KESEHATAN
Scars on the legs can be difficult to hide, especially during the summer months. You may feel self-conscious about wearing shorts or swimwear if scars appear on the legs. For minor scars, you can use home remedies to get rid of them or at least reduce their appearance. However, severe keloid and hypertropic scarring need to be removed through medical intervention.
Home Remedies For Scar Removal on Legs
1. Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter helps to repair damaged skin and helps the formation of new skin. It softens the skin and gives it a toned look. It is also effective in scar reduction. Cocoa butter is available in a number of OTC creams. Consult your dermatologist for a prescription. Apply this cream on the affected area 2-3 times in a day and continue with this treatment for a few weeks until the scars disappear.
2. Lemon Juice
Lemons contain alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), which help to remove dead skin cells, helps in the development of new cells and restore some elasticity of the skin. As a natural bleach it can help lighten scars. Make sure that the scar and the area around it is clean. Soak a cotton pad with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Rub the cotton ball over the scar. Let stand for about 10 minutes and then rinse. Lemon juice can make your skin sensitive to light; so, consider using sunscreen whenever you leave after this treatment.
3. Cucumber And Lime Juice
Use a mixture of cucumber paste and lime juice for scar removal. Blend the cucumber to form a paste and mix in one teaspoon of limejuice into it. Now apply this on the affected area of the skin and leave it overnight. Wash it off the next day. The limejuice helps to lighten the skin and the cucumber helps to remove the scar.
4. Use vitamin E oil
Vitamin E has been used in many health and beauty treatments for many years and many people swear by it as a successful treatment for scars. Vitamin E oil is moisturizing and contains powerful antioxidants, helping it to repair skin and improve the appearance of damaged tissue.
You can take vitamin E capsules orally or you can apply the oil topically by bursting a capsule with a pin and applying the oil to the affected area. You may want to test the vitamin E oil on a small patch of skin first, before you apply it to any large areas of skin, as vitamin E oil may cause an allergic reaction in some people, resulting in contact dermatitis.
5. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a plant whose sap has well-known moisturizing and soothing properties. It is often used to treat burns, but can also be used as an effective natural scar treatment. Aloe vera contains anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, making it most effective in the treatment of fresh scars (though it should not be applied to open wounds). The aloe vera soothes the skin and helps it to regenerate, thus reducing the appearance of scars over time.
To apply, break a leaf from an aloe vera plant and squeeze the clear, gel-like sap directly onto the scarred skin. Massage the sap into the skin using small circular motions. Aloe vera is very gentle on the skin, so you can reapply the sap up to four times a day. If you cannot get your hands on an aloe vera plant (though they should be available at most plant nurseries) there are many creams and lotions available which contain aloe vera extract, that may be equally effective.
6. Olive Oil
Olive oil is another natural treatment which has been said to improve the appearance of scars. Extra virgin olive oil, in particular, is believed to produce the best results as it has a higher acidity level than other olive oils and a greater quantity of vitamins E and K. The oil works by softening and moisturizing the skin, causing the scar tissue to slacken, while acidity in the oil exfoliates the skin.
Apply a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to the affected area and massage using small circular motions until the oil is absorbed. You can also use the olive oil as an exfoliating scrub by mixing it with a teaspoon of baking soda, which you can massage into the scars before rinsing off with warm water. You can increase the effectiveness of the olive oil treatment by blending it with another oil. Combine two parts olive oil with one part rosehip, chamomile or calendula oil and apply this blend to the scars. The added oils will increase the soothing properties of the olive oil.
7. Exfoliation
Exfoliation with a scrub containing AHA or alpha hydroxyl acid helps to diminish the scars. Scrub the affected area regularly to see effective results. Do read the directions carefully before you apply the scrub on the surface of the skin.
