Scar Removal
Don’t waste your money on Vitamin E scar removal treatments
What are Scars?
Scars form when the deep, thick layer of skin, the dermis, is destroyed. The scar tissue that replaces the original skin is less resistant to ultraviolet radiation and neither sweat glands nor hair follicles do not grow back within scar tissue.
Vitamin E and the Skin
Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant that helps protect the body from free radicals that damage cells and may lead to cancer. The major risk to the skin from free radicals is exposure to sunlight and in particular sunburn. Various studies have shown a link between Vitamin E and a reduction in skin damage from the ultraviolet parts of sunlight. Because of this link between the sunburn and Vitamin E many people thought that Vitamin E may help with other forms of skin damage such as a scar.
Does Vitamin E Help with Scar Removal?
No, absolutely not. There is no evidence that Vitamin E can help with scar removal.
Two studies have examined this in depth. The first looked at the scars on fifteen patients who had undergone surgery for skin cancer. The patients had to use one ointment on one half of the scar and another ointment on the other half. The patients did not know that the first ointment was Aquaphor, a petroleum based jelly similar to Vaseline and the second ointment was Aquaphor mixed with Vitamin E. The scars were evaluated by the doctors doing the study, the patients and photographs were shown to another doctor that was not connected to the study. In 90% of cases vitamin did not help with scar removal and in some people the scar got worse. A third of those using the Vitamin E developed contact dermatitis.
The second study looked at scar removal for over 120 burn victims. Split into three groups, one used a steroid cream, the second group used Vitamin E cream and the third group a placebo cream. The patients used the cream for four months and were then assessed a year later. Neither the Vitamin E or the steroid cream made any difference to the appearance of scar. Over 15% of those using steroid or Vitamin E had an adverse reaction to the cream.
Sources:
The Effects of Topical Vitamin E on the Cosmetic Appearance of Scars