Nearly all individuals in the United States above a certain age have experienced chickenpox due to how contagious it is.
After the vaccine was made accessible, infection rates decreased by more than 90%.
In youngsters today, chickenpox is uncommon.
However, many adults still bear scars from their chickenpox as a memento.
Damage might result from excessive chickenpox blister scratching.
Your body creates a tissue thicker than skin to mend serious wounds that cause damage to your skin. Scar tissue is what this is.
Chickenpox, which frequently causes skin inflammation, can cause scars that look sunken.
Particularly when they are on the face, many people seek to lighten or get rid of these scars. Discover some of the remedies for chickenpox scars in the following paragraphs.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
✅ Especially if they are on your face, chickenpox scars may cause you to wish to hide their look.
✅ Fortunately, there are numerous viable treatments.
✅ Either start with over-the-counter remedies or visit a dermatologist right away.
✅ Dermatologists have a lot of experience treating scars so they can recommend the best course of action in your case.
✅ But remember that you will probably see your scars the most, and others might not even notice them.
Scars can be treated naturally
Vitamin E
For a very long time, vitamin E has been used successfully to repair scars. Unfortunately, these assertions might be exaggerated. Most research indicates that it has no discernible impact. In fact, the American Academy of Dermatology advises against using vitamin E on scars since it may make them look worse.
Aloe Vera
In order to treat burns, aloe vera has undergone rigorous testing. Although it has a demonstrated potential to lower skin temperature, which aids in burn recovery, it has no impact on scarring.
Coconut butter
The cocoa bean is the source of cocoa butter, a vegetable fat with a cream color. It is frequently used as an ingredient in moisturizers due to its silky, smooth feel and capacity to melt when applied to the skin. It can efficiently hydrate skin and contains antioxidants, however, it is unlikely to lessen the visibility of scars.
According to a significant research trial, cocoa butter had no advantage over a placebo cream in terms of preventing stretchmarks in expectant mothers.
Rosehip oil
Due to their antioxidant properties and phytochemical makeup, the essential oils extracted from rosehips have significant medicinal potential. Fatty acids and ascorbic acid are some of these phytochemicals.
According to research, applying rosehip oil twice daily for 12 weeks to a fresh scar may help it look better in the end.
Scar treatments available without a prescription
Retinol creams
Clinical studies have shown that the potent vitamin A derivative retinol increases the formation of collagen. More than 90% of participants in a trial examining the combined benefits of retinol and glycolic acid on acne scars reported improvements, according to the researchers.
Every night before bed, apply a retinol cream to your scar to help the area’s significantly deficient collagen production. You can start with an every-other-day schedule if you find it to be too annoying. This Roc wrinkle cream has both glycolic acid and retinol.
Exfoliants
Old skin cells are removed during exfoliation to reveal fresher, more attractive skin. The pigmented or tough skin around a scar may be partially removed by exfoliation. Exfoliation comes in two flavors: mechanical and chemical.
Scrubs for the body and face, brushes, and other instruments are examples of mechanical exfoliants. Every three days, apply them straight on your scar in a circular motion. Lotions are called chemical exfoliants to cause a minor chemical reaction to exfoliate the epidermis. As often as instructed by the directions, directly apply them to your scar.
Creams for removing scars
Various combinations of components included in over-the-counter (OTC) scar reduction treatments are believed to help prevent scars or lessen their appearance. Despite the paucity of clinical proof, many people believe them to be beneficial.
Your choice of product will depend on how recent the scar is. Check out this Mederma product, which may be used to treat both recent and ancient scars.
Professional scar treatment
Punch excision and amputation
In cases where all other methods of scar removal have failed, scar excisions are an alternative. A scalpel or a punch instrument is used by your doctor to surgically remove the scar tissue while you are sedated. The area will then be cleaned up. The greatest candidates for this treatment are deep, pitted, sunken scars. Additionally, you will exchange a crater-like pockmark for a fresh, maybe more appealing linear scar. This scar, nevertheless, will always be there.
Fillers
Depressed or sunken scars can be given shape again with soft tissue fillers. To lessen the look of the scar, soft tissue fillers like hyaluronic acid and fat can be injected directly into it. These therapies are only effective for roughly six months.
Microneedling
A tool resembling a rolling pin coated in extremely tiny needles is used in the relatively new treatment of micro-needling. Your doctor presses firmly on the tool as he spins it back and forth after injecting anesthesia into your face. There may be a little bleeding.
Microneedling causes the skin to look smoother and increases collagen synthesis. It might be necessary to repeat the process numerous times. The results won’t start to show for a few months.
Microdermabrasion
In the procedure known as microdermabrasion, the top layer of skin is removed using a fast-revolving brush. It is less deep than dermabrasion, which allows for skin remodeling by penetrating the tissue more thoroughly. Both therapies are quite successful at removing scars.
Dermabrasion can substantially enhance the appearance of deep scars and totally erase superficial scars.
Chemical peels
Chemical peels are another method for resurfacing the epidermis. A strong acid is applied to the skin, destroying the top layer and enhancing the appearance of deep scars.
In the doctor’s office, a rapid light peel can be performed with no recovery period. The recovery time for a medium peel in a doctor’s office could be several weeks.
Deep chemical peels are more complicated operations that frequently call for anesthesia and months of recovery.
You could need one gentle peel every week for a few weeks straight in order to show improvements in your scars. Spread out medium peels more apart.
Though it won’t produce the same effects as a professional peel, you can also choose to perform a chemical peel at home. See our instructions for performing chemical peels at home.
Skin transplants
A skin transplant is a surgery that is frequently used to treat severe and extensive scars, such as those left behind by burns, operations, or other trauma.
But significant facial scarring can potentially be made to look better with skin grafts. In a skin graft, donor skin is taken from another area of your body and applied directly to the scar.
Resurfacing with laser
One of the most popular professional scar treatments is laser therapy. It can lighten scar color, enhance depressed chickenpox scars, and diminish the look of existing scars.
Ablative and nonablative laser resurfacing are two of the different varieties available, with the former being slightly more intrusive than the latter.
Laser procedures can be completed as outpatient procedures and typically don’t call for anesthesia. Before starting the light therapy, your doctor will apply a topical local anesthetic to the affected area. A 15-minute to two-hour treatment is possible.
How to avoid scarring from chicken pox
There are various things you can take to avoid scarring if you or your child currently has chickenpox, including the following:
- Steer clear of scratching whenever possible.
- Put on mittens or oven mitts to avoid scratching your skin.
- Apply a calming lotion with a dab or a pat. The ideal lotion has both aloe vera and cocoa butter.
- Apply calamine lotion or another itch-relieving treatment immediately to the blisters.
- Have a refreshing oatmeal bath.
- Consider taking an antihistamine like Benadryl.
Of course, avoiding chickenpox infection is the greatest approach to preventing chickenpox scarring. Vaccinate kids against the same virus that causes chickenpox and older individuals against shingles.