How to Reduce Eczema Scars: Top Treatments and Tips

Eczema, a chronic skin condition, is often triggered by allergic reactions or environmental irritants, leading to dryness, irritation, itching, and inflammation of the affected areas. Eczema-prone skin becomes damaged due to chronic scratching and inflammation that may alter the skin’s shape and color. This dermatological condition cannot be cured, but its flare-ups can be managed through some approaches.

What causes this skin condition and how to reduce eczema scars effectively?

Typical Eczema Scars

The following are the typical kinds you may come across:

Hyperpigmentation: A study about skin pigment and eczema (Lambert, 2021) indicates that hyperpigmentation manifests dark spots after flare-ups; lighter skin shows pink/red, or darker skin shows brown/purple/gray.
Lichenification: Thick, rough skin develops due to frequent scratching, often appearing dark pink or gray.
Pityriasis Alba: According to research (Givler et al., 2020), Pityriasis Alba appears as light, scaly patches, particularly evident on darker skin.
Hypertrophic and Keloid Scars: These include scratching-induced raised and itchy scars. Kwon et al. (2021) determined that keloids are more prevalent and bigger in darker skin types.

What Factors Influence Your Scarring?

Scarring can result from various influences. Here’s what to consider.

Changes in pigmentation: Skin color plays a role. It’s often easier to spot eczema on lighter skin, leading to quicker treatment. Symptoms may take longer to recognize in darker skin, possibly resulting in more severe scarring.
Skin picking or scratching: Excessive scratching and itching can aggravate eczema and cause damage to the skin barrier. Open wounds from scratching may get infected, leading to a higher risk of scarring.

How to Reduce Eczema Scars: 6 Practical Home Treatments

With these simple but practical tips, you can remove your eczema scars at home and get expert aid. Always seek the counsel of your healthcare practitioner for specific guidance.

1. Stop Scratching

Scratching can harm your skin barrier and exacerbate scars. You may lessen itching and stop more damage by keeping your skin hydrated with products such as moisturizers and emollients, while also avoiding irritants.

2. Take An Oatmeal Bath

Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties found in oatmeal help calm the skin. Oat-based baths are soothing and can improve skin health.

Soaking in an oatmeal bath for 5–10 minutes daily can soothe your skin and reduce scars. Lotions containing oats can provide additional skin-soothing and calming benefits.

3. Apply Honey With Turmeric

Turmeric is recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties, and honey — especially Manuka honey — has notable healing properties. Honey can be applied directly to the affected areas, combined with sugar for gentle exfoliation, or combined with turmeric for masking. Apply the mixture to your skin for 10 to 20 minutes and wash it off.

Before fully using honey, you should do a patch test on an unaffected area of your skin to see if redness or irritation occurs. People with allergies to honey or bee venom should discuss this with their doctor before using honey. People with severe pollen allergies may react to raw honey.

Sugar scrubs could further exacerbate these conditions. Talk to a dermatologist if you experience any side effects after using a sugar scrub that fail to improve after a few days. You should also avoid sugar scrubs if you have sensitive skin, eczema, or any inflammatory skin condition.

4. Use Hemp Seed Oil

Hemp seed oil contains anti-inflammatory qualities and is high in vital fatty acids. It can support healthy skin and aid in reducing irritation. To improve absorption, use diluted hemp seed oil directly to the afflicted regions and massage gently.

5. Extract Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is known for its soothing and rejuvenating properties. It helps reduce scar appearance by raising the level of collagen in the skin. To achieve the best results, apply a fresh aloe vera gel to your skin and leave it until night.

6. Moisturize Regularly and Wear Sunscreen

The secret to maintaining your skin healthy is to keep it hydrated. Use humidifiers and drink a lot of water, especially under dry conditions. High SPF sunscreens can also protect skin from UV rays, minimizing scars, and promoting their gradual fading.

How to Reduce Eczema Scars: Professional Treatments

How to reduce eczema scars effectively? The following professional treatments offer valuable solutions.

1. Phototherapy

A treatment that involves exposing the rash to controlled amounts of natural or artificial light. Narrowband UVB phototherapy is a type of phototherapy that can reduce inflammation and itching.

2. Regular Facials

Gentle exfoliation, hydration, and skin repair through professional facials can support skin health and help manage chronic eczema symptoms.

3. Calcineurin Inhibitors

These prescription treatments help calm the immune response, reducing eczema symptoms and preventing scar formation.

4. Silicone Dioxide

For thicker or raised scars, silicone gels can help soften the skin. These are obtainable without a prescription but can cause inflammation in many cases.

Silicone dioxide can cause irritation or worsen eczema symptoms for some people. One study suggests that silica nanoparticles can lead to a low IgG/IgE ratio, which is a risk factor for atopic allergies. Another study suggests that orally ingesting small silica nanoparticles can worsen intestinal inflammation. Consult a dermatologist before using any medical products to ensure they are safe and suitable for your skin type.

If you're looking for alternatives to silicone, you can try products that contain ceramides, emollients or hyaluronic acid.

5. Laser Therapy

Laser procedures, including fractional CO2 lasers, are effective for treating overly light or dark scars. A recent study demonstrated the efficacy of fractional CO2 lasers in combination with topical treatments for eczema-related scars (Tang et al., 2023).

6. Chemical Peels

Glycolic and salicylic acids, commonly used in chemical peels, remove the outermost skin layer, helping to heal scars and improve skin texture. However, they may not be suitable for individuals with sensitive skin or conditions like eczema, as they can trigger flare-ups. According to a report on Pityriasis Alba, a skin disorder that is often considered a minor manifestation of atopic dermatitis, these acids are widely recognized in dermatology for their effectiveness in managing skin pigmentation issues (Givler et al., 2020).

Tips to Prevent Eczema Scars

Taking active steps to manage eczema symptoms before scarring begins is the most effective way to prevent eczema scars. Below are some useful methods:

Control inflammation: Use Phoilex’s non-steroid Active ReLeaf Spot Gel to relieve irritation caused by eczema instantly. With its exclusive blend of botanical compounds, Phyto-Active Blend™, this gel offers immediate relief from itchy skin, reduces redness, and strengthens your skin barrier. Plus, the ingredients are all carefully chosen to support the comfort and health of the skin, especially eczema.
Wear soft clothing: Choose breathable materials like cotton, silk, or bamboo instead of rough ones like wool or synthetics. You can read more about the best fabrics for eczema in our blog post here: Is Polyester Bad for Eczema? What You Need to Know.
Keep your nails short: If you scratch when itching happens, having short nails might help lessen the damage.
Dietary changes: Steer clear of foods that might aggravate eczema, such as dairy and gluten.
Use suitable skincare products: Select products that don’t contain dyes or fragrances since they are known to irritate sensitive skin. Check the ingredient list for ceramides to improve the skin barrier.
Stress management: Did you know that stress can trigger flare-ups? You can try yoga, meditation, or regular exercise to keep stress minimal. You can also consider Liverty Dynamic Drops, a daily tincture designed to support stress management from within.

Reduce Eczema Scars With Phoilex

Although you can minimize the appearance of eczema scars with professional treatments and home remedies, preventing them from forming in the first place and consulting a doctor about how to reduce eczema scars properly are the best approaches. Remember to choose gentle skincare options such as Phoilex’s line of products to calm and protect your skin effectively

References:

Givler, D. N., Basit, H., & Givler, A. (2020). Pityriasis Alba. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431061/
Kwon, H.-E., Ahn, H.-J., Jeong, S. J., & Shin, M. K. (2021). The increased prevalence of keloids in atopic dermatitis patients with allergic comorbidities: a nationwide retrospective cohort study. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-03164-4
Lambert, A. (2021, February 9). Skin pigmentation and eczema. National Eczema Society. https://eczema.org/information-and-advice/living-with-eczema/skin-pigmentation/
National Eczema Association. (2022, July 20). Ask the Ecz-perts: What can be done about dark spots left by eczema? National Eczema Association. https://nationaleczema.org/blog/ate-dark-spots/
National Eczema Society. (2020, February 11). Clothing and eczema. National Eczema Society. https://eczema.org/information-and-advice/triggers-for-eczema/clothing-and-eczema/
Nosrati, A., Afifi, L., Danesh, M. J., Lee, K., Yan, D., Beroukhim, K., Ahn, R., & Liao, W. (2017). Dietary modifications in atopic dermatitis: patient-reported outcomes. Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 28(6), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546634.2016.1278071
Tang, G., Chang, Y., Wu, H., Liang, X., Liu, Y., & Zhuo, F. (2023). Efficacy and Safety of Fractional CO2 Laser Combined with Halometasone Cream for Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Chronic Hand Eczema: A Prospective, Single-Center, Parallel-Group, Open-Label Randomized Trial. Dermatology and Therapy, 13(8), 1789–1799. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13555-023-00944-w