order the silicone bandages for their patients. That's who I saw using them first. They are truly wonderful.

 

[crispysoap]

Wow - tamanu oil seems almost to good to be true: Tamanu oil has also treated severe burns caused by burning water, chemicals and x-rays, as well as infections from wounds, septicemia, conjunctivitis, and urinary tract infections. It is also renowed as being excellent at fading stretch marks and scars, particularly those caused by acne.

 

[crispysoap]

There are bandages/dressings/Band Aids available that are made from silicone that will help reduce the appearance of scars. They never completely erase them, but I have seen them reduce some severe AND old scars to barely noticeable ones in patients. I think I saw some at Walmart. If not, I would be guilty of looking on Amazon.

ETA: Here they are: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AJ4L1E/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Thanks Susie, I'll pass the link on to her

 

[KristaY]

I remember our dermatologist recommending Mederma (which is OTC). But it should be used on new skin trauma as opposed to older scars. It worked well on our daughter's surgical incision but since it's been 10 years since her appendix was removed there may be better stuff out there. Personally, I love helichrysum for any type of skin insult.

 

[dixiedragon]

I have read that it's less about the ingredients and more about the rubbing in the stuff. Something about the rubbing helps soften the scar?

 

[Liner81]

There are bandages/dressings/Band Aids available that are made from silicone that will help reduce the appearance of scars. They never completely erase them, but I have seen them reduce some severe AND old scars to barely noticeable ones in patients. I think I saw some at Walmart. If not, I would be guilty of looking on Amazon.

ETA: Here they are: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AJ4L1E/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Thanks for this. I've a nasty scar on my ankle following surgery that could benefit from these products.

 

[joy.]

I have read that it's less about the ingredients and more about the rubbing in the stuff. Something about the rubbing helps soften the scar?

I've heard that, too. I had a really big scar from an incision on my wrist from a surgery. I rubbed vitamin E on it twice a day. It's not very noticeable now, but I don't know if that's because of the vitamin E, or the rubbing.

Do you have a good herb store near you? An herbalist may be able to recommend something you can infuse in oil and rub on to help. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking maybe something like goldenseal or calendula, but I'm not an herb expert. I can ask next time I go to the store. Hemp oil would be my next thought. Something about the linoleic acid and regenerating skin...

 

[Susie]

I have read that it's less about the ingredients and more about the rubbing in the stuff. Something about the rubbing helps soften the scar?

Don't forget the tincture of time. Many times scars fade and minimize on their own.

 

[crispysoap]

Do you have a good herb store near you? An herbalist may be able to recommend something you can infuse in oil and rub on to help. Off the top of my head, I'm thinking maybe something like goldenseal or calendula, but I'm not an herb expert. I can ask next time I go to the store. Hemp oil would be my next thought. Something about the linoleic acid and regenerating skin...

Joy if you would ask that would be fantastic!! I live very rurally (200 people village) so not to many herb stores around

As for time, she has had some of the scars since her early teens (8+ years ago). Fingers crossed they will fade some more I put some rose hip oil in the body butter so will see if that helps.

 

[joy.]

Joy if you would ask that would be fantastic!! I live very rurally (200 people village) so not to many herb stores around

Will do. I'll probably head up there in the next few weeks. If you need something sooner, they can probably recommend something over the phone and mail it. http://desertsageherbs.com/

Oh, if no one has mentioned this already, keep your rose hip oil in the frig and/or add some vitamin e or ROE. It goes rancid pretty quickly.

 

[Nevada]

Colloidal Silver and lot of rubbing helps reducing scarring, IMO.

 

[crispysoap]

Will do. I'll probably head up there in the next few weeks. If you need something sooner, they can probably recommend something over the phone and mail it. http://desertsageherbs.com/

Oh, if no one has mentioned this already, keep your rose hip oil in the frig and/or add some vitamin e or ROE. It goes rancid pretty quickly.

Unfortunately I live in NZ so shipping is a wee bit expensive

Thank you all for the advice!! I will have a good chat with my sister and see what she wants to do. In the end it's her skin, so she has final say on what goes on it

 

[crispysoap]

Will do. I'll probably head up there in the next few weeks. If you need something sooner, they can probably recommend something over the phone and mail it. http://desertsageherbs.com/

Oh, if no one has mentioned this already, keep your rose hip oil in the frig and/or add some vitamin e or ROE. It goes rancid pretty quickly.

Unfortunately I live in NZ so shipping is a wee bit expensive

Thank you all for the advice!! I will have a good chat with my sister and see what she wants to do. In the end it's her skin, so she has final say on what goes on it

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I'm looking at making something along these lines -

50% aloe vera
10% Shea
10% coconut
28% olive
1% tea tree
1% preservative

As it stands there is no emulsifier- I'm moving house soon and won't put in an order until afterwards. So for now it'll be a "shake well before use" sort of thing but it's just for a friend who had a knee operation.