What is scar formation and supplements for proper scar formation?
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Any trauma to the tissue is quickly sealed by clotting blood, and immune cells immediately migrate to the area to begin repair. This is all a natural part of the healing process. Repair cells called fibroblasts move to the cut region and begin to lay down strands of collagen, much like those found in normal tissue. Scar tissue is more organized than normal tissue, and most of the collagen strands are laid in line with one another, which results in the more dense and shiny tissue we know as a “scar”. This scar formation begins in the deepest layers of tissue and finishes at the surface
Collagen
Much like the rest of our tissue, scar tissue is made up mostly of collagen. The collagen laid down in scar tissue is mostly type I and type III collagen. These help to reinforce the tissue structure and hold the edges of the wound together again. Supplementation with collagen during the healing process can help to promote proper scar formation. For more information, please see our Collagen Type I & III article.
Vitamin C
Without sufficient vitamin C the body cannot complete scar formation. In fact, during the remodeling of scars, lack of vitamin C causes the scars to reopen because the body cannot form new tissue. This reopening of old scars is one of the symptoms of scurvy, the common name for vitamin C deficiency. For more information, please see our Vitamin C article. Topical creams, oils and ointments for scar reduction will also contain large amounts of vitamin C, as it has been shown in clinical trials to help promote the formation of less visible scars.
Minerals
There are a number of trace minerals that play an essential role in proper wound healing and scar formation. The most important are: zinc, copper and manganese. They are each involved in the signaling cascades that promote wound healing and the structural building blocks of the tissue itself. For more information on these minerals, please see our Zinc, Copper, and Manganese articles.
Calendula
After the initial scab has healed and fallen away from a new wound, creams containing calendula are often used to help promote a tightening and smoothing of the scar as it forms. This can help to speed healing and promote a less visible scar in future. For more information, please see our Calendula article. Be sure not to use calendula prior to complete closure of the wound, as it can cause the superficial layers of skin to heal too quickly, which can accidentally seal in a pocket of infection below.
Vitamin E
Topical Vitamin E has long been used to aid the treatment of new scars. Recent research has found that this may not be successful in up to 1/3rd of cases, and in some cases may actually cause hypertrophy of the scar. A large number of scar treatment creams and oils still contain vitamin E, and many still swear by its use. For more information, please see our Vitamin E article.