15 Natural Remedies For Old Scars – Fasten The Healing!

There is good news if you don’t like to show marks of prior trauma. There are many natural remedies for old scars. If you are tired of sporting old and fading scars, some natural ingredients in your home help fasten the healing process and eliminate them without leaving marks.

Here, we are going to share some of the best natural remedies for getting rid of scars that you don’t need as a reminder of a trauma on your body.

Understanding Old Scars

Old scars are marks that remain on the skin after an injury or damage has healed. They become noticeable as the body’s normal healing process replaces injured skin with fibrous tissue.

Because the healing process is complete, old scars are frequently difficult to treat and less responsive to traditional therapies. Variables such as the depth of the wound, location on the body, and the individual’s skin type can influence the severity and durability of a scar.

Different types of old scars

When it comes to scar removal, you need to know what kind of scar you are struggling with. A few types of old scars can cause bumps and elevation on the skin with a typical appearance.

Some of the most common ones include:

1. Keloid scars

Keloid scars are the most prominent and common type. These scars appear swelled, elevated, and have a soft and plump feel. This scar will appear much darker than the rest of the skin tone.

2. Atrophic scars

Atrophic scars form dents on the skin due to tissue loss. These kinds of scars often appear serrated with dark skin pigmentation.

3. Contracture scars

Contracture scars are caused by the tightening of skin. This causes the skin around the injury to constrict and makes it more challenging to move. This type of scarring can also affect muscles and nerves.

4. Acne scars

Acne scars appear in a range from deep crevices to red and wavelike scarring.

How to get rid of old scars at home?

We have sorted through some of the best natural remedies for old scars to help you with prevention and healing.

1. Aloe vera

In addition to its skin healing (R) properties,, aloe vera has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory (R) properties that further reduce inflammation and the chances of infection.

What to do?

• Clean and cut open an aloe vera leaf
• Rub the pulp side of the aloe vera on the scar
• Leave it on for 30 minutes
• Rinse it off with some water

How often?

• Multiple times throughout the day

2. Lemon Juice

Lemon juice has mild bleaching properties and contains antioxidant properties that speed up the healing of scars.

What to do?

• Roll the lemon on the chopping board to loosen it a bit
• Cut the lemon in half
• Take one half and rub the same on the scar
• Leave the juice to seep into the skin for sometime
• Rinse off under cold water

How often?

• 2-3 times daily

3. Honey

Raw honey is yet another remedy for removing scars.

Honey promotes better tissue regeneration (R) to further help treat wounds. Most people  combine baking soda with honey for best results.

What to do?

• Take a bowl
• Add 1 tsp of honey and 1 tsp of baking soda to it
• Make a smooth paste out of it
• Apply on the scar
• Soak a towel in some warm water
• Apply the towel to the scar
• Leave it on for a few minutes till the towel has cooled down
• Rinse off the remnants after that

How often?

• Twice daily

4. Onion extracts

The application of onion extracts (R) has also been found to improve the skin’s texture and reduce the appearance of redness and stiffness.However, more studies are needed.

What to do?

• Peel an onion and extract the juice
• Apply the same on the scar with some cotton pads
• Leave it on for 30 minutes
• Rinse off with some cold water

How often?

• 1-2 times daily

5. Apple cider vinegar

The combination of the apple cider vinegar and honey has proven fruitful to eliminate old scars.Apple cider vinegar’s combination of antimicrobial (R), antioxidant (R), and anti-inflammatory (R) properties helps to quickly reduce the appearance of scars.

This specific remedy delivers excellent results for acne scars. Combined with honey, it also helps reduce redness.

What to do?

• In a bowl, add 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp of honey
• Mix both and form a liquid solution
• Apply it on the scar with a cotton pad
• Leave it on for 30 minutes
• Rinse it off with some cold water; after that

How often?

• 1-2 times daily

6. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has excellent benefits for treating old scars and getting rid of them permanently. It improves the texture and appearance of injury and promotes healing from within.

Additionally, the combination of coconut oil’s antimicrobial (R), antioxidant (R), and anti-inflammatory (R) properties helps to speed up recovery.

Coconut oil also has beneficial skin-healing properties (R), which help improve skin quality and prevent the appearance of old scars in the long run.

What to do?

• Take some natural coconut oil on your palms
• Apply the same on the site of the scar
• Massage the oil to let it seep into the skin
• Leave it on overnight

How often?

• Every night

7. Gooseberry

The Indian gooseberry has potent benefits in speeding up the recovery and healing (R) process. It even reduces the appearance of scars.

What to do?

• Deseed the gooseberry and blend in a mixer
• Blend till it forms a smooth paste
• Apply the paste on the scar
• Leave it on for around 30 minutes
• Rinse it off under cold water

How often?

• 1-2 times daily

8. Vitamin E

Vitamin E’s use for scar prevention (R) needs no introduction.

Applying Vitamin E to scars helps reduce the textured appearance (R) and improves healing.

It is also believed that applying Vitamin E helps propel collagen production in the skin, further improving the appearance of the scar.

What to do?

• Start by cutting open a Vitamin E capsule
• Take the contents out on your palm and apply on the scar
• Massage the vitamin E oil on the scar for 10 minutes
• Once done, leave it on for 30 minutes
• Rinse off if needed

How often?

• 2-3 times daily

9. Rosehip Seed Oil

Yet another fantastic natural remedy for old scars is rosehip seed oil. It has potent benefits in reducing the appearance of scars in the long run.

The potent skin healing (R) and antioxidant (R) properties in this have been found useful to reduce scars in the long run.

This natural ingredient’s effectiveness has led to its integration into common scar-healing medications.

What to do?

• Pour a few drops of the rosehip oil on your palm
• Apply the same on the scar with your fingers
• Gently massage it into the skin
• Leave it on

How often?

• 2-3 times daily

10. Tea tree oil

Another way to get rid of old scars is to apply tea tree oil.

Antioxidant-rich phytochemicals in this have been found to have potent impacts on improving the appearance of scars over time.

This remedy is very effective for surgical scars (R) and helps reduce appearance when applied frequently.

The application of tea tree oil helps boost blood circulation around the area. Its antimicrobial properties prevent infections.

What to do?

• Mix 1 tbsp of coconut oil and a few drops of tea tree oil
• Apply the same on the affected region of the scar
• Massage gently for a few minutes
• Leave it on

How often?

• 1-2 times daily

11. Sunblock

Applying medicated sunscreen will not help reduce the appearance of scars, but it can prevent a scar from getting worse.

If you suffer from scars caused by glycolic acid and other issues, applying medicated sunscreen will aid in faster recovery.

What to do?

• Apply sunscreen irrespective of whether you are going out or not.

How often?

• 2-3 times daily

12. Olive Oil

Olive oil has therapeutic impacts and even helps repair damaged skin. Studies have found that olive oil helps stimulate collagen production, further aiding in recovery.

Applying olive oil topically has been found to provide excellent results for reducing acne scars.

What to do?

• Take some olive oil in a bowl
• Using your fingers, apply the oil to the scar
• Massage for a few minutes to let the oil seep into the skin
• Leave it on

How often?

• 1-2 times daily

13. Shea butter

Shea butter is one of the best natural remedies for getting rid of old scars. It has moisturizing and skin-healing properties.

It helps promote better healing (R) and recovery, and even removes the possible dryness and textured appearances around scars.

Its best to use unfiltered shea butter and avoid the highly chemical-infused variants.

What to do?

• Take some shea butter on your fingers
• Apply the same on the scar
• Massage on for a few minutes
• Let it seep into the skin
• Leave it on

How often?

• 1-2 times daily

14. Potato

The use of potato juice for skin healing is a concept that requires further study.

The results could be more conclusive at this point. If you have been struggling with the appearance of old scars, another option is to apply potato juice.

The starch’s mild bleaching properties are believed to help with healing and reduce the appearance of scars.

Combining phytochemicals helps brighten the skin and reduce the appearance of scars.

What to do?

• Peel one potato and extract the juice from the potato
• Using a cotton pad, apply some of the juice on the site of the scar
• Leave it on for 30 minutes
• Rinse off after that with some cold water

How often?

• 1-2 times daily

15. Lavender Oil

The reason for its potency is its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Lavender oil also has soothing properties on the skin and helps prevent unnecessary redness and irritation around the scar.

It also prevents the risks of infections and betters the appearance of the scars over time.

What to do?

• Combine a few drops of lavender oil with some coconut oil
• Apply the same on the affected site of the scar
• Massage it into the skin
• Leave it on

How often?

• 1-2 times daily

How to prevent scarring?

Scars are common and will happen if you sustain any injury. Choosing natural treatments for older scars can help prevent scarring.

Some of the best preventive measures include:

• Don’t poke and prod at the injury or the scar
• Avoid using fingers to touch the scar or the site of the injury when it’s new
• Sterilize the site of injury immediately after occurance

We hope these pointers are helpful in your search for natural remedies for old scars. Always consult a doctor if you witness any changes for the worse.

• Aug 2020
  Written by Somapika D
• Sep 2024
  Edited by Ankita