The ingredients you need to deal with this body issue.
By Liza Finlay
By Liza Finlay
Scars can make an unsightly impression. They form whenever skin is damaged—whether from a small trauma (a popped pimple), an injury (a fall from skyscraper stilettos) or invasive surgery. In response to the injury, the skin attempts to repair itself by releasing growth factors, which then induce collagen production. The type of scar you get depends on how assiduously your collagen-production plants work. If they’re the lazy sort, you’ll wind up with a skin depression called an atrophic scar. If your collagen factories go into overdrive, collagen cells will build up at the site of the injury, resulting in a raised red (hypertrophic or keloid) scar.
The trick to treating scars—apart from avoiding heels and developing a fondness for ballet flats—is to control those crazy collagen cells while they’re at work on a developing scar. “You want to optimize the healing process,” says Toronto dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett of DLK on Avenue. “Keeping the wound clean, moist and infection-free is key—and above all, no picking, which can increase the scarring.” Once fully formed, scars have limited treatment options, but the development of over-the-counter remedies is an area of keen interest to many dermatologists, so stay tuned.
Antibiotic ointments: Because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of concealer, regular application of a topical antibiotic to a developing scar will keep it both moist and infection-free—and that may mean the difference between an ugly mark and one that is virtually invisible. Where to get it: Polysporin Complete Antibiotic Ointment Heal-Fast Formula ($10, at drugstores) and Band-Aid Antibiotic Bandages ($5, at drugstores).
Silicone: Sold in a gel or a sheet (much like bandages), synthetic silicones are the interior decorators of the cosmetic world; they remodel collagen, causing it to flatten out and tone down. It is unclear exactly how silicone manages this feat (the most widely held theory is that silicone has an occlusive effect, locking out air and locking in water to hydrate the scar); what is certain is that silicone is particularly useful for the raised red (hypertrophic) variety of scar. Where to get it: Elastoplast Scar Reducer ($30, at drugstores), Dermatix Topical Silicone Gel ($50, plasticsurgeryinfo.ca), Sudden Change Scar Zone Topical Scar Diminishing Cream ($14, at drugstores) and Polysporin Scar Solution Silicone Scar Sheets ($45, at drugstores).
Vitamin A acid: Effective at marshalling the troops, vitamin A acid has been shown to help remodel collagen, creating subcutaneous uniformity and a smoothing effect to the eye. Prescription tretinoin is the most potent derivative, while the grocery store variety (called retinol) offers a milder version of this powerful collagen-booster. Whichever you choose, these products prove most useful in treating concave (atrophic) scars.Where to get it: Vaseline Intensive Care Renewal Lotion (from $6, at drugstores), Guinot Institut Longue Vie Cellulaire ($102, at 800-361-6089) and Korres Body Butter ($23, sephora.com).
The trick to treating scars—apart from avoiding heels and developing a fondness for ballet flats—is to control those crazy collagen cells while they’re at work on a developing scar. “You want to optimize the healing process,” says Toronto dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett of DLK on Avenue. “Keeping the wound clean, moist and infection-free is key—and above all, no picking, which can increase the scarring.” Once fully formed, scars have limited treatment options, but the development of over-the-counter remedies is an area of keen interest to many dermatologists, so stay tuned.
Antibiotic ointments: Because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of concealer, regular application of a topical antibiotic to a developing scar will keep it both moist and infection-free—and that may mean the difference between an ugly mark and one that is virtually invisible. Where to get it: Polysporin Complete Antibiotic Ointment Heal-Fast Formula ($10, at drugstores) and Band-Aid Antibiotic Bandages ($5, at drugstores).
Silicone: Sold in a gel or a sheet (much like bandages), synthetic silicones are the interior decorators of the cosmetic world; they remodel collagen, causing it to flatten out and tone down. It is unclear exactly how silicone manages this feat (the most widely held theory is that silicone has an occlusive effect, locking out air and locking in water to hydrate the scar); what is certain is that silicone is particularly useful for the raised red (hypertrophic) variety of scar. Where to get it: Elastoplast Scar Reducer ($30, at drugstores), Dermatix Topical Silicone Gel ($50, plasticsurgeryinfo.ca), Sudden Change Scar Zone Topical Scar Diminishing Cream ($14, at drugstores) and Polysporin Scar Solution Silicone Scar Sheets ($45, at drugstores).
Vitamin A acid: Effective at marshalling the troops, vitamin A acid has been shown to help remodel collagen, creating subcutaneous uniformity and a smoothing effect to the eye. Prescription tretinoin is the most potent derivative, while the grocery store variety (called retinol) offers a milder version of this powerful collagen-booster. Whichever you choose, these products prove most useful in treating concave (atrophic) scars.Where to get it: Vaseline Intensive Care Renewal Lotion (from $6, at drugstores), Guinot Institut Longue Vie Cellulaire ($102, at 800-361-6089) and Korres Body Butter ($23, sephora.com).
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