Raised, itchy scars, for example from acne, can be bothersome – but there are ways you can treat them at home.
Dr Aamna Adel is known for sharing her skin tips online, racking up more than 1.6million followers. She has shared her advice on everything from tackling acne to avoiding razor bumps.
But now she has gone viral online after she shared her top three tips for reducing the appearance and irritation of scars. In a video, which has gained more than 3,300 likes, she claimed: “If you do all three of these things, your scar is not only going to be a flatter, less itchy, less visible, but it’s also going to heal a lot faster.”
Massage
The doctor’s first tip was to massage the area with some Vaseline (£5.99) or Aquaphor (£6.49) every day. While she admitted that her first tip may leave you questioning ‘what that’s going to do’, she swears by it.
“Now hear me out on this first one because it’s going to sound a little crazy, but you are going to massage your scar every single day for at least five minutes,” she explained.
“I want you to use something like Vaseline, Aquaphor, anything, which is just going to give a little bit of slip, but let you actually put quite a bit of pressure on the scar.”
She added that putting pressure on the area helps to “remodel the collagen” and that it is “worth doing every single day.”
Gel and Tape
Next, she suggested getting some silicone gel and tape for your scar treatment routine, using them once in the morning and again at night. She explained: “You can honestly buy these anywhere.”
“You can get them from Amazon, from your local pharmacy, and you’re going to apply the gel once in the morning and you’re going to apply the tape once at night. It is not only going to hydrate your scar. But it’s going to flatten it, and it’s just going to really help with that whole healing process.”
SPF
In a final tip, she revealed that protecting your scar from the sun could diminish its appearance. She advised her followers: “apply sunscreen to your scar every single day.”
She emphasised: “That is not only going to protect your scar, but it’s also going to stop it from getting darker, which is going to make it less visible.”
TikTok users were amazed by her advice, flooding the comments with gratitude. One user exclaimed: “I need to try this,” while another gushed: “QUEEEEEN I was thinking about this just yesterday thank you.”
A third user expressed: “I’m so happy I found this page.” Despite the enthusiasm, it’s worth noting that home methods may not work for everyone.
For stubborn cases, a dermatologist may suggest more intensive treatments such as steroid injections, laser therapy or surgery. It’s essential to speak to a healthcare professional before trying new treatments.