Skin is the largest organ of our body. It doesn’t only protect muscles and bones. It serves as a storyteller of our life story. That being said, scars are a part of that story. They are a part of the journey you have gone through, and are a reminder of a pleasant (or an unpleasant memory).

Be honest; in most cases, scars are a souvenir of an event or a situation you wish never occurred. Whatever the case, it is entirely natural to have them. They are the imperfections that make us perfect.

 

Scars

Let’s talk more about them. As you probably know, scars can come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. There are highly visible ones and others that can be covered with a bit of concealer or other makeup.

No matter the type of scars, there are ways to reduce their visibility. But, before we offer you several ways to reduce scars naturally, let’s learn more about them.

From a medical point of view, a scar occurs when a tissue has been damaged. To be more precise, when the deeper layers of the skin get damaged, the body produces scars as a process to repair the wound. It is pretty amazing to know that your skin can naturally heal itself with no help whatsoever, isn’t it?

In medical terms, a scar is considered to be an alternation of a normal skin complexion and, depending on the type of injury.

Scars can be a change in the color, as well as a visible change in the skin texture. That is why most people consider scars as something “unpleasant to look at” and are willing to invest in removing scars medically, not knowing there are ways to reduce scars naturally. But, we will get to this later.

So, what causes scars? Several things can cause scars: injuries, burns, bites, scratches, chickenpox, piercing, vaccination, etc. Depending on the cause of a scar, it can be more or less visible. Furthermore, the cause of a scar can determine whether or not the scar will heal over time and become less obvious, which leads us to the types of scars that can be found on our skins.

 

Types of Scars

There are four types of scars:
● Keloid scars
● Contracture scars
● Hypertrophic scars
● Acne scars

Keloid scars are highly visible scars that require surgery to remove or diminish their appearance.

Contracture scars are related to skin burns一they cause a tightening sensation and can be damaging to the skin, nerves, and muscles.

Hypertrophic scars are similar to keloid but are easy repairable一with steroid injections.

Acne scars can come in several forms. They can be deep, or just on the surface of the skin, with varying colors.

There are multiple ways to treat scars:

dermabrasion (abrasive method for removing elevated scars),

cryotherapy (freezing a scar by using liquid nitrogen),

surgical removal (by using silicone patches), etc.

A medical professional should remove more serious, deep scars, in highly-controllable conditions. In other cases, remedies are also prescribed by a medical professional. However, if you don’t have keloid or contracture scars, and are looking for a way to reduce scars naturally, you are in the right place. Keep on reading to learn the best way to reduce scars, and in the comfort of your own home.

Before we get there, two more things must be mentioned. First, we are going to cover some home remedies that can reduce the appearance of scars. These remedies focus on healing the cells deep in the skin and minimizing the scar, but they don’t have the power to remove it completely. Second, when using these remedies, you must be persistent to see positive results. Furthermore, we advise you to clean the scar tissue before applying any of the following remedies.

Now, it’s time to get to the actual natural, at-home remedies for reducing scars.

 

How To Reduce Scars Naturally?

 

Aloe Vera Gel

Using aloe vera, or the “immortality plant,” as the ancient Egyptians called it, is one of the most effective ways to reduce scars naturally. Why? Because ever since this plant has been discovered, it has served as a miracle for healing wounds. Although it mostly grows in dry climates, like India and Africa, aloe vera can now be found in every part of the world.

Nowadays, aloe vera is proven to treat multiple skin conditions like burns, infections, cysts, eczema, dandruff, psoriasis, dry skin, and the list goes on.

So, which types of scars can aloe vera reduce? It primarily reduces the visibility of stretch marks. When skin stretches too much and too fast, during weight gain, weight loss, or pregnancy, its elasticity is damaged, and that’s when stretch marks occur.

Aloe Vera gel improves elasticity. Not only does it have the ability to reduce scars naturally, but it works wonders for minor burns and wounds.

As you can see, aloe vera gel has many benefits for your skin. It can also be used as a moisturizer for your face and body. It has antioxidants, vitamins A, C, and E, as well as polyphenols, which protect the skin from cancer. If you are interested to know more about components that can be found in aloe vera, be sure to check this post on DrAxe.com.

 

How to use it:

The easiest and most effective way is to cut an aloe vera leaf horizontally, then cut it again vertically, so you can extract the gel with a spoon. We advise you to apply aloe vera gel in a thin layer on a skin you wish to heal and leave it on for one hour to dry. Once it’s dry, you can remove it with water or with water and a clean washcloth. And you are all set!

 

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of the greatest gifts of nature. It moisturizes the skin and helps to reduce scars naturally. So, what ingredients make coconut oil so beneficial?

According to Organicfacts.net, coconut oil, being an oil, is full of fatty acids. When these acids come in contact with the skin, they can create a smooth finish, leaving the skin looking poreless and fresh. And that’s not all.

Coconut oil consists of three acids that have health benefits – capric, caprylic and lauric acid. These fatty acids protect the skin from infection, especially if there are open wounds. These acids are so powerful. They protect the skin even if the coconut oil is taken internally. But the most significant benefit of coconut oil is yet to come.

Coconut oil has Vitamin E, which is known to combat scars. Vitamin E also helps with reducing lines and is a tool for preventing premature aging. But there’s more! Proteins in this oil can help with tissue repair. All of these components make coconut oil a great candidate to reduce scar appearance.

However, there is one coconut oil property we have to warn you about. If you have acne-prone skin, then it should be a red flag for you. Although it may seem like this oil has it all, according to Thebestorganicskincare.com, coconut oil has a rating of 4 on a scale from 0 to 5, 0 marking the lowest chance for clogging pores and 5 being a high likelihood of clogging pores. But, don’t worry, we have more remedies to come for reducing scars.

How to use it:

Not only is it supreme in moisturizing the skin, but it is also easy to use. Coconut oil can be used in many ways – as a night-time moisturizer, as a makeup remover, or as a mask. If you want to use it as a mask, be sure to massage it in the spot you want to cover for 10-15 minutes, then leave it on for another 20 minutes. Afterward, wash it off.

 

Lemon

Lemon juice is one of the most low-budget remedies that can reduce scars naturally. It is especially recommended for treating acne scars and, more precisely, as a bleacher which reduces redness and dark spots, especially on the face.

Why is lemon so effective in reducing scars?

Well, lemons and lemon juice are rich with Vitamin C, which helps with skin regeneration and overall improvement. We wrote about benefits of Vitamin C for skin before, but there is one thing we haven’t mentioned. Lemons contain alpha hydroxy acids, popularly called AHA, which helps with the healing process for the skin. AHA helps with exfoliating the skin, by peeling off the dead skin cells and making room for new ones.

There’s one more thing. In the beginning, when we explained the significance of scars and how they occur, we hadn’t mention one thing – when the skin is damaged, to heal itself, it produces more proteins, especially collagen. If your skin doesn’t produce enough collagen, it tends to have less elasticity. Not only that, collagen helps with creating new skin cells. Well, guess how you can boost up the collagen dose? By including lemon juice in your daily beauty routine, you can reduce scars naturally.

Bonus tip: Lemons and lemon juice are highly recommendable for acne-prone and oily skin. The acidity of lemon juice protects the skin from bacteria and prevents it from overly producing sebum.

How to use it:

All you need to do is apply some lemon juice on the area you want to treat. You can do it with a cotton pad or a q-tip, but it has to be applied directly to the scar. Leave it on for about 10 minutes and then rinse it with warm water. Repeat the process until the scar fades.

 

Honey

Honey does not only work as a home remedy to reduce scars naturally but works as a natural moisturizer. It also has therapeutic abilities. Let us explain all these honey benefits.

According to the International Wound Journal, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which is found in a symbiosis of honeybees can act as a skin barrier and has strong antimicrobial properties. Although it is not yet proven that honey can treat all human and animal infections, it is proven to reduce the wound size and speed up the healing process. Honey is recommended even in cases of operative wounds, burns, or skin infections.

By now you are probably wondering about that moisturization property we mentioned earlier. Well, although honey is rich with sugars like glucose and fructose, it also contains water and oil, which makes it such a great, natural moisturizer. It doesn’t create an oily feeling and is suitable for all skin types – even the sensitive and oily ones since it can reduce sebum production.

Here are other honey benefits you should keep in mind:

• It is rich in Vitamins B and C.
• It contains magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
• Manuka honey is excellent for killing Staph aureus bacterium.

Bonus tip: Be sure to buy organic honey. The darker the color, the more likely it is for that honey to be organic. If you want to read more about how honey can help you combat acne, be sure to check out our article on skincare tips that include honey.

How to use it:

Honey can be used in multiple ways to reduce scars naturally. One of the most popular ways is to apply it to the area you want to treat as a mask and leave it for about 10-20 minutes. After that, all you have to do is rinse with warm water. On the other hand, if the honey is crystallized, you can use it as a peeling – rub it into the skin and rinse it off. Your skin will be smooth as a baby’s bottom.

 

Rosehip Oil

We saved the best for last! Let’s start with a fact that will blow your mind: In one of the researches that included rosehip oil, it was found to be effective even on 20-year-old skin marks and scars. Pretty impressive, don’t you think?! How is this even possible?

Although we were not able to find the original study, many blogs (including Herbhedgerow.co.uk) have written about this research. The research in question was conducted in the 80s in Chile, South America, by Dr. Fabiola Carbajal Montiel. The study included 180 individuals who had multiple skin conditions, including acne scars, burns, UV damage, surgical scars, etc. They applied rosehip oil to reduce scar appearance, every day for 4 months, and the results were surprising. One of the cases was a girl who had facial scars caused by a car wreck. All of her scars were gone within those four months!

If these facts didn’t convince you to give rosehip oil a chance, maybe the following statements will.

There is a science behind the process, so let us explain. Rosehip oil is rich in Vitamin C, Omega-3, and Omega-6, as well as linoleic acid. We have mentioned the benefits of Vitamin C before, but what you don’t know is that the three mentioned fatty acids are the ones that rejuvenate, regenerate the skin, and reduce scars naturally. These fatty acids not only reduce redness, but they also have the ability to remove keloid scars completely, and that is proof you can’t go wrong when using rosehip oil.

How to use it:

There are two ways you can use rosehip oil: You can apply it directly to the scar, or mix it in with your moisturizer. Keep in mind that this is, in fact, oil, so you will have an oily residue on the skin. However, don’t worry – it will not clog your pores.

 

Final Word

As we have said in the beginning, scars are there to tell your life story. They are a part of your life adventures and they are nothing to be ashamed of. However, if you feel uncomfortable with them, know that there is a chance to reduce their appearance.

In this article, we have provided you with some easy DIY remedies that take about 10-15 minutes of your day but can do wonders if you are persistent in using them.

We hope that we have provided you with some great tips on how to reduce scars naturally. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to ask us!

Have you tried any of our tips? If so, which one has worked best for you? Tell us in the comment section below!

 
Image credits: Pixabay.com

 
Last article update: 08/08/2019