According to Dr. Dipan Das and Dr. Arun K. Gosain in "Essential Tissue Healing of the Face and Neck," burn injuries happen to about 1 million Americans per year, 45,000 of whom need to be hospitalized. They say that in most cases, only deep second-degree and third-degree burns leave scars that require surgical treatment. If your burn scars haven't diminished or faded, there are several home remedies you can try.
Step 1
Apply silicone gel strips or sheets to your scars. Small strips are available in your local drugstore. Large sheets must be applied under a doctor's care. According to "Soft-Tissue Surgery of the Craniofacial Region," silicone gel does several things that scientists believe help speed the healing process -- it improves hydration, keeps oxygen flowing to your scar and raises body temperature enough to stimulate collagen production.
Step 2
Drizzle castor oil on a gauze pad and press it gently to your scar. Castor oil contains ricinoleic acid, a fatty acid that may help reduce inflammation and shrink scars, although little scientific proof exists to back up this claim. However, in 2000, a team of Italian scientists tested ricinoleic acid on wounds in guinea pigs and mice. In both animals, ricinoleic acid acted as an anti-inflammatory and an analgesic. Repeated topical application reduced swelling and inflammation -- the same effects may be able to help shrink the appearance of your scar.
Step 3
Use a combination of potent herbs to help encourage skin healing and scar reduction. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, gotu kola cream can help skin tissue repair itself. Calendula, is often used to speed the healing process and decrease scarring in second- and third-degree burn victims. You can find calendula ointment in health food stores, or purchase the flowers and make your own calendula tea, to be applied topically.
Step 4
Ask your doctor about steroid injections. According to dermatologist Audrey Kunin, repeated rounds of steroid injections can flatten and reduce the look of keloid scars. Kunin says that topical steroids aren't likely to work because they can't penetrate the scarred skin deeply enough to have a noticeable effect.
Step 5
Talk to a cosmetic surgeon about scar revision. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, smaller scars can filled with injections to limit collagen formation or treated with laser therapy, bleaching agents or a chemical peel to remove the skin's topmost layers. Deeper scars can be surgically excised and replaced with a skin graft or pharmaceutical tissue replacements.
Tips and Warnings
- According to Das and Gosain, most doctors and surgeons will advise you to wait at least one year before considering surgical scar treatment. It takes that long for scarred skin to heal and reach a phase of stasis.
Things You'll Need
- Silicone gel strips or sheets
- Castor oil
- Gauze pad
- Gotu kola cream
- Calendula
References
- "Essential Tissue Healing of the Face and Neck"; edited by David Hom, Patricia Hebda, Arun Gosain and Craig Friedman; 2009
- "Soft-Tissue Surgery of the Craniofacial Region"; Edited by John A. Persing and Gregory R.D. Evans; 2007
- Mediators of Inflammation: Effect of Ricinoleic Acid in Acute and Subchronic Experimental Models of Inflammation
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Burns
- DERMAdoctor: Scars
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