I think scars are for life. You can cosmetically revise it by surgery or otherwise. Again whether the ointments or gels would be of any help depends on whether it is a depressed or raised scar(i am not talking abt keloid, that's a diff story). For depressed scars no amount of ointment or gel would work. You have to go for a scar subcision and then the repair that ensues below to this new trauma helps to elevate and level the scar with the surrounding area to some degree. Dermabrasion only works for Ice pick scars of acne. There is a debate that because this method doesn't do anything to the scar per se but works by leveling the surrounding skin to the level of the scar, overtime it thins the skin and makes it more sensitive. As far as hypertrophic (raised) scars go, its easy to guess that any product which claims to have a benefit should be able to abrade the skin gently over a period of time (the downside is that it can cause thinning and discoloration of surrounding skin). Collagen rebuilding and all other bull crap that they claim is just that...bull crap This is an excerpt about Mederma from Wikipedia - Mederma is a topical product used to improve scar appearance. It is a gel based on an onion extract and produced by Merz Pharmaceuticals of Frankfurt, Germany. Mederma's marketing claims it can make scars "softer, smoother, and less noticeable". Generic versions are sold under the name Cepalin. One 2006 clinical trial found no statistically significant change in hypertrophic scar appearance from products of this type compared to the standard petrolatum emollient, while a 1999 pilot trial found an onion extract gel less effective than the petrolatum. In 2010 a 54-person trial funded by Merz found that an onion extract cream improved the appearance of stretch marks. Basic research and animal testing suggest the gel could be effective. A 1996 study into the therapeutic values of onion and garlic found that they may act as an anti-inflammatory and bacteriostatic and in 2002, researchers found that Mederma improved collagen organization after injury in rabbits. Active ingredient Allium cepa, the common onion, is the active content of Mederma. Onions contain a readily available and highly researched bioflavonoid with antihistamine and antiproliferative effects on both normal and malignant cells. Comments for or against are welcome ! (-:
