Keloid scars -- a type of scar composed of tough, fibrous connective tissue -- can develop as a side effect of wound healing. Unlike other scars, which typically develop at the injury site, keloid scars can continue to grow after wounds heal, eventually affecting adjacent healthy skin. Extra virgin olive oil and garlic might interact with cells that make up keloid scars, but their overall effect on scars remains largely unknown, as of 2011.Don't take extra virgin olive oil and garlic for keloid scars without consulting your doctor.
Keloid Scars
Keloid scars develop because of abnormal cellular behavior during and after wound healing, leading to the development of excessive connective tissue at the site of the wound. Keloid scars are composed primarily of two types of proteins -- collagen type I and collagen type III fibers. These form darkened, firm tissue and contribute to the scars' color and raised appearance. The scars also contain cells, called fibroblasts, and the abnormal growth of these cells allows a keloid scar to grow.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
One of the compounds in extra virgin olive oil might have an effect on keloid scars. However, the oil has properties that might actually worsen scars by affecting fibroblast growth. In a study published in "Rejuvination Research" in 2007, researchers at the Institute of Biological Research and Biotechnology in Athens, Greece, found that oleuropein, a chemical found in extra virgin olive oil, helps prevent fibroblasts from entering senescence -- a stage at which the cells no longer proliferate. However, the direct effects of olive oil on keloid scar growth haven't been extensively studied.
Garlic
Garlic extract might help prevent the excessive fibroblast proliferation required for a keloid scar's growth. A study published in the "Journal of Ethnopharmacology" in 1994 by researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark, found that garlic extract affects the growth of fibroblast cells in human skin, indicating that this extract might have an effect on keloid scar growth. Another study, conducted at the Vavilov Institute of General Genetics in Moscow, Russia, and published in "Genetika" in 2002, indicates garlic prevents abnormal fibroblast growth.
Considerations
Although preliminary research indicates extra virgin olive oil and garlic might have an effect on keloid scars, no clinical studies are available on their effectiveness in minimizing the appearance of scars, as of 2011. To learn how to best control the growth of keloid scars, consult a medical professional, such as a general physician or dermatologist. Discuss your interest in alternative medicine with your doctor so you can develop an appropriate treatment strategy to help prevent overgrowth of keloid scars.
