Is Mederma A Waste Of Time For Treating Scars

Most of us have some kind of scar. It could be from acne, an accident, a surgery, an illness, etc.

And although the beauty science and technology is pretty impressive these days, erasing a scar completely, might not be possible. But---we can get pretty close. We can make scars almost invisible.

Many people wear their scars like a badge of honor. We once knew a frat boy in college named Chip with a sexy scar across his cheek. The girls were attracted to him because of his scar.

And look at one of our favorite beauties, Padma Lakshmi. The former model and current host of Bravo's 'Top Chef' reality show, has a 7-inch reminder of the serious car accident she was in at age 14.

Padma grew to accept her 'imperfection,' and the scar that runs along her right arm is one she wears proudly. "I love my scar," she often says.

But there are also many times, one does not love their scar, and hoping for a miracle cream to rub it out permanently. That's where popular, topical treatments like Mederma ($29.99, drugstores), are often used.

But is Mederma a waste of time for treating scars? And is surgery the only best way to greatly minimize a scar's appearance?

Some specialists recommend applying Mederma to fresh scars. And yet there are other doctors who claim the topical treatment does little to wipe out scars.

What we can tell you, is that Mederma is actually made with 'onion extract,' believe it or not. That allium cepa, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and to improve collagen organization in a rabbit ear model.

However, there are no human studies that show onion extract improves the appearance of scars more than petroleum jelly, according to an article here: http://tiny.cc/mqNjP.

In defense of Mederma, however, the product claims to soften and smooth scars, and that we believe is true.

Meantime, your best bet is heading into a plastic surgeon's office. There are several exciting, but costly treatments that can greatly minimize the appearance and depth of scars:

Laser skin re-surfacing
Laser scar removal
Microdermabrasion
Fat transfer
Collagen injections
Chemical peels
Steroid injections