The Beauty Brains

The Right Brain’s Reply:

According to Merderma’s website, many doctors recommend their product. But we’re not convinced. Especially considering the article we found from the Dermatology Times which references a dermatologist’s study that indicates “There is no convincing evidence that it works. Additionally, it is extracted from onions, and fragrance is added to it. When fragrance is added, there is at least the possibility that the patient could develop an allergic contact dermatitis.” Hmmm. we didn’t realize the stuff comes from onions!

Beauty Brains Bottom Line:

But we suppose the bottom line is, depending on which doctor you want to believe, Mederma may or may not be worth a try. At least it’s easy to use and not that expensive.  Finally, if you’re interested in other types of scar treatments, the data we’ve seen indicates that silicone patches are effective. But even their effectiveness varies depending on the type and age of scar. What’s a gal to do??

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Susan`s Scar Situation:
I read a few of your very helpful tips on aol.com and I have a question. I have a scar on my thigh. I fell while rollerblading 6 years ago. I tried using bleach creams to make the scar less visible but it doesn’t work. It looks like I have 5 dark scratches. My question is if a laser will help remove the scar?

Please let me know if you can because I’m thinking about having this done in January by a dermatologist. I think my skin should not be tan right?

The Right Brain`s Reply
Hi Susan. Unfortunately, as you already found out, bleaching creams don’t work on scar tissue. You should get better results from a laser treatment, but to help you understand why we need to explain a little bit about scars.
According to the American Academy of Dermatologists there are two basic classes of scars: Atrophic scars (which are depressions in the skin, typically caused by an abrasion) and Keloid scars/hypertrophic scars (which are raised areas of hardened skin resulting from an overgrowth of tissue at the site of an injury).

Both types can be successfully treated with either CO2 or erbium:YAG lasers. These are just fancy technical terms to describe the different wavelengths of light the the devices use. Both lasers can smooth out scarred skin by vaporizing the uneven surface of the scar.

How well do they work? It depends; for younger skin the scar may be removed after a single treatment. Older skin may require additional treatments, not only on the scar itself but also on the surrounding skin to make it blend in better. Lasers can be combined with other treatments, such as dermabrasion, to give even better results.

If you`re hungry for more info about acne scars, pulsed dye lasers, and our personal favorite the Switched Q Laser, go read this from the AAD on scars.

Ok, now that you have the background you should talk to a dermatolgist. He or she can certainly advise you if laser therapy is suitable for your type of scar. Tanning probably won`t matter but again, ask your doctor before the procedure. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

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The Beauty Brain’s receive quite a few questions about how to get rid of scars. Unfortunately, in many cases, there is no effective treatment.

So, to make you feel better we thought we’d share this website that shows the scars of famous celebrities. It’s kind of catty, but in some weird way it feels good to see that the “Beautiful People” aren’t necessarily perfect. Hey, if Sharon Stone can be rich and famous with a scar around her neck that looks like she was almost hung to death, well then maybe the average woman won’t feel so bad about a little acne scar.

A big Beauty Brains thanks to Dr. Reese at Skinema for the pictures. If you want to see the Scars of Stars like Harrison Ford, Catherine Zeta Jones, and others, go check it out.

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R’s Got Scars:
I’m a poor English major with a small, but visible scar on my face that I’m desperate to eradicate. I’ve tried numerous over the counter creams to deal with it, and absolutely nothing has worked. Well, during a recent trip to the drug store, I noticed that Dr. Scholl’s Callus Removal Liquid has an active ingredient of 17% salicylic acid. I’m familiar with salicylic acid, and it’s exfoliant properties, and know that many people have seen their scars greatly reduced by regular chemical peels–involving such chemicals as BHA–so my question is this: might it be possible to utilize the Dr. Scholl’s Callus Removal Liquid as a localized chemical peel, just in the area of my scar, so as to get the sort of results that I’d otherwise have to pay significantly more moolah for to have done full-face?

The Right Brain Replies:

Having read your question, and after considerable consultation with the Left Brain, our professional scientific opinion is that you should switch your major to something where you can make more money. You’ll still have a scar but at least you won’t care as much!

Sorry, just kidding about all that. In all seriousness, we don’t think Dr. Scholl’s Callus remover will do much on scars. Sal Acid just isn’t strong enough to do much to tough scar tissue. That doesn’t mean you have to do a full face chemical peel, though, you can always ask your dermatologist about just doing a peel on the scar itself. Good luck!

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