How to Remove Scars on Legs

Scars are made of fibrous tissue and develop in place of healthy tissue following an injury to the skin. While most scars are not medically significant, many people consider them unattractive. Women, especially, may desire to remove scars on legs to improve their appearance in a skirt or dress. Most scars are very difficult to remove, even with surgery. Fortunately, there are several effective methods of minimizing the appearance of scars and helping them blend into surrounding skin.

Things You'll Need

• Cucumber
• Lemon juice
• Blender
• Aloe vera
• Mederma topical scar medication
• Scar sheets

Instructions

1. Determine what type of scar you have in order to select the proper removal method. Keloid scars are firm, raised, reddish scars that may cover a large area. Hypertrophic scars are raised and pink. These scars tend to fade on their own with time. Atrophic scarring usually results from acne or chicken pox and appears as depressed pockets on the surface of the skin.

2. Try a natural remedy to remove scars on your legs. Mix cucumber and lemon juice in a blender, and then apply the mixture to your scars once each day until you notice an improvement. Aloe vera may also be beneficial.

3. Massage Mederma gel into the scars three to four times each day for up to six months. Mederma works by softening scar tissue and improving the color and texture of scars. It is most effective on newly formed scars, but may also help remove older scars.

4. Use a silicone based scar sheet for eight weeks. Apply the sheet to the affected area on your leg and leave it in place for at least 12 hours each day. Scar sheets are usually not effective for atrophic scars.

5. Visit a dermatologist to remove scars by demabrasion, chemical peels or laser surgery. Dermabrasion and chemical peels work by slowly removing layers of scar tissue over the course of several months. Laser surgery helps remove leg scars through the application of a high intensity light beam. The beam penetrates the top layer of the skin, causing it to slough off. New tissue grows in its place. Laser surgery may require the use of general anesthesia.

6. Ask your doctor about steroid injections if you have keloid or hypertrophic scars on your legs. In some cases, the injections can effectively shrink the scars and reduce redness.

7. Undergo injections of collagen or other fillers if your scars are atrophic. While this is not a permanent solution, collagen injections are very effective at minimizing the appearance of pitted scars for weeks or months.

8. Avoid using over-the-counter scar creams unless otherwise instructed by your doctor. According to the Mayo Clinic, these creams rarely help to remove scars and may cause skin irritation.

Tips & Warnings

• Mederma is recommended by 66.5 percent of pharmacists for the treatment of scars, according to the June 2007 issue of Pharmacy Times. However, this treatment is not approved or regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

• The Mayo Clinic states that vitamin E applications do not reduce scarring and may increase the risk of contact dermatitis.

References

• Mederma
• Online Supplement to Pharmacy Times, June 2007 (PDF)
• Consumer Guide for Plastic Surgery - Laser Scar Removal

Resources

• American Society of Plastic Surgerons - Dermabrasion
• Mayo Clinic - Scar Cream
• Mayo Clinic - Vitamin E