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Can Vitamin E Heal Scars?

Q. I think you have alarmed people unnecessarily with your thoughtless remarks on vitamin E. You said that applying vitamin E oil to scars did not help them heal faster. You should print a correction because pure vitamin E on incisions promotes healing.

A. When we find research demonstrating that putting vitamin E on wounds helps them heal without scarring, we will be prompt to write about it.

We found a review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (Dec. 2006) that stated “vitamin E has complex effects on wound healing,” and concluded, “the evidence that topical vitamin E alone improves the cosmetic appearance of scars is poor. It is also associated with a high incidence of contact dermatitis. The use of vitamin E should, therefore, be discouraged.”

If a person plans to use vitamin E oil on the skin, she should test it first on the inside of the forearm to make sure she will not react badly.

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About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
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