Some people wear their scars with pride, yet some others want them to go away. Since scars can affect your appearance, they can make a person feel self-conscious. To understand what a scar means, you need to know how they come about and the types. There are four types of scars, these include: Atrophic scars, Hypertrophic scars, Keloid Scars and Contracture scars.
A scar forms as part of the natural healing process following an injury. When the dermis — the second layer of skin — is damaged, your body forms collagen fibers to repair the damage, and that results in a scar. Advocates of natural healing believe that there are remedies that can speed up the lightening process and make a scar less noticeable. Here are some of the remedies that help remove scars:
Aloe vera
- Remove the dark green “skin” from the flatter side of an aloe vera leaf.
- Scoop out the almost clear light green gel.
- Apply the gel directly to your scar using circular motions.
- After half an hour, wash the gel off with fresh, cool water.
- Repeat twice each day.
Vitamin E
- Remove the dark green “skin” from the flatter side of an aloe vera leaf.
- Scoop out the almost clear light green gel.
- Apply the gel directly to your scar using circular motions.
- After half an hour, wash the gel off with fresh, cool water.
- Repeat twice each day.
Honey
- Before going to bed, cover your scar with a layer of honey.
- Wrap the honey-covered scar with a bandage.
- Leave it on for one full night.
- In the morning, remove the bandage and wash off the honey with warm water.
- Make this part of your routine every night.
Coconut oil
- Heat a few tablespoons of coconut oil, just enough to liquefy it.
- Massage the oil into the scar for about 10 minutes.
- Let the skin absorb the oil for a minimum of one hour.
- Repeat two to four times every day.
Apple cider vinegar
- Combine 4 tablespoons of distilled water with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
- Dip a cotton ball into the water-cider mixture and generously dab your scar.
- Let it dry.
- Do this every night before you go to bed, washing the area in the morning.
Lemon
- Cut a wedge from a fresh lemon.
- Gently rub the juicy side of the lemon on the scar while you squeeze the juice onto the scar.
- Relax for about 10 minutes before rinsing off the area with cool water.
- Do this every day at approximately the same time.
Potato
- Slice a potato into medium thick rounds.
- Using a circular motion, rub the potato slice on your scar.
- Once the potato slice starts to dry out, discard it and continue rubbing with another slice.
- Continue rubbing and replacing for about 20 minutes and then let the scar air-dry for about 10 minutes.
- Rinse the area with cool water.
- Repeat this process at least one time each day
Baking soda
- Mix distilled water — a little at a time — into two tablespoons of baking soda until it forms a paste.
- Wet your scar with distilled water and then apply the paste to the wet scar.
- Hold the paste in place with a warm compress for 15 minutes.
- Rinse the area and repeat it daily.