Most people have a scar or two that they wish would just go away. Some people have used products to improve or reduce the scar?s appearance, while others have sought more drastic and invasive measures to get rid of the scars such as laser treatments, deep chemical peels, or painful dermabrasion. All of these medical treatments are very expensive, and all run the risk of causing additional scars even though they were intended to resurface of old ones.
As people age, many notice that small wounds, lacerations, and abrasions take longer to heal and leave darker, more prominent scars.
Why does this happen??
Consuming certain foods while the body is attempting to heal the would might be slowing down or even sabotaging the wound healing process; hence creating larger, darker scars that don’t seem to fade as quickly as ones gotten at a younger age. Even spending money on invasive medical treatments to get rid of scars is futile, since these procedures require their own healing processes.
According to Dr. Chrysopoulo, formulator of InviCible (product that reduces/improves the appearance of scars and dark spots) research has shown that certain nutrients play critical roles in wound healing, and that typical Western diets may not provide enough of them. If you suspect your diet does not have enough of the following nutrients, you should definitely consider taking adding them to your diet preferably via food sources over supplements so your body?s healing process can function at its while your scar is forming, and after.
Dr. Chrysopoulo recommends the following for wound healing and scar prevention:
? Protein ?breaks down into amino acids. L-Arginine and Glutamine are particularly important in wound healing. They can increase the amount of reparative collagen, help white blood cells and fight of bacterial infections. Plant sources of protein and amino acids are preferable over animal sources because they do not cause or increase inflammation in the body. Inflammation in the body will hinder its healing process. Try to add foods such as unprocessed and organic nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens, cauliflower, and summer squash to your diet.
? Vitamin C – is crucial for proper collagen production. Experts say that wound healing requires more Vitamin C than daily food intake normally provides. Eat lots of citrus fruits and drink freshly squeezed fruit juices.
? Vitamin B Complex ? speeds up wound healing, increases protein synthesis and the amount of repair cells at the site of the wound. It also prevents excessive inflammation. Vitamin B5 is particularly beneficial right after the wound occurs. Some good food sources of Vitamin B5 are wheat bran, wheat germ, barley, oats, nuts, eggs, and poultry.
? Vitamin A ? promotes tissue synthesis and enhances resistance to infection. Some great sources of Vitamin A are red, yellow, and orange vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, squash, and red/orange/yellow bell peppers.
? Zinc ? has reduced healing time after surgery by 43% in some cases. Zinc can also reduce inflammation and bacterial growth, whereas a deficiency can worsen the scar. Sea vegetables, pumpkin seeds, and spinach are some great plant food sources of zinc.
Other considerations??
Make sure you also eat enough foods that naturally contain omega-6 or omega-3 essential fatty acids (flax seeds or certain seafoods like salmon) and drink enough liquid. Some guidelines say that men should drink 13 eight-ounce cups and women 9 eight-ounce cups of water, juice or milk. Soup, fruit and vegetables factor into the total.
