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Treatments
Compare all treatments
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.
Strongfor atrophic scarsOpen →
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 →
Match the treatment to the problem
A raised or thickening scarSilicone first, pressure for large areas, steroid injection once it is established. Start on the keloid hub if it has grown past the wound.
A pit or depressionMicroneedling for rolling and boxcar scars, TCA CROSS for ice pick tracts, subcision for tethered scars, filler for immediate volume.
Redness or dark marksPulsed dye laser for redness and itch. Retinoids and sun protection for post-inflammatory pigment.
A scar limiting movementSurgical release once skin length is gone, with massage and stretching while the scar is still active.
Spending nothing firstScar massage and daily sun protection. Both cost nothing, and sun protection has strong evidence on a new scar.