Simple Ways to Deal With Scars

Take the necessary steps to heal scars and improve the appearance of your skin. Photo: iStock Photo

Scars can be distressing and affect your self-confidence, especially in social situations. But by following these simple tips you can minimise scarring and help your skin heal, here’s how:

1. Treat wounds immediately
First aid should be applied to cuts, abrasions and burns immediately. Make sure your home and car are equipped with an up-to-date first aid kit and know how to use it. Bepanthen® First Aid can be applied to help protect damaged skin from infection, therefore allowing it to heal. For serious wounds head straight to a hospital or call an ambulance.

2. Avoid the sun
Healing wounds and scars should be kept out of the sun, as scars that are discoloured or not matured burn easily. If you must go out in the sun, stick to morning or late evening activities when the sun is less intense and use a high quality sunscreen or wear protective clothing to minimise your scar’s exposure to the sun.

3. Apply Bepanthen® Scar Treatment
Bepanthen® Scar Treatment has been developed using scientific recommendations for scar management to help prevent the formation of a red and raised scar and to help treat scars that are already red and raised.

It has a unique triple action, which is important for optimal scar treatment, resulting in smoother, softer, flatter scars:

- An innovative massage roller helps break down excess collagen

- A silicone gel to form a protective barrier over the scar to help lock in moisture

- A moisturising formula (including Pro-Vitamin B5) assists by moisturising and reduces scar redness and itching

Bepanthen® Scar Treatment has proven efficacy in correcting, flattening and softening of red and raised scars. In a recent clinical study, significant improvements were seen in scars as early as 8 weeks with Bepanthen® Scar Treatment, including thickness, pigmentation and itching with patient satisfaction reported at 88.2%*.

Bepanthen Scar Treatment is also Product of the Year 2015 winner in the skincare category.

4. Nutrition
A healthy diet filled with a variety of nutrient-rich foods is vital to healing scars. Load your body with:

- Protein – our bodies break protein down into various amino acids, including L-Arginine and Glutamine, and both help to create new tissue, especially collagen. They also boost the immune system, which is essential to fighting off infections.

- Vitamin C – essential for healthy collagen production. Wound healing requires more Vitamin C than your normal expected daily intake.

- Vitamin B Complex – great for speeding up wound healing, Vitamin B Complex increases protein synthesis and boosts the number of repair cells in the wound. It also prevents excessive inflammation.

- Vitamin A – activates production of connective tissue, including collagen, and assists new blood vessels to grow into healthy newly formed tissue. Vitamin A also enhances your immune system and subsequently your resistance to infection.

- Zinc – reduces healing time after surgery by up to 43 per cent in some cases, and can also reduce inflammation and bacterial growth.

Always read the label. Use only as directed. References: *Data on file.