Vitamin E is an essential nutrient for the body. And since it is an antioxidant, it can help fight free radicals, which are primarily responsible for aging and the development of cancer. Because of its beneficial properties, many have been lead to believe that using vitamin E can help reduce or eliminate the appearance of acne scars since it can repair cellular damage.
Application
When used for acne scars, vitamin E is typically applied topically. It's available in oil and capsule forms, though you can break open a capsule and apply the oil contained within it directly to your skin. Massaging your scars with vitamin E oil can soften them and reduce their appearance for a time.
Effectiveness
Though vitamin E is often touted as an excellent home remedy for treating acne scars, there's just no evidence to back it up. In fact, researchers from the University of Miami Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery conducted a study that showed vitamin E did next to nothing for scarring and even made the scars look worse in some cases. The study was published in the April 1999 issue of "Dermatologic Surgery."
Precautions
Contrary to the notion that vitamin E is a great acne scar home remedy, 30-percent of the people in the study conducted by the University of Miami Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery suffered from contact dermatitis, which involved inflammation, irritation, and redness, after applying the vitamin E oil to their scars.
Treating Acne Scars
If you want to get rid of your acne scars or at least make them less noticeable, you'll need to leave the vitamin E behind and opt for more traditional treatments. Mild scarring can be taken care of with microdermabrasion and skin lightening lotions but severe scars may require dermabrasion, fillers, laser therapy and surgery to repair them, reports Mayo Clinic.
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