Mederma® - Does it Really Improve Scars?
Monday July 16, 2007
The active ingredient in Mederma is onion extract - not a compound you would think to put on a scar. Does Mederma live up to the advertisements? Find out more here.
The active ingredient in Mederma is onion extract - not a compound you would think to put on a scar. Does Mederma live up to the advertisements? Find out more here.Are your symptoms merely irritating, or could they be a sign of allergies? More >
The best way to treat a headache is to prevent it. Learn how. More >
©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.
All rights reserved.
Comments
I actually know someone who does use Onion skin to treat her , apparently this was shown to her on her on a previous trip to Thailand.
She swears it’s effective and doesn;t use anything else. With the results I have seen from her I wouldn’t be surprised if any Acne Products does use Onion extracts as Active ingredients.
I haven’t seen any ads and haven’t used Mederma specifically. But I have used a clone product called Hiruscar which contains the same Allium Cepa extract and am astounded how well it works even forgetting to apply it three times a day.
I used Mederma on my newly formed purplish stretch marks. I used the product 3-4 times a day for 3 months and my stretch marks diminished 90%. Say what every you want about the product but I would recommend it to anyone.
This description of Mederma’s effect and it’s comparison to petroleum jelly is inaccurate. Petroleum jelly is oil-based and yes it works by providing a moist environment for the skin to heal on its own (which is similar to using Neo-Poly-Bac or Neosporin which I occasionally use for small cuts) however it is messy – doesn’t rub into the skin, it just sits on top – and needs to be wrapped up under some sort of bandage or else it will get on your clothes (leaving a greasy mark) and just wipe off.
Mederma is a water-based product and rubs into the skin very quickly – there is no need to wrap it under a bandage it will not get on your clothes. I have only been using it for three days and already I see a reduction in the redness of my new surgery incision wound as well as my old scars and the skin has begun to peel – which is a good thing: the skin is renewing itself (it doesn’t hurt or feel uncomfortable at all). This is a physical reaction caused by the application of this product, it’s not a passive means of providing a more favorable environment for the body to repair itself.
I have read reports that some people are allergic to this product, whether it be the active ingredient or the vehicle I don’t know and it does seem to be the minority of people, other than that I would recommend using this product if you are self-concious about your scars even tho it is a little expensive ($18 for a small tube of less than one ounce).
I fell on face first on the curb and took off the top layer of my skin on forehead and nose. I bought mederma and used it and it works. you cant compare is to jelly. yes its expensive but it works. my forehead is 100% scar free and my nose is 95% scar free im still applying it on the nose and it still getting better.
Doesn’t work on the face. It just peels off.
I am 2 weeks post Breast lift and tummy tuck surgery and had drains and stitches removed after 7 days. Dr told me to immediately begin Mederma regimine of 3 times daily. Although it is a bit costly at the pharmacy, I was able to find it online alot cheaper.
I have been using it faithfully and have already,after 7 days of use,seen a dramatic decrease in redness of my incision scars and they are beginning to soften. The product actually feels great when applied and has a pleasant aroma. It does rub in well and it barely noticeable. I let it dry completely before redressing after application which doesn’t take but 2 or 3 minutes.
I highly recomend Mederma, and have a hard time believeing that simple patroleum jelly would have the same effect in the same anoutn of time as I have seen with the Mederma!
I had a small burn on my face that I treated with mederma. I was shocked to discover it not only prevented any scarring it also helped to dimish the small lines I had around my eyes. I love the results and would recommed it to everyone.
I haven’t used Merderma but want to use it on a fresh scar on my upper hand. I had surgery performed to remove an ugly scar. The surgery obviously has scarred me (it’s been 1 month since my surgery). Does anybody know when I can start using Merderma and DOES IT WORK and to what extent?
Thank you
I had knee surgery March 9th. I have a lot of scar tissue where my scar is, plus the scar doesn’t look all that good. I have been putting Neosporin on it as well as vitamin E and this of course has helped keep it moist, not dry. However, my physical therapist told me about Mederma. She had been hit by a flying skateboard right below the eye brow last summer and you can barely see a scar. Just seeing what Mederma did for her made me go out and buy it.
Me knee has been hurting at night when I bend it, kind of like the scar is splitting open, but it isn’t, I think it is just the scar tissue. I just started applying it yesterday and last night was the first night this didn’t happen to me, it is amazing because the pain from my scar literary would wake me up at night, now it doesn’t so I am really exciting about this and I’m going to tell everyone about it!
This stuff works fast. I started using about 4 days after the sutures on my foot were removed. It made an incredible difference almost immediately. I recommend it!
Has anyone tried Mederma on brown marks?
Mederma is really works to remove scar. I love it!!!!!
I just recently started using Mederma. I was a bit skeptical at first because it was a little pricey at such pharmacies as: CVS, WALGREENS, and such, ranging at a price of $29.99 for a 1.76 oz (50g). I have quite a few scars from work but the recent scar on my face is what cause me to go ahead and get this product. So far, it has worked pretty well. The scar on my face has dimished greatly. This product isn’t greasy and it rubs right into the skin easily.
To answer the previous question about if it works on brown spots or not, I’m not totally positive about that, but so far it is dimishing them little by little. I steadily using it at least 3 times a day. I would recommend this product to those who want to help decrease the appearance of their scars. It cost a lot, but if you want results, you have to pay for it.
This product works, even on skin of color. I’m a black female of fair complexion and I put this product on both old and new scars, and it worked just as advertised. I fell down some stairs at an event and scratched and bruised my knees. It cleared them up. I too was skeptical and it is pricey, but I guess you pay for what you get. Now I try to find new old scars just to see how long it takes for them to disappear. If someone is trying to convince you that this product doesn’t work, its probably because they’re trying to get you to buy the snake oil they’re selling.
I just got bitten in the face by my Akita. She was sleeping deeply and I laid my head on her chest cavity this startled her and she jerk her head forward and caught me in the nose area in several different places. I had stitches on two of the bites and the others are flesh wounds. I started using mederma about a week ago and they do look like they are getting smaller but I have not seen a significant change. I will continue to use it. I like what I have heard about the product so far.
My friend told me about me about mederma for strech marks. And I start using it for the first time yesterday and my dark stretch marks are lighting up very fast I am so happy now I cant wait until there gone
I want to thank mederma for removing 2 horrible looking scars for me..First I got poison ivy in the cease of my arm and it left a scar and then a rose bush thorn caught my leg and that scar was deep.They both are invisible now thanks to a good product. i definantly advise everyone to use the product
it works WELL.
I have acne scars from a hormonal imbalance during menopause. Does anyone know if Mederma will help clear these scars up?
I had a surgery in the back of my knee and it let me a very dark mark , does anyone knows if Mederma whould help?
I just had Skin Cancer removed from my nose by a process called Moh’s procedure and then had about 50 stitches to close the hole. I just learned of this product and I bought it at Target yesterday for $13.99. I am looking forward to seeing results. I will report back here with my findings, in case anyone else is interested.
Mederma WORKS!!! I just turned 30, and have been using Mederma for both old and new stretch marks for about a week and a half. My newest stretch marks are almost gone, and my old marks are fading and smoothing out so fast I can’t believe it! This was going to be the first year that I didn’t feel confident in my bikini, and after only a week and a half- WOW!!! I will continue using it, and I too noticed the peeling skin- which revealed new, healed, smooth skin, with no marks!!!
Oh, and also- for those who think petroleum jelly works to heal stretch marks? Not at ALL! Use Mederma- see for yourself! If you’re at all skeptical, you won’t be for long. Promise!
MEDERMA is a big waste of money. It does nothing for scars. I had a small scar on my arm from scratching myself trying to get something from underneath the seat of my car. I used MEDERMA and it just flaked on my skin and I got no results. I went to my dermatologist and he gave me a RX which I used and it cleared the problem in days. I’m a person of color, beware don’t waste your money…
First of all, I have been using maderma for almost months now, and I have not seen any improvements on the scar on my stomache. Mederam may work, but it defenitely does not work as quickly as these people say. I personally feel that some of these people work for mederma, and are marketing thier product mederma. I will keep on using it, and hopefully i will see improvements.
I have been using mederma for 15 days, but on my face it doesn’t show any sign of healing for my acne scars, on the other hand when ı use it, there isn’t any peeling, this situation shows that mederma doesn’t work on my face.
i haven’t used Mederma, but i was thinking about it. however, as a scientist, i was curious and i think i found my answer: a Harvard group recently published a study where there was no significant effect on scar improval between Mederma applied to half the scar and petroleum jelly applied to the other half. the study was a double-blinded, randomized study which means neither the clinician nor the patient knew which ointment was being added to which half of the scar, and where the patients who used mederma were picked at random from the patient population. that being said, another paper agrees that while Mederma is no miracle treatment, it MAY have an effect on the pathophysiology of collagen organization in the skin (which basically means that collagen fibers that help skin retain its suppleness and firmness may be affected by Mederma). Take home message? Mederma probably won’t work on your scars to remove them completely, but some improvement may be seen if your scar is a result of, or contains severe collagen damage.
does it work on early acne scars? this means that the scars are not permanent yet. it’s remodeling itself, like trying to get better. so my scars are just red dots on my face. it doesnt have too much damage into my skin. so i’m wondering if this will work for me? i’m 13 by the way! please answer! and thank you so much!
I tried this product on a scar on my face. I would say if it is a raised scar it will work much better. It seems to break down the scar tissue. However if it is a indented scar the just use vitamin E because Mederma will make it deeper and stretch out more. Don’t use it on your face if you have an indentation scar.
Ok i have used mederma on my faec before to help with a scar i got from a Ice burn and it did really seem to help that go away… but then I tried using it for ance spots like little dark spots here and there and it made my face very red and sploggy looking now i really hope it does not stay this way..becuase i put it over my proactive lotion and iam thinking it reacted with that so i will try it again and see if just using it by itself will work…but i am still wondering if it is as affecetive for acne scars or dark spots???
I had Moh’s (skin cancer) on my nose, and a plastic surgeon closed the site. Sandy made the comment she was going to start using this in June. Did you see results?
I have an indentation scar on my face from shaving and picking at the scab. Is there anything I can to to resolve this? Will Mederma do the trick or is there a prescription a dermatologist can give me?
I am a plastic surgeon and deal with scars on a daily basis. Here are the facts:
Scars take over a year to “mature” so talk of any product working over days is ridiculous. Mederma is expensive and in-effective. Save your money and use hand lotion or use a Silicone based product (also expensive, but at least they are proven to speed scar maturation somewhat). Another fact to consider is that all normal scars get better with time so any put on them that doesn’t hurt the skin with seem to make them better, but have NOTHING to do with the product placed on the skin.
I have more of a question. I have been using this product on a new small surgical scar after checking with my doctor, but whenever I rub it on it itches. The area does not get irritated or reddens in anyway. I was wondering if this is due to an allergic reaction or is it part of the way it works on a new scar?
My dog bit me (accidentally). I have applied Mederma twice in a 6 hour period (once the bite healed….the scab was still attached). I can already tell a difference in the appearance and the texture of the scar. I highly recommend this product!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Would it remove acne scars on brown skin?
I was in a car accident about 5 years ago and had over 100 stitches on my forehead. I bought Mederma, but I was never faithful about using it as often as they say. Well 5 years later I have been using it 4 times a day for about a month and a half and it’s worked wonderfully. I wish I would have stuck with it before! But even on older scars it’s amazing!
I still have a Keliod scar which is about 2 inches long and raised about half a centimeter on the side of my leg from a compound fracture I suffered about 10 years ago. This morning I purchased MEDERMA and applied it directly to the scar. It literally vanished before my eyes and you cannot even tell my bone punctured through the outside of my leg. Thanks MEDERMA!! Go buy some!!
There have been many cynical,laughable, debatable comments made here…I’ve got to agree with the writer on one thing here..it can’t make things worse!! I’ve had acne scars for nearly 5 years now…started using mederma 2 weeks ago…while it’s not a magic eraser..slowly but surely i noticed the darker areas clearing up…for what it’s worth it’l make the skin clearer…certainly not smoother…
I’ve had pretty bad acne scars for quite some time, and then I got ahold of Mederma. This stuff is amazing. I put it on about one or twice a day, and not apply so much that it’d become a facial mask.
Now, my face is clearing up from the scars, which I’m delighted about. ^_^
im frm malaysia…recently, three months ago, i saw an ad in the newspaper saying that mederma helps to heal scars..i was desperate to try it on my acne marks..they were not terrible but quite obvious to an extent..the first few days, i didn’t really see a difference..however, after a week, i saw changes..my marks were reduced and my face appeared brighter..everybody started noticing the difference…my marks are slowly fading and there’s only one advice from me: if you want results, which are not so damaging to the skin, please be patient and buy mederma product. Everything has a price to pay, and mederma works. Plus, its better than nothing.
Tips: apply it straight from the tube and massage the scar area with your fingers till they completely dry. If its not dry, u would feel itchiness and the product would be flaky and peel off.
Good LUCK!
i have a scar on my left cheek. actually my mom said that it happened because i put ice cream for a long time, when i was kid..so,does it effective in face??some body please help
I had wrist surgery a month ago. i went back today for a check up. the Doc suggested i get a scar cream and massage it on the scar because I was experiencing uncomfort at the scar site. he suggested Vitamin E and he just said a scar cream. So Super D suggested Mederma. At the price I was hoping it applied itself but i had to do it. I applied it twice today and massaged it in real well which didnt take long and within 8 hours its no longer sore and tender and actually feels as if the underlying tissue is breaking up. I plan on trying it on old scars soon. I would suggest to anyone to try it. Everybody is different but I know it is working for me
I recieved a facial injury about 4 years ago. It was between my nose & upper lip and took 17 stiches to close it up. My doctor advised Mederma almost imediatly. Today, unless you knew what happened you can’t see a thing!
its great….healed my brother in law burn face…and my daughter scar….
Does anyone know if all the ingredients are safe and are not cancer-causing as some brands don’t disclose? Any side affects, like liver damage, skin thinning?
This stuff is amazing. About ten days ago I burned my upper wrist/lower arm. It scabbed over and left an mark about an inch and a half long. Very dark, very noticeable. Extremely ugly. I have used Mederma for about four days, and the discoloration has almost completely disappeared. At same time, I started to use it on three other 1/2 inch penny shaped burns that I got while cooking about 35 years ago. One of the three is almost completely gone and the other two are dissappearing. And honestly, the new mark is disappearing so fast that I am literally watching it. For me, this stuff is amazing.
Another thing that works well is Abreva. I actually bought both products months ago because my daughter had a very long, highly visible scratch on her face that would have taken awhile to heal and I was really concerned about permanent damage. I bought both Abreva and Maderma because I was familiar with Abreva. (Abreva heals chapped lips good and fast.) We applied the Abreva several times a day and by the end of the first day the scar had completely healed. Didn’t leave any type of mark at all. I tried the Maderma this time because my scar was significantly worse than the one she had. Also my scar had scabbed over. Hers was a new scratch.
I just started using mederma on a very old scar on my wrist, I’m amazed that within TWO days it looks less raised and puffy, AMAZING! I am also using it on my daughter’s nose, her scar which was very red and large looks smaller and pink! This stuff is great! And it isn’t painful, half the time I can’t remember to use it and she does (she’s 5!) so if it was painful, I know she wouldn’t remind me!! hahaha
I would like to try this product myself, but would like to know which Mederma product to get; Mederma Gel or Mederma Cream? I have read everyones comment and I am willing to try this product to see if it would work for me as well. I can’t knock it until I tried it right? lol
Does Mederma works for brown spots on the legs? Does it help giving even tone ?
I’m planning to buy this product today. I accidentally burned my daughter’s face with a flat iron. It’s being almost a week and i’m so worry about she having the mark permanently. I’m just going to try no matter what the price is.
I can’t say how Mederma works on surgery and injury related scars, but I can attest that it works wonders on those red spot scars on the face from zits. From time to time I get small breakouts from eating the wrong foods, then I get these little zits, then I get the red dots which seem to last forever and require makeup foundation to cover. (which sometimes clogs the pores and leads to more zits, and this whole repeating cycle.) Mederma works really well in fading out the red spots, to the point where you won’t need makeup anymore to cover them. Like many people already noted the product is water-based, absorbs right in, smells good, and when you’re dealign with red spots on the face you only need a small amount, so the tube lasts for a long time. I’m one of those people who gets the itchy reaction though, like unbearably itchy, it can feel maddening like you just want to scratch it all off and go “AHHHH!”
haha BUT, I force myself to leave it on, and believe me it’s worth it. I’ll use it like every night for a week straight on the red dots, then what happens for me is the skin starts getting dry, white and peeling. But this is good….because afterwards the red dots are faded. Depending on how bright red the dots are I may have to go through another round of application. But again it’s worth it, because it’s so much better than having spots on the face and having to cover them with makeup, then getting more zits, and going through that whole cycle. This is one of the few times I’ve been impressed with a product and felt it was completely worth the slightly higher than average cost. If you have red zit dot scars on the face, get this product, it *will* fade them out.
My plastic surgeon recommended Mederma after a facial surgery I had. I was told not to use it on the fresh incision, to wait until the incision had healed closed and formed a scar. (She suggested that putting anything on an unhealed incision could make it worse.) Then, to apply it as instructed on the package. I followed her directions and after a few months, the scar is virtually invisible! I would recommend it, but know that any of these types of products need to be used correctly for the best effect.
i found this comments section when i googled “does mederma work” because i recently used it (still am) and wondered if what i experienced was unusual.
i was out gardening about a week and half ago and ran my left arm up against a sharp shrub branch. i’m 61, post menopausal. the skin on my arms is getting to be paper thin and it scars easily.
you can imagine how i felt when i realized i’d just made a six inch gash along my forearm – it bled, looked nasty, hurt, and within a day or so formed a jagged kind of scab, deep in some places, shallow in others. i was upset because i knew this would leave me with an ugly scar. and i’d not had scabs like that since i was a kid.
i kept it clean and didn’t bother with it – no iodine or the like. it hurt, the scabs looked just awful, so i went to the drugstore in hopes of finding some scar softener or something. i’d remembered mederma but never tried it. was upset it cost so much, but bought it anyway.
i personally didn’t iike the smell, but began applying it gingerly to the scab area. again, this thing is about six inches long. i truly didn’t expect much. i was hoping, sure!
well, a couple of days of applying this product an odd thing happened – the scabs began to fall off without any prodding on my part (you know, the picking thing that we did as a kids…) at first it was just a little and then within a few hours all the scabs fell off and a smooth reddish scar was revealed beneath it.
there was absolutely no pain involved with this at all, when in the days before it still hurt to the touch, and i was afraid it was infected. it had been red all around the outside of the scabs at that point.
but now – it looks and feels pretty darn good.
i have no idea if vaseline would have done the same thing – maybe it would have? all i know is i’d never had a scab come off so nicely.
i’ve continued to apply the mederma and all i can say is the area is far less inflamed than previously, doesn’t hurt, appears to be “smooth,” and is well on its way to healing.
whether this is just because it’s supposed to with the passage of a few days, i don’t know. all i know is within the few days of applying the mederma i had noticeable changes in the healing process.
i’ve got my fingers crossed that i will not be left with a long white scar (which is what happens now when i scar my arms at my hormone-deprived age!).
i’m not saying i’ve had a magical healing or a cure or whatever – i’m just saying that i’m surprised there was some sort of quick healing process involved with using this product.
to me, whatever happened, happened pretty quickly – and if it can make the redness go away, and remain as smooth as it is now, then i think i’ll have to be added to the others here who said it worked for them.
we’ll see!
Just curious, if Mederma is worth my money… I have a scar on my neck from a Tracheotomy I had done over 8 years ago after a car accident. I’m getting married next year, and granted I don’t notice the scar anymore. But I don’t necessarily want it to be the highlight in all of my wedding pictures. Any suggestions would be helpful, whether it is to use Mederma or to try something else. Thanks
I used Mederma on extensive plastic surgery scars about 9 or 10 years ago when it was first on the market. My surgeon hadn’t even heard of it. I am very pale and scar horribly. It worked really great and he was astounded at how fast the scars seemed to fade. My family’s used it ever since then on surgery scars and it even works on old scars. I’m going to try it on my pregnancy stretch marks after I give birth. Maybe it hasn’t worked for some people. We’re all different, after all, and drugs always work better for some people than others. I found Mederma helpful and recommend you at least give it a try and be patient because it doesn’t work overnight, but it does work!
I compared the active ingredients in Mederma with those of a number of sunscreen products. The active ingredients of Coppertone Kids SPF 50 were closest to the ingredients in Mederma, both as to quantity and proportion. So if you want to see whether the active ingredients in Mederma actually work, try the Coppertone Kids SPF 50 at about 1/20th the cost.
Im 17 now and i have been living with misquito bite scars for all my life. Ive used many products but nothing seemed to work. Nw that im coming of age ice started to see how these little scars can affect my life so greatly. Ive done reseacrh on mederma but will it help delighten my old scars that i have. Someone please help.
You can afford a tummy tuck and breast lift, but you think mederma is expensive. WAH!!!
I had foot surgery in Nov2008. Since then I have been going to Physical Therapy 3 times a week and visiting my Podiatrist once a month. My incision healed up very well, but I was left with scar tissue pain. The last time I met with my doctor, he told me to try Mederma. I was a little hesitant about using a product that did not state anywhere on the package that it could help with scar tissue pain, but I bought it anyway. I have been using Mederma for 3 wks now and it is AMAZING. My daily pain has subsided considerably and the incision color has diminished greatly. I am very pleased with the results. I highly recommend this product.
I’m 19 years old and I have suffered from acne since Middle School, my acne is getting better but it left dark spots on my face and I really want to know if it really works…
it does work. i’m african american and medium toned. it has helped with my pink scar [where i burned my wrist] dramatically within 1-2 weeks. its a small new scar so that’s why i believe it worked so quickly. for older scars you would need to apply it over a longer period of time continuously 3-4 times. but it’s worth it!
it does work!
Anyone know if it would remove scar tissue from a tatoo?
could anyone please tell me if mederma has any side effects??
Hey Everyone… Many of you have asked if this product works on “brown spots.” No one has answered this question yet. About two years ago I got a sever sun burn. It has left me with a very large brown spot on my forehead. And smaller spots under my eyes, on my nose and above my lip. I can’t begin to tell you how much this disrupts my life. It’s all I see when I look in the mirror and it has been making me self-conscious for some time. I’ve tried the bleaching creams and saw a dermatologist who perscribed a bleaching cream that was the same as any over the counter cream. That didn’t work. So today I had a thought… What about Merderma? A scar is a discoloration in your pigmentation just like my brown spots. So I went to the store and purchased it. I too, thought it was a little pricey, but if one day I can look in the mirror and not be so disgusted by my face then I would spend one hundred dollars on it. So, today is day one. I’ll let keep you posted if it does actually work on these annoying “brown spots.”
hey guys,please tell me if this cream causes any side effects…i amcurious to know and if i feel it is safe then im plannin to use it on ma scar which was caused due to an accident when i was 8 years old…i am 20 now..guys please respond!!!!
guys…please tell me if this stuff causes any side effects..im damn curious to know..if i feel it is safe then im gonna try it out.. but i need ur help guys!! please post a comment pertaining to this question as soon as possible.
It is more than obvious that 90% of the comments are fake, and made by Mederma’s staff. It is ridiculous.