Does Honey Heal Scars?

The secret of my health is applying honey inside and oil outside.
-Democritus, who lived a life that was 109 years long.

Looking at scars often reminds us of the wounds that were inflicted in the past. These unsightly marks are most embarrassing when they occur on the facial area, as they attract negative attention. There is no escaping the unfriendly and weird stares, unless you decide to use the right treatment that heal scars.

Talking about treatment, topical application of honey is a cost-effective way to alleviate scarring.

Honey has a long history of use to treat a wide range of skin problems.

Its potent antibacterial power is what makes it an excellent choice for the treatment of wounds, such as burns, ulcers, bacterial infections (acne), and even scars that occur after the wounds heal. You don't have to spend money on expensive creams to get rid of scars if you have honey at your disposal. Now isn't that interesting?

Research has proven that honey not only helps accelerate the healing of wounds, burns, and skin infections, but can also substantially reduce the appearance of scars. The positive effects of honey on wounds have been reported in the International Journal of Lower Extremity Wounds.

The journal examined the outcome of 22 clinical trials, in which over 2,000 participants were treated with honey for wound infections. As honey speeds up regeneration of the skin cells, its application helped get rid of infection early, and considerably reduced the occurrence of scars.

Another study reported in the Annals of Burns and Fire Disasters, showed that honey is capable enough to heal burns faster than observed through conventional treatment. Moreover, out of 450 patients that were treated with honey, only around 30 showed scarring after the wound healed.

On the other hand, an equal number of patients that were given conventional therapy had around 90 patients left with scars. This clearly indicated that honey is more effective than conventional treatment when it comes to the healing and preventing scars.

The type of honey you use also plays a crucial role in healing scars. The ones that are available at the stores are heavily processed, and provide little help as far as the clearing of wounds and scars are concerned. The processing kills a wide range of beneficial compounds in honey, thereby reducing its medicinal value.

For improving cellular regeneration, and to ensure faster healing, one should use raw honey, as it is full of medicinal compounds. The essential enzymes in raw honey can work wonders to heal scars.

If you have facial scars, apply a honey mask daily, and let it remain for at least 20 minutes before finally washing it off. A honey mask made by squeezing half a lemon in 2 teaspoons of Active Manuka honey can be helpful to fade scars.

Many prefer to simply rub medicinal honey everyday on the affected part of the body, and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes before finally rinsing it off.

The key to prevent or minimize scarring is to apply the right product on the wound. Applying honey works to clear the wound with minimal scarring, if any.

The older the scar, the longer the time it takes to heal. So, one should immediately start using this natural remedy as soon as the scar is noticed after the wound heals. With honey, old scars may not disappear completely, but its daily application can certainly make them substantially less noticeable.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this story is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical professional.