Chickenpox scars are unpleasant marks on the skin left by chickenpox. [1]
Chickenpox is a severe viral infection.
The main reason behind chicken pox is Varicella-zoster virus.
Children are the primary victims of chickenpox. It is often considered as a ‘childhood rite of passage.’ [1]
There are medical treatments such as excision, photo facial and dermabrasion to remove chickenpox marks.
But these are too costly and come with visible side effects.
It is worth considering some natural and safe home remedies for chickenpox scars. [2]
This article reviews some effective and evidence-based home remedies for chickenpox scars. Plus, you’ll get to know the symptoms and preventative measures for chickenpox and its scars.
Home Remedies for Chickenpox Scars
You can perform any of the following home remedies to reduce chickenpox scars on your skin.
1. Baking Soda
Baking soda is alkaline. It can exfoliate and balance the pH or acidity level of the skin [4].
During a chickenpox outbreak, you have the natural urge to scratch and pick at the blisters. This habit leads to the formation and growth of scars in the first place.
Baking soda does the extraordinary job of easing the itchiness of the scabs. Thus it prevents you from scratching them. Even in the case of formed scars, it can work as a natural cleansing agent.
Try this baking soda paste to get rid of chickenpox scars:
Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda with water and make a paste. Apply the paste to your scarred skin. Massage gently for 2-3 minutes. Allow it to dry. Wash off your skin with water. Repeat the process daily for quick results.
Read More: How to use Baking Soda for Constipation.
2. Coconut Water
Coconut water is a potent agent to deal with skin health issues. It is a storehouse of minerals, vitamins and essential nutrients. These natural components provide with nourishment of your skin.
It is rich in anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. These properties are lauric acid, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium [5].
The anti-inflammatory components may soothe and ease the irritation of your scabs. They also help to regulate cell growth and acidity level of the skin effectively. Daily use of coconut water can clear off the scar marks on your skin.
How to use coconut water for chickenpox scars:
Method 1: topical application
Make a solution mixing two glasses of coconut water and one glass of mildly warm water. Rinse your affected skin and scars with the solution for 15-20 minutes. Repeat the process thrice a week. You can also use a cotton ball to apply coconut water to the scars as well.
Method 2: Drink coconut water
Begin your day with a glass of coconut water on a daily basis.
Note: In case your blood pressure is low, consult an expert before drinking coconut water. It may lower your blood pressure levels.
Read More: Coconut Oil for Herpes: How Effective?
3. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice comes with vitamin C.
It is an essential vitamin that produces a skin-friendly protein called collagen. It makes the skin robust, resilient and flexible.
Lemon’s alpha hydroxy acid restores damaged skin. It is also a natural bleaching agent to fade the scars. [6]
Apply sunscreen before going outside if you use lemon juice treatments.
You can easily use lemon juice to reduce chickenpox scars:
Soak a cotton ball in the lemon juice. Apply the cotton ball onto your chicken pox scars. Wait for 10 minutes. Wash off using clean water
Note: Regular Use of lemon juice can make your skin photosensitive. So, don’t forget to apply sunscreen when you step out in the sun. In the case of sensitive skin, mix the lemon juice with water. [7]
Read More: Lemon Juice for Acne : 8 Simple Home Remedies
4. Oats
Oats may help lighten even the most stubborn chicken pox scars. Oat is a great moisturizer to hydrate your skin. It may reduce the redness of skin and heal skin discoloration.
There are various methods of using oats to heal your scarred skin.
You can try these simple methods to soothe chickenpox scars:
Method 1: cooked oats massage
Boil 2 cups of water. Add 1 cup raw oats in it. Cook until its pasty. Let it cool down. Massage the cooked oats like a paste into the scarred skin for few minutes. Leave it on the skin for 10 minutes. Rinse off with water. Repeat the process regularly to fade scars.
Method 2: Oats with yogurt and lemon juice
Grind raw oats into a fine powder. Mix 1 cup of powder with 3 tablespoons of yogurt and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Apply the solution to scars. Let it dry on your skin. Wash your skin with cold water. Repeat the process until your scars fade.
5. Vitamin E
Reset your diet with vegetables, fruits, and nuts that are rich in vitamin E to repair your damaged skin. Vitamin E comes with antioxidants and collagen. These properties may clean bacteria, reduce scars and hydrate your skin. [8]
Some natural source of vitamin E: almonds, spinach, papaya, avocado, etc.
Here’s the process of a homemade vitamin E cream to get rid of your chicken pox marks:
Mash a ripe avocado. Add 2 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of honey to the mash. Apply the cream to scars. Leave it on the skin for 15-20 minutes. Wash off with water. Repeat the process regularly.
6. Honey
Honey is a great skin moisturizer. The natural bleaching properties of honey may lighten the scar marks. So honey may make the scars less visible.
Its natural nutrients restore affected skin tissues. It does so by releasing oxygen from the red blood cells around the skin area. Honey removes the dead cells and boosts the healing process. [9]
Honey is one of the best natural agents that many prefer to get rid of chickenpox scars at home.
Learn how to make a mask using honey for chickenpox scars:
Mix 1 tablespoon of oats with an equal amount of water and stir it well until it turns into a soft paste. Add 1 tablespoon of honey to the paste and blend again. Apply the mixture to the scar affected area. Keep it on the skin for fifteen minutes. Wash with clean water.
Read More: Honey for Sore Throat: Good or Bad?
7. Papaya Scrub
Papaya consists of unique papain enzyme. It exfoliates the skin off the dead and the discolored skin cells caused by scars.
Papaya is a hydrating agent for your skin because it’s low in sodium content. It also contains vitamin C and hence collagen to repair your skin tissues. [10]
Simple papaya scrub remedy for chickenpox scars:
Mix 5 tablespoons of brown sugar with 5 tablespoons of milk and blend it properly. Add 1 cup of papaya pulp to the solution of milk and sugar. Blend well. Wash the chicken pox-scarred skin with water and mild soap. Apply the papaya scrub right onto your skin. Give 15-20 minutes process time. Wash off with water.
8. Coconut Oil
The coconut oil at your home is more than just a hair oil. Its medium chain fatty acids can hydrate the skin and boost collagen production. [11]
This oil may generate new blood vessels in the scar affected areas quicker than other natural remedies.
Here’s how you may use coconut oil to treat your chickenpox scars:
Pour extra virgin coconut oil into your palms. Apply the oil directly onto your scars. Massage gently and allow the skin to absorb the oil. Repeat the process 3 or 4 times a day.
Read More: 11 Reasons to Use Coconut Oil for Sunburn
9. Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe Vera has the reputation of being a potent herbal remedy for skin and hair.
It is full of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. The soothing and cooling nature of Aloe Vera can ease the irritation of the chicken pox affected skin. [12]
This great moisturizer promotes collagen to regenerate new skin tissues in scarred areas.
Use Aloe Vera gel to soothe scars:
Slice open a fresh Aloe Vera leaf and extract the gel. Apply it on the pox-scars. Gently massage for 2-3 minutes. Leave it to dry until the skin feels tight. Wash it away with water. Repeat the process 3-4 times daily.
Read More: Aloe Vera Gel for Acne: 12 Sure-Fire Ways to Cure Acne
10. Cocoa Butter
Cocoa butter comes from cocoa seeds.
The concentrated fat of cocoa butter moisturizes the skin effectively. It’s rich in antioxidant. It prevents the formation of free radicals and promotes cell boosting.
Cocoa butter acts as a fantastic cleansing agent and refines your skin tone.
Since it can reach deep into the skin layers, it can keep the moisture for a long time. It repairs the damaged skin and makes marks less visible. [13]
How to use cocoa butter for chickenpox scars:
Apply cocoa butter to the affected area. Massage in a circular motion for 2-3 minutes. Repeat the process three times daily.
Read More: 15 Benefits of Cocoa Butter You Need to Know
11. Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender oil is well known for a host of therapeutic properties. [14]
The herbal oil is rich with antifungal and antiseptic properties. These components are good for curing skin infections, scars, and wounds.
It is an exceptional healing agent to regenerate new tissue cells on scarred areas.
It’s better to dilute the lavender oil with a carrier oil before using it directly onto our skin.
How you may use lavender oil for chickenpox scars:
Add 1-2 drops of lavender oil to one of the carrier oils (coconut or olive oil). Apply the oil solution to your pox-marks. Repeat 2 to 3 times daily.
Read More: 11 Health Benefits of Lavender Oil That You Should Know
12. Calendula Oil
Calendula essential oil comes from the calendula plant. The plant has a lot of medicinal values. [15]
Calendula comes with a fantastic healing power. It can help repair scar tissue and nourish your skin.
This essential oil is a vital ingredient in skin treatment. Because it’s rich in antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties.
Direction of using calendula oil to heal chickenpox scars:
Mix a few drops of calendula essential oil with a night cream and form a paste. Apply the paste directly to the scars of your skin. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Wipe off with cotton or clean cloth and pat dry.
Read More: 12 Health Benefits of Calendula Oil (#2 is Impressive)
13. Essential Oils Mix
A mixture of essential oils may be an excellent remedy if you want to get rid of those pesky scars.
These essential oils come with their unique properties. Both lavender and calendula essential oils are famous for their wound healing properties. [14, 15]
Rosemary oil acts as an antiseptic. While chamomile oil brings back the cell metabolism into the skin. [16, 17]
You can mix these oils with lactic acid, an essential component to exfoliate and illuminate skin. [18]
You can try this simple essential oils mix to soothe scars:
Mix a few drops of each of rosemary oil, calendula oil, lavender oil, chamomile oil with a few drops of lactic acid. Apply the mixture directly on face and body where you have scars. Gently massage the affected area.
Read More: 33 Best Essential Oils for Acne That You Should Try!
14. Sandalwood
Sandalwood powder is well-known for skin fairness.
People have been using sandalwood to nourish their skin since ancient time.
It may remove the scar and blemish from your pox affected skin. Especially red sandalwood has the power to improve your complexion and fade scars. [19]
Try this sandalwood paste to soothe scars:
Add 3 tablespoons of sandalwood powder with 3 tablespoons of raw honey or 2 tablespoons of rosewater. Blend them well. Cover your scarred skin with the paste. Let it dry on the skin. Wash off with water. Repeat the process three times daily.
15. Cucumber
We all know the importance of cucumbers in our lives for its numerous health benefits.
The juice of cucumbers can provide a fresh cooling effect on your irritated skin and ensure relief to it. It does wonders to the burning sensations that you may have because of chicken pox. [20]
This cooling veggie is high in water content. So it’s an excellent home remedy for chickenpox scars.
It helps reduce the swelling of the skin. Its potent antioxidants lighten pox scars and heal damaged skin. [21]
How to use cucumber for chickenpox scars:
Mix 2 tablespoons of cucumber juice with water and soak the cotton balls in it. Apply the mixture to your affected skin with the help of the soaked cotton balls. Leave it on your skin for fifteen minutes. Wash off with clean water. Repeat this remedy daily till you get your expected output.
Read More: 12 Benefits of Cucumber Water and how to make it
16. Scar Removal Cream
You can make your personalized scar removal cream at home by using various natural ingredients discussed above.
Following is a recipe for homemade scar removal cream that may heal your skin and diminish all scars.
Here’s how you can make scar removal cream:
Take a saucepan and pour 12 tablespoons of coconut oil and ½ cup of cocoa butter in it. Melt them in low heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of vitamin E oil and ½ tsp of lemon essential oil with the melted solution. As it cools down, it’ll thicken. Preserve it in a container. Use this cream on your scars three times a day.
Symptoms of Chickenpox
Itchy rashes and red blisters are common symptoms of chickenpox. You may experience fever, headache, and loss of appetite as well.
The classic chickenpox rash has three phases. [3]
After experiencing the initial symptoms for 2 to 3 days, the red or pink rashes begin to form all over your body.
During the next few days they transform into blisters; filled with fluid.
In the last phase, the blisters become crusty. The edgy layer falls off leaving unsightly marks on your skin.
Extra Tips for Controlling Chickenpox and its Scars
- Add vitamin K enriched food into your diet. For example: dairy products, tomatoes, green turnips, liver, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, etc.
- Avoid scratching the blisters and rashes
- Hydrate your skin by drinking a lot of water. [22]
- You can apply raw garlic paste on your scars to diminish them.
- To ease the itchiness of the pox blisters, you can have a neem water bath.
- Avoid sugar in your diet.
- A homemade cream with neem leaves powder, turmeric powder, and coconut oil may be useful to lighten scars. [23]
- Wash your face with mint juice.
- Consult a dermatologist in case of severe pain and irritation of pox blisters.
Bottom Line
All these home remedies for chickenpox scars may help you achieve your healthy skin like before. Apart from the scars, chickenpox might make you weak. So, don’t forget to have nutritious foods and plenty of water to gain strength.
Don’t forget to consult your doctor to avoid further complications.
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