Scar Assessment
Independent · evidence-based · every claim cited

Scars, explained by evidence.

A guide to every scar type and every treatment used on them. Each treatment is graded Strong, Moderate, Limited or Weak for the clinical evidence behind it, and every claim links to the study it came from. Nothing here is sponsored.

Identify your scar type Browse all scar types

Browse by scar type

Not sure which type you have? The assessment narrows it down in five questions.

Acne scarsRed and brown marks usually fade on their own over 6 to 12 months. Pitted scars are permanent without treatment, and the treatments that work on texture are procedures. 26 articlesOpen →
Burn scarsMost burn scars keep changing for 12 to 18 months. Silicone, pressure and massage during that window improve the final result. 5 articlesOpen →
C-section scarsMost C-section scars settle into a thin flat line as they mature over 12 to 24 months. An overhang or a tethered shelf is treatable, but not with creams. 7 articlesOpen →
Chickenpox scarsChickenpox pits are collagen the body never replaced. They do not fade with time, but they respond to treatment at any age. 3 articlesOpen →
Contracture scarsA contracture is scar tissue tight enough to limit movement. Treatment targets function: stretching and splinting while the scar is active, surgical release once skin length is gone. Open →
Hypertrophic scarsA hypertrophic scar stays inside the original wound borders and often flattens on its own over 12 to 18 months. Silicone and pressure are the mainstays while it settles. 15 articlesOpen →
Keloid scarsKeloids grow beyond the original wound and rarely fade without treatment. Corticosteroid injection is first line, and recurrence after surgery alone is high. 20 articlesOpen →
Stretch marksStretch marks are tears in the dermis, not surface marks. Treatment produces modest improvement, and red marks respond better than white ones. 2 articlesOpen →
Surgical and incision scarsTreatment starts in the first three months. Silicone from closure plus daily sun protection have the strongest evidence, and both still affect the outcome through 12 months. 24 articlesOpen →

Browse by treatment

The same treatment can be first line for one scar type and useless for another. Grades inside each hub are given per scar type.

Creams and dressings

Silicone gel and silicone sheets Silicone has more randomized-trial evidence behind it than any other scar topical. The benefit depends on daily use over months. StrongOpen → Scar creams and topical treatments Medical-grade silicone is the only topical supported by multiple randomized trials. Retinoids are rated Moderate for dark marks and shallow texture. Vitamin E is rated Weak and irritates about one user in three. No cream fills a deep pit. ModerateOpen → Natural and home remedies for scars Most home remedies for scars have little clinical evidence behind them. Vitamin E, the most popular one, is rated Weak. LimitedOpen →

Resurfacing

Laser treatment for scars Clinical trials treat 50% to 75% improvement in texture, height and color as a strong laser outcome. The scar becomes flatter and paler. ModerateOpen → Chemical peels and TCA CROSS Full-field peels do modest work on scar texture and pigment. TCA CROSS, applied only into the pit, is the strongest peel-based option for ice pick scars. ModerateOpen → Microneedling for scars Microneedling is first line for pitted acne and chickenpox scars, and it is contraindicated if you are keloid-prone. Expect 3 to 6 sessions and a partial result. ModerateOpen →

Procedures

Corticosteroid injections Injected steroid is first line for keloids and thick hypertrophic scars. It flattens and softens raised tissue, and recurrence is the limitation, not the flattening. StrongOpen → Subcision for scars Subcision cuts the fibrous band tethering a depressed scar from underneath. It is the treatment for rolling scars and does nothing for ice pick scars. ModerateOpen → Dermal fillers for scars Fillers lift a depressed scar by adding volume under it. The correction is real and temporary, and it needs repeating. ModerateOpen → Surgical scar revision Revision exchanges a scar for a thinner, better-oriented one. It does not remove it, and on a keloid it fails without an adjuvant. ModerateOpen →

Physical

Scar massage Scar massage is cheap, low-risk and best supported for burn scars. The trial evidence is thinner than the confidence with which it is usually recommended. Moderatefor burn scarsOpen →
Browse all treatments

Top questions

When should I start treating a surgical scar?

Within the first three months. Silicone once the wound is fully closed, plus sun protection for the first year.

Which scar cream ingredients have evidence?

Medical-grade silicone is the only topical with repeated randomized support. Retinoids and onion extract have weaker evidence; vitamin E has none.

Does vitamin E help scars?

No. The best-known controlled trial found no cosmetic benefit and contact dermatitis in 33% of participants. Rated Weak.

Which treatment suits my scar type?

Each treatment page lists the scar types it works on, with a separate evidence rating for each.

Recently reviewed

These articles were re-checked against the current literature on the date shown. A review means the sources were re-read and the evidence re-tested. It does not mean the page was edited.

Clinician comparing steroid injection, silicone gel sheeting and pressure therapy options for a raised scar

Steroid injection versus silicone and pressure: how clinicians choose.

Steroid injections, silicone sheeting and pressure therapy all flatten raised scars, but they suit different scars and different lives. Here is how clinicians choose between them, and what the trial evidence actually shows.

Evidence reviewed 8 Sep 2026
Clinician injecting corticosteroid into a raised caesarean section scar

Evidence-Based Guide to Steroid Injections for Surgical and C-Section Scars

Raised surgical and caesarean scars respond well to intralesional steroid injections, but timing and dose matter more than most patients are told. Here is what the evidence supports.

Evidence reviewed 8 Sep 2026
Intralesional triamcinolone injection being administered into a keloid scar

Intralesional corticosteroid for keloids: what the evidence shows.

Intralesional triamcinolone is the first-line keloid treatment worldwide, yet response rates and recurrence vary widely. Here is what the dosing evidence and international consensus actually say.

Evidence reviewed 8 Sep 2026
How the review process works