How to Reduce Scars WITHOUT Damaging Your Skin

For some people, scars are worn like a badge of honor with a detailed story behind it that showcases adventure, bravery, or a series of challenging events. And sometimes that is indeed true, and those stories are worth telling and rejoicing in. They’ll make for great movies.

But what about all the rest? I’m willing to bet that not all scars have a great story behind them, nor make their owners feel proud to have them. Just think about all the types of scars that are out there - bug bites, severe acne, C-sections, stretch marks. These are not necessarily great stories, but often a source of embarrassment instead. As opposed to grizzled characters in books and movies, real people aren’t so fond of scars. Instead of roaming around battlefields and wearing their scars like a badge of honor, real people seek solutions to this problem. They ask themselves questions like how do you heal a scar on your face? How can I remove scars from my face permanently? All of these questions stem from one core worry: are scars permanent?

And it’s not just scars people are worried about. Blemishes, spots, wrinkles, pimples, discolorated patches of skin and so on can all make a person dissatisfied with their appearance. And if a person is dissatisfied with their appearance, they will soon become dissatisfied with their life.

What can be done about this, if anything can be done at all? Before trying to solve the problem, we first need to understand it.

The problem with scars and other changes that modify our appearance is that they impact our sense of identity and who we are. Even the slightest blemish can be perceived as disfigurement if it’s unwanted. Not just that, but scars can also invite feelings of being unworthy, creating validation for the idea that not only are we unwanted - but that we deserve to be unwanted. That we are, in fact, not just unloved, but unlovable.

Of course, that’s not true, but for some people even the smallest blemish can provoke a sense of insecurity and feelings of shame. And this is especially the case when others notice changes to our appearance and point them out, or ask questions. Having been made self-conscious like this, we are often motivated to obsess with checking our appearance in front of the mirror. We struggle with covering up the afflicted areas, practicing responses or comebacks for people who ask questions, or even provocations; trying to combat a problem that our minds have exaggerated to the extreme. All of this amounts to an inability to enjoy ourselves the way we once did.

And that even happens when you can actually do something about a scar or a blemish and cover it. But we all know that some scars and blemishes just happen to appear on a prominent spot, and you may not be able to keep that covered. Sigh. Just thinking about this is making me feel bad!

So, do scars go away?

Luckily, yes. Most scars and blemishes go away, completely or partially. But they do. What’s even better is that often, removing a scar or a blemish doesn’t have to involve surgery or other costly procedures requiring certified professionals. There are many natural ways to reduce the appearance of scars, and in some cases, you can even get rid of them completely. But before we get into what those Do-It-Yourself solutions are, let’s take a closer look at how scars happen on our bodies in the first place.

How Do Scars Form On Our Skin?

As I mentioned above, in order to be able to solve a problem, we need to understand it better. As the saying goes, “Know thy enemy.” So let’s get down to business. What are scars and how do they form?

Scar tissue is the type of connective tissue, meaning that, it is a type of tissue that our bodies form when the skin has been damaged beyond its top layer. That is, in essence, how our bodies heal - even if you got stabbed, the body will try to heal itself by stitching itself up. And to do that, it creates these so-called connective tissues. Why? Well, because it works wonderfully.

But looks woefully when it’s on the outside. Any kind of trauma or injury to the skin can cause the formation of scars, i.e., the surface level connective tissues. Things like severe acne inflammations, surgeries, injuries, cuts, scratches, burns, scrapes, bites, infections and even squeezing pimples can cause scars. And sometimes, those scars can even threaten to be permanent.

Modern medicine, or more specifically, its branch specializing in skin health - dermatology - has spent centuries in studying the formation of scars and their types. Here are some common types of scars:

• Keloid - Keloid scars result from aggressive healing in the body and create scar tissue beyond the injury site.
  
  
• Contracture - Some injuries make the body heal itself aggressively, closing up the connective tissue around it and tightening the skin when they heal. Sometimes this is so severe that it becomes difficult to move naturally.
  
  
• Atrophic - Atrophic scars cause a sunken appearance in the skin’s surface and are commonly associated with acne, chicken pox and infections in the skin.
  
  
• Hypertrophic - Contrary to atrophic scars, hypertrophic scars have a raised appearance and usually stand out on the skin as white or red.
  
  
• Striae Distensae - These are better known as stretch marks and happen when skin is stretched faster than its elasticity can allow.

As you can see, there are many types of scars, discolorations and disfigurations of the skin, but the formation behind them is basically the same.

When our skin experiences any type of trauma, our bodies react quickly and instinctively. The first thing they do is to close the wound as quickly as they can, in order to prevent the wound from continuously bleeding or getting infected. This means that white blood cells and platelets are being sent to the area to address the wound.

Once the body recognizes there is no crisis, or dangerous pathogens to combat, it moves on to heal the site. A natural protein in the body, called collagen, is responsible for closing up and repairing the wound. This means that the amount of collagen in your body can also make a difference how soon, or how well your wounds and scars heal. That is also the reason why so many skincare products boast of containing collagen, or other substances that aid in its production. An over- or underproduction of collagen can affect how the wound looks when it heals, making all the difference when it comes to how a scar appears. Or, indeed, if it forms at all.

Wounds that are stitched up or sewed up well tend to leave less prominent marks. That is why some surgeries don’t leave scars, or if they do, they are less prominent. The surgeons also take care to cause such incisions that would be most convenient for your body to stitch quickly and elegantly and heal. All of this means that treating scars early on in the healing process helps reduce its appearance later on. Or in other words: prevention is key. When it comes to scars, it is preferable to act early and on time, in order to prevent the formation of scars. On top of that, there are also treatments and ingredients that will either reduce the scar’s appearance and even completely remove it. There are plenty of natural remedies you can use to improve the appearance of scars. Let’s take a look at some of the best natural ways to treat scars from the comfort of your home.

The Best Home Remedies to Treat Scars Naturally

Doing something about scars and discolorations doesn’t have to cost a fortune, nor involve advanced medical treatments or equipment. It is perhaps paradoxical that most types of scars can, in fact, be treated in the comfort of your home, using but a handful of natural ingredients.

Ingredients such as aloe vera, Vitamin E, castor oil, coconut oil and so on are the preferred go-to solutions for many people. And it often works, and works pretty well.

But why? Why do these natural oils and ingredients work so well when it comes to reducing scars without damaging your skin? Well, the aforementioned natural solutions for scars contain a number of crucial moisturizing components that help the skin rejuvenate itself. Additionally, these components speed up the skin’s natural healing process and provide it with all the necessary vitamins it needs. All of this combined helps the body produce more collagen and elastin, which aids the skin in stitching its scars as smoothly as possible.

Below are some of the very best ingredients you can use for the treatment of scars:

• Vitamin E - This is one of the most powerful and useful vitamins when it comes to skin health. Vitamin E is an excellent vitamin for healing blemishes because it’s chock full of antioxidant properties.
  
  
• Aloe Vera - Well known for its ability to soothe skin, it can also help regenerate skin cells and reduce the appearance of scars.
  
  
• Castor Oil - This oil works wonders when it comes to helping the body repair itself. Castor oil boosts collagen production and is particularly useful for treating atrophic scars.
  
  
• Emu Oil - Rich in omega fatty acids, emu oil can penetrate deeply into your skin, speeding up the body’s healing process. Emu oil is deemed particularly useful for treating keloid scars.
  
  
• Olive Oil - For those of you on a budget who can’t afford to buy specialty oils, virgin olive oil is a household staple that can do the same job as the aforementioned fancy oils. Olive oil helps the skin patch itself up by providing a moisturizing, vitamin-rich solution for your scars that’s widely available.
  
  
• Shea, Cocoa, or Coconut Butter for stretch marks - Let’s be honest, not everyone of you is reading this article to figure out how to treat severe acne scars. Or scars that have been caused by some sort of trauma or injury. One of the most common causes of anxiety among women is definitely the appearance of stretch marks. But worry not - just take some shea butter, cocoa butter or coconut butter from the nearest store, and try it out. You can use all of these in turn if you so please. These natural kinds of butter can do wonders for your skin because they’re overflowing with tons of vitamins and essential oils (and sometimes minerals) that nurture your skin. Apply either one of these creams onto the affected area, and it will help prevent stretch marks or help fade existing ones.

The positive aspect of all of these natural solutions for treating scars lies in the fact that they are both safe, and widely available. (And in most cases, very affordable!)

All of these natural ingredients for restoring your skin should be readily available at your local drugstore. Each one has healing properties that can reduce scars without damaging your skin, and provide stand-alone benefits for scar treatment. In fact, these natural solutions will not only not damage your skin, but they will actively repair it.

But it gets even better. You can use them in combination for optimal benefits. Here’s how to do it.

Consider mixing two or more of the natural ingredients (mentioned in our list above) into a separate lotion and apply it to your skin twice daily. This way, you’ll combine and practically double the healing properties of the ingredients, helping you reduce scars and stretch marks even faster.

Another natural way to help reduce the appearance of skin blemishes is to exfoliate. Exfoliating helps remove the top layer of dead skin cells, allowing the new cells underneath to offer a brighter, lighter appearance. This is a process that occurs naturally on its own, but it’s very slow. Exfoliation speeds up this process by doing a sort of ‘spring cleaning’ to all the dead skin cells on the surface layer of the skin, called the epidermis. In addition to making your skin look more even and reducing blemishes, exfoliation also stimulates new cell growth.

A few words of caution, however.

Remember to do it gently. You should never rub your scars with too much pressure as this can exacerbate any present skin problems and cause inflammation. You want to reduce scars without damaging your skin, not the opposite. And if your skin is already damaged, or your body is hurting, or still repairing itself - don’t exfoliate. Trying to exfoliate an area that hasn’t healed yet can actually cause even more trauma to your skin, leaving you with permanent scarring. Remember - never try to exfoliate an area that hasn’t healed yet. I think you’ll agree that rubbing open wounds is never a good idea. Obviously, doing that will only cause more problems for healing.

But what if you don’t like any of the solutions that the market offers? Well, rest easy because there are numerous alternatives. For example, you can either use a cleansing cream with an exfoliating scrub, or make your own scrub at home. Take one or more of the ingredients mentioned in the list above and add coffee or some brown sugar to them (preferably organic).

If making a scrub seems too much of a hassle to you, just use a light bristled brush to scrub your skin with it. This sort of dry body brushing can also be done with a loofah in the shower to gently exfoliate. Again, don’t rub aggressively. You might do more harm than good.

Okay, we learned about the best natural home remedies for treating scars, but is that all there is? Hardly, because there are more solutions at your disposal. Here are even more natural ways to reduce the appearance of scars and blemishes that don’t involve harsh chemicals or surgery.

Alternative Remedies for Natural Scar Removal Without Surgery

Sometimes it turns out that none of the natural solutions for treating blemishes, scars, and stretch-marks work. But thankfully, you have nearly countless of other good options at your disposal. So what to do?

When home remedies are inadequate, you may turn to creams made by specialty companies or try out an over-the-counter ointment. These scar reducing creams can sometimes work wonders and come with handy instructions. All of that saves you time and takes the guesswork out of how much, or how often you should be using them.

It goes without saying, but make sure that you read the product labels and know what’s really in those products. Some of them may contain harsh bleaching agents or chemicals that can cause irreversible damage. Worse yet, they may use ingredients that just don’t work, so you’ll be throwing money in the wind.

If you want to avoid that, and if you’re looking for an all-natural, plant-based product that effectively reduces the appearance of scars, try Amaira’s Advanced Scar Removal Vanishing Cream. It’s 100% natural, and it doesn't just treat stretch marks and cellulite, but it actively nurtures your skin. If you want to know even more about this topic, click here to find out more about removing scars without damaging your skin.