Q. I’m a 4th grader working on a science project about applying vitamin E (topically) to scars. Is there any research proving that it heals scars faster if applied daily?
A. The idea that applying vitamin E oil to scars can make them heal faster has been circulating for decades. The little research that has been done does not support this claim, though.
In one study, patients were followed carefully after skin cancer surgery (Dermatologic Surgery, Apr. 1999). A moisturizing ointment (Aquaphor) containing vitamin E was applied to part of the scar while plain Aquaphor was applied to the other part. Neither patients nor physicians knew which ointment contained the vitamin E.
The scars treated with vitamin E did not heal faster. In fact, many looked worse. One third of the patients actually developed contact dermatitis (red rash) in response to vitamin E.
