Skin
Scarring
Prevent or reduce scar formation with vitamin E (topically and internally), lavender essential oil, aloe vera gel, and comfrey poultice — applied immediately to wounds and continued as the skin heals.
Also known as: scar, keloid, adhesion, cicatrix
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Injury, surgery, burns, or any wound that disrupts the dermis.; Deeper wounds or poorly cared-for wounds tend to scar more.; Picking at scabs, rubbing healing wounds, or poor nutrition delays healing and worsens scarring..
First thing to try: Immediately after injury: Apply a few drops of undiluted lavender essential oilA very concentrated plant oil — always diluted before it touches skin. How to make an essential oil → to the skin.
See a doctor if: See a doctor if symptoms are severe, persistent, or worsening, or if you are unsure — natural supports are meant to complement, not replace, professional care.
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Injury, surgery, burns, or any wound that disrupts the dermis.
- Deeper wounds or poorly cared-for wounds tend to scar more.
- Picking at scabs, rubbing healing wounds, or poor nutrition delays healing and worsens scarring.
Change what you can
- Immediately after injury: Apply a few drops of undiluted lavender essential oilA very concentrated plant oil — always diluted before it touches skin. How to make an essential oil → to the skin.
- Or mix with aloe vera gelA cool, jelly-like preparation that soothes and moisturizes skin. How to make a gel → and cover with a sterile pad.
- To accelerate healing without scarring: Apply vitamin E topically — prick an E capsuleDried, powdered herb packed into a swallowable shell for a measured dose. How to make a capsule → and let the oil ooze over the cut or wound.
- Also apply fresh aloe vera juice or a comfrey poulticeMashed plant material applied right on the skin. How to make a poultice →.
- Start this as early as possible.
- Vitamin E internally: Take 400 IU daily.
- In some cases, even old scars can reduce in size or disappear with consistent vitamin E use internally and externally.
- Wound care: Clean and care for wounds so they heal properly.
- Close gaps with a butterfly bandage to reduce scar width.
- Do not pick at scabs.
- Let healing progress naturally.
- Be gentle when bathing near healing wounds.
- For adhesions from surgery: After stitches are fully removed and the incision is completely closed, use gentle massage with the pads of the fingers (not fingertips) on either side of the incision — moving slowly in circles to release fibrous adhesion.
- A Chinese remedy is Tiger Balm herbA plant, or part of one, used for flavor, food, or gentle health support. More → teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →, massaged in a 1-inch ring around (never on) the incision, 5 minutes daily.
🌿 Then assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
★ Start here — our first-line pick, pinned for safety
Starting gentle, consistent wound care right after an injury is the safest and most foundational way to support smooth healing and reduce scarring.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: A clean, moist wound environment helps new skin cells move across the injury smoothly instead of forming a thick, dry scab that can leave a more noticeable mark.
- Gently wash the wound with mild soap and water to remove dirt and germs.
- Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist rather than letting it dry into a hard scab.
- Cover with a clean adhesive bandage or gauze, changing it daily.
- Continue this care until the wound is fully closed.
Until the wound closes, usually 1-2 weeks · Once daily, or whenever the bandage gets dirty or wet
Caution: See a doctor for deep wounds, wounds that won't stop bleeding, or any signs of infection like spreading redness, warmth, or pus. Do not pick at scabs or forming skin, as this can worsen scarring.
When to get help: Seek care right away for a deep or gaping wound, uncontrolled bleeding, spreading redness, fever, or a wound that is not healing after a couple of weeks.
Source: Dermatology wound-care guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
Also helps — ranked by the community (vote to reorder)
This longer-term option is especially useful for raised or thickening scars, and works best alongside a dermatologist's guidance.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Consistent gentle pressure and hydration from silicone sheeting can soften and flatten raised scar tissue over months of steady use.
- Wait until the wound is fully closed before starting.
- Clean and dry the scar area, then apply the silicone sheet according to package directions.
- Wear it daily for the recommended number of hours, often many months for best results.
- Check the skin regularly for irritation and take breaks if needed.
Several months of daily wear · Daily, per product instructions
Caution: People prone to keloid scars should talk with a doctor before any planned procedure and mention this tendency. Stop use and see a doctor if the skin becomes irritated, itchy, or breaks down under the sheet.
When to get help: See a doctor if a scar rapidly enlarges, becomes very painful, or shows signs of infection.
Source: Dermatology scar-care guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
This gentle massage is a supportive step for fully closed scars, not a substitute for medical evaluation of concerning scars.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Massage may improve local circulation and help soften developing scar tissue, while the oil moisturizes the skin, though evidence for vitamin E specifically improving scar appearance is mixed.
- Wait until the wound is completely closed with no scabbing or open areas.
- Warm a small amount of vitamin E oil between clean fingers.
- Gently massage it into the scar in small circles for a few minutes.
- Repeat daily and watch for any skin irritation.
5 minutes · Once daily
Caution: Some people are sensitive or allergic to topical vitamin E -- stop if redness, itching, or a rash develops. Never apply to an open wound or unhealed skin.
When to get help: See a doctor if a scar becomes painful, keeps growing beyond the original wound, or shows signs of infection.
Source: Traditional skin-care notes
Comments & experiences ▾
This supportive step helps scars fade evenly once the wound has fully closed.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: New scar tissue can develop extra pigment when exposed to UV light, so sun protection may help the area blend more evenly with surrounding skin over time.
- Wait until the wound is fully closed before applying sunscreen directly to it.
- Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher over the healed scar area before sun exposure.
- Reapply sunscreen every couple of hours when outdoors, or cover the area with clothing.
- Continue this practice for several months while the scar is still fading.
Several months while the scar matures · Every time before sun exposure
Caution: Do not apply sunscreen to an open wound -- wait until it is fully healed. People with very sensitive skin should patch-test new sunscreens first.
When to get help: See a doctor if a healed scar becomes suddenly painful, red, or starts growing rapidly.
Source: Dermatology sun-care guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them. Not medical advice.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- See a doctor if symptoms are severe, persistent, or worsening, or if you are unsure — natural supports are meant to complement, not replace, professional care.
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your scarring — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
Scars form when wound healing produces fibrous tissue in place of normal skin. The severity of scarring depends on wound depth, care, and nutrition during healing. Both prevention (at the time of the wound) and reduction of established scars (with vitamin E) are possible with natural remedies.
A scar is the natural result of the skin healing after a wound, burn, or surgery, as the body lays down tough collagen fibers to repair the break. Most scars fade and flatten over many months, though some — such as raised (hypertrophic) scars or keloids that grow beyond the wound — are more prominent, and the final appearance depends on the injury, its location, and individual healing.
Good early wound care gives the best chance of a minimal scar: keeping a healing wound clean, moist, and protected, not picking at scabs, and protecting the new scar from the sun (which can darken it). Once healed, gentle massage and moisturizing, and silicone gels or sheets, are among the better-supported measures for softening and flattening scars over time, with patience. Realistic expectations help, as scars rarely disappear completely. Raised, growing, painful, or itchy scars, or those affecting movement, can be assessed by a doctor or dermatologist for additional treatments.
Common signs
- Raised, discolored, or thickened tissue at the site of a healed wound.
- Hypertrophic scars are raised.
- Keloid scars grow beyond the original wound boundary.
- Adhesions (internal scarring from surgery) cause pain and movement restriction.
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
A vitamin-C-rich diet supports the collagen that remodels a scar over time.920
Aloe gel and good moisture, with sun protection, support newer scars as they mature.920
Protect a healing scar from sun, which darkens it, while keeping skin nourished.870
Diluted lavender oil is traditionally used to support scar healing (a scar that grows beyond the wound, a keloid, is best treated early).810
A small creeping leaf, taken as tea or applied to skin, traditionally used to support wound healing, circulation, and calm focus.780
A gentle essential oil traditionally used to soothe skin, calm the mind, and support minor burn healing.640
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. Not medical advice. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Nutritious whole-food diet. Vitamin E from wheat germ and vegetable oils. Vitamin C from fresh fruits and vegetables (essential for collagen formation). Zinc-rich foods (pumpkin seeds, legumes) — zinc is needed for tissue repair.
⚖️ Good to know
- Keloid scars (raised beyond the wound boundary) are more difficult to treat and tend to recur.
- People prone to keloids should inform surgeons before any planned procedure.
- Rapidly growing, itching, or painful scarring may require medical evaluation.
- Do not massage a surgical incision before stitches are removed or the wound is fully closed.
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Scars are managed to improve appearance; results vary by scar type.
Commonly offered
- Silicone gel/sheets and sun protection for newer scars–
- Steroid injections for raised/keloid scars–
- Laser, microneedling, or surgical revision for select scars–
- Pressure therapy for some–
Worth knowing
- A scar that grows beyond the original wound (keloid) is best treated early.
- No treatment fully erases scars — expectations should be realistic.
- A changing or non-healing 'scar' should be evaluated.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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