Best treatment for scar?

Hi -- About a week ago I stumbled into a door-frame and got a pretty big gash on my forehead. I applied Neosporin daily, and the wound itself has healed pretty quickly. But there's a scar now that I'm nervous is going to be permanent. It's about an inch long, and vertical.

What's the best treatment for this? I've read various things about Aloe Vera, Cocoa Butter, and Vitamin E (though I've also read Vitamin E can make matters worse.)

And do you have any opinion with an over-the-counter product called Mederma?

If a prescription treatment would be best, getting an appointment with a dermatologist wouldn't be a problem. Thanks for your help!

[Jasmina Jankicevic, MD, MSc, CCRP]

Welcome to the Dermatology Expert Forum, and thank you for your questions.

Treating scars successfully is not an easy task. Ideal treatment is yet to come. One of reasons is the fact that not all scars are the same. So, therapeutic approach will vary too. Very often recommended are: silicone, vitamin E (as post-surgical care), pressure dressing, adhesive tape, and different herbal extracts (for example, onion, aloe vera, cocoa butter, etc.). Also available are intralesional medication (usually corticosteroids for hypertrophic and keloid scars), soft-tissue augmentation (different fillers for atrophic scars), laser applications, cryotherapy, and surgical scar revision.

Therefore, I encourage you to see a dermatologist, and not to postpone it because the sooner after injury a scar is properly treated the better prognosis.

Wishing You Optimal Health,
Dr. Jasmina Jankicevic