Shea Butter and Coconut Oil
If you have experienced an injury, such as a cut, laceration or burn, keep the area moist and covered while it heals. You can use raw shea butter or coconut oil to keep the wound moist. This may help prevent a scar or keep a scar from getting too large, deep or itchy.
The omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants in both shea butter and coconut oil have been shown to inhibit keloid scar tissue and repair skin. (1, 2) Additionally, because shea butter and coconut oil are very effective at moisturizing the skin, they can be part of a continued regimen to help minimize some scarring. Simply apply shea butter or coconut to the skin two to three times a day. There is no need to wash it off since shea butter and coconut oil are both very beneficial for your skin. However, be careful not to let it get on any silk garments, as it may stain.
Silicone Gel Sheeting
Another option for how to get rid of scars is silicone gel sheeting. This is a sticky, clear pad that goes over a cut and can speed healing, similar to how Band-Aids can help heal cuts fast. It also can also make scars less red and painful.
Silicone gel sheeting has been widely used in clinical practice since the early 1980s. Although gel sheeting can be an effective treatment, there are some downsides to some conventional gel sheets. Some patients may have skin reactions to the tape used for fixation, experience excessive sweating, or have difficulty and frustration in its application. In addition, the visibility of the treatment in the case of scars located in visible areas, such as the face, can be obvious and a bit unattractive.
However, silicone gel does not require fixation and is nearly invisible when dry, suggesting that it could be especially useful and less embarrassing. Regardless, it usually requires multiple applications in a day and a waiting period while it dries so the dressing does not smudge. Friction by clothes can cause problems as well, which does not always make this treatment practical for everyone
Pressure Garments
Using mechanical compressive force exerted by pressure garments to treat scars in burn patients was first prescribed in 1860. Before prescribing commercial pressure garments, the newly healed skin must be preconditioned to accept the stress and pressure exerted by the garments. For this, initial gentle pressure is applied using crepe bandages.
Currently, elastic compression using elastic garments is the predominant means of using pressure garments. Some studies suggest no noticeable healing; others, like a 2010 study published in the Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery, claim that pressure therapy achieves regression success rates of 60 percent to 85 percent in scarring.
Onion extract is another natural option that can be used because it contains several unique bioflavenoids, such as quercetin, kaempferol and cepalin. A study in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology asked six subjects to apply onion extract to an affected area for a period of four weeks. While some subjects experienced mild stinging, the stinging resolved quickly.
At two weeks, the subjects rated the gel-applied scars to be significantly softer than the control scars. After four and eight weeks of application, all appearance variables of the gel-applied scars had significantly improved. It was concluded that onion extract gel is safe and significantly improves scar appearance after four weeks of once-daily application