Page 30 - Florida Sentinel 8-14-20

Health
Many different things cause trauma to the skin, ranging from injuries and accidents to skin conditions such as acne and eczema.
Treatments to get rid of scars on black skin can sometimes be a challenge, but with consistency and patience, it is possible to reduce the appearance of stubborn blemishes.
TYPES OF SCARS
There are several types of scarring that occurs after skin ex- posure to trauma:
Hypertrophic Scars – Raised and dark scars. Disappears in a certain amount of time but causes intense itching while this is used.
Atrophic Scars – Creates indentation or sunken marks. One example of this type of scarring is stretch marks.
Stretch Marks – A form of scarring on the skin with an off- color hue. They are caused by tearing of the dermis.
Bruises – A bruise is a common skin injury that results in a discoloration of the skin. Blood from damaged blood cells deep beneath the skin collects near the surface of the skin.
The following are natural remedies to get rid of all the above:
1. Egg Whites (specific to stretch marks).
It may sound a little icky, but supposedly the proteins in egg whites help your skin rejuvenate. Try putting the whites on your affected areas three times a day and hope- fully watch your stretch marks fade away.
2. Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter (specific to stretch marks).
Massaging cocoa butter or shea butter into your skin a couple of times a day will help moisturize dry skin and also help stretch marks to fade. And if you apply it throughout your pregnancy, you may have a better chance at warding off stretch marks in the first place.
3. Organic Raw Honey (especially high UMF factor manuka honey).
Rub onto scars twice daily. The antibacterial prop- erties in honey can help heal wounds and promote skin cell growth. With constant use, scars should fade. Using honey is not recommended if you have oily skin.
4. Lavendar Oil
Apply and massage di- rectly on scars to help fade. In time, it can completely eliminate them.
5. Flaxseed Oil
You can buy this oil at al- most any health food store. Rub the flaxseed oil on old and new scars a few times each day, including after you shower and again before going to bed.
6. Vitamin K
Apply as a cream topically to scars. Depending on the severity of your scars and skin type, you may see results in as little as a couple of weeks to a couple of months when used twice daily.
7. Olive Oil
Apply 100% extra virgin to scars at least twice a day. Within a week you should start to see scars and stretch marks starting to fade.
8. Castor Oil
Use with a plastic wrap and a heating pad. Note: Be sure to use only food grade plastic wrap that contains no bisphenol A, a dangerous substance found in many plastics. Rub plenty of castor oil on the scars and then wrap it with plastic wrap. Place a heating pad turned on as high a setting as you com- fortably stand and leave on for 20 to 25 minutes. You may see noticeable results in as little as a week or so.
9. Elevate The Bruised Area (for bruises)
Reduce blood flow to the area with gravity’s help. Lift- ing the bruised area so that it’s above your heart will pre- vent blood from pooling in the bruised area, and reduce discoloration.
For instance, if the bruise is on your leg, settle onto the couch and rest your leg on top of a few pillows. If your leg is even a few inches above your heart, you’re good.
If your arm is bruised, try to prop it up on an armrest or a few pillows, so that it’s at heart-level or above.
If your torso is bruised, you might be out of luck. Focus on icing the area in- stead.
Note: The key to natural lessening and elimination of scar tissue is persistence. Se- rious scars may take up to several months, but with per- sistent and consistent effort you should eventually see good results.
PAGE 14-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2020