Does Vitamin E Heal Scars?

Many people think that vitamin E heals and fades scars. Even doctors often recommend vitamin E to reduce or eliminate surgical scars. While vitamin E is an essential vitamin and is necessary for the proper functioning of the body, there is little scientific evidence that the vitamin actually fades scars. There have been a few studies on the efficacy of vitamin E to promote scar healing, but the conclusions are that topical use of vitamin E does not help with scarring.


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Scarring and Vitamin E

Injuries to the skin cause wounds, and when the wounds heal, scar tissue forms. All people scar differently, and some are more prone than others. Scarring is a natural way that the skin heals itself. There are a wide variety of scars, including skin discolorations, pockmarks and colloids or hypertrophy scars. Scars can be depressed or raised. With depressed scars there is too little collagen or tissue at the site of the wound. With raised scars there is too much collagen.


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Collagen is the primary protein of the connective tissue that makes scar tissue. The fibers or strands of collagen give skin its structure, strength and elasticity. According to Dr. Joel Studding, a plastic surgeon, "It [vitamin E] works by reducing the strength of the three strands that form collagen, making them softer and more pliable.


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 Technically, it reduces the strength of cross-linking of these strands." But one study done at the University of Miami concluded that vitamin E oil had no effect on scars. The study tested 15 subjects who applied vitamin E to scars twice a day for 4 weeks. At the end of 12 weeks, the researchers noted that in 90 percent of the subjects, there was no visible improvement of the scars, or the scars had become worse. Also, 33 percent of the subjects developed contact dermatitis from the vitamin E oil. This study has been criticized by other researchers for not using more subjects and for not using enough vitamins E.


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Sources of Vitamin E

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that vitamin E does work. You can give vitamin E a try both topically and internally. The best food sources of vitamin E are green vegetables, corn, eggs, sweet potatoes, beans and almonds. There are also vitamin E supplements available as a pill or liquid in both natural and synthetic forms. Vitamin E oil is also available in natural and synthetic forms. The National Institute of Health states that the natural form of the vitamin is twice as effective as the synthetic.