Onion Extract May Reduce the Appearance of Scars

Once-daily application of a nonprescription onion extract gel (Mederma Advanced Scar Gel, Merz Pharmaceuticals, www.merz.com) softens and reduces the appearance of dermal scars, according to a study by Zoe Draelos, MD, et al, which appeared in the Journal of Clinical & Aesthetic Dermatology (June 2012). The randomized, controlled, single-blind study followed 44 adult subjects (male and female). Each of whom had two bilateral, 8mm seborrheic keratosis—one on the right and one on the left chest—surgically removed.
The subjects applied a nonprescription proprietary onion extract gel formulation to one scar, once daily for eight weeks. The second scar functioned as the control. The scars were photographed at two, four and eight weeks post surgery. The subjects rated the treated scars to be significantly softer than control scars (p=0.014) at two weeks. Both the investigator and the subjects rated “all appearance variables of the gel-applied scars to be significantly more improved from baseline than control scars (p=0.017 to p<0.01)” at four and eight weeks.