Does centella help scars?

What can centella actually do?

Centella also appears on skincare labels as cica, tiger grass or gotu kola, giving one plant enough aliases to complicate a perfectly ordinary shopping trip. It helps skin retain moisture and reduces inflammation, making it useful for dry or sensitive skin around a healed scar.1

Centella's potential scar benefits come from its effects on healing. Its active compounds influence collagen production, inflammation and the formation of new blood vessels. Human wound healing research is small: a systematic review included four clinical trials. Much of the wider research involves cells or animals, rather than people treating old scars.34

Helping an injury heal and changing an existing scar are different goals. Specific centella ointments and dressings have been tested on burns, including a dressing that also contained aloe vera. Those results are not a reason to expect an ordinary cica serum to produce the same outcome.4

Which type of scar are you treating?

• A flat or fine line scar often fades and flattens naturally. Centella can support hydration, but improvement over time is not necessarily an effect of the cream.
• A sunken acne scar, called an atrophic scar, is a depression in the skin. Do not rely on centella to fill it. Dermatologists use treatments such as lasers for some depressed acne scars.
• A raised scar that stays within the original wound is called a hypertrophic scar. Silicone gel or sheets can reduce its size, hardness and redness.
• A keloid grows beyond the original wound and usually does not flatten without treatment. Centella has promising experimental mechanisms, but a growing keloid needs assessment rather than a cosmetic trial.

How should you use centella for a scar?

1. 1Choose a product that stays on the skin, such as a cream, lotion or serum. Keep cosmetic scar care separate from treatment of an open wound or burn.
2. 2Test the product on your inner arm first. Wait at least 24 hours before using it more widely.
3. 3Follow the product's application directions. The wound healing research does not supply a reliable centella concentration, morning or evening schedule, or deadline for improving an established scar.
4. 4For scar massage, wait until the wound is fully healed. Use a water based cream a few times daily, for up to 10 minutes each time; massage does not require centella.
5. 5Keep the scar covered in sunlight for at least one year. Use broad spectrum SPF 30 or higher when clothing does not cover it.

What should you expect?

Most scars fade over time, sometimes taking two years or longer. Scar care aims to improve appearance rather than erase a scar, despite the appeal of an undo button. For raised scars, silicone sheets are used after the wound closes, every day, often for months.25

When should you stop or get help?

Centella allergy is uncommon but can cause burning or contact dermatitis, an inflamed skin reaction. Stop using the product if these develop. Ask your healthcare provider before using centella if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, or have a history of liver problems or skin cancer.1

Seek urgent medical advice if a scar becomes swollen, painful, warm or produces pus. Arrange an assessment if a scar bothers you or restricts movement. A scar like mark without a remembered injury needs prompt dermatologist assessment because skin cancer can resemble a scar.25