My Accident

Two months ago I fell over something in the dark and hit my head on the corner of our wooden dresser. It cut deep, to the bone, and I had to get seven stitches, three of which were inside and four were on the outside. When the stitches were removed, there was a small scar just below the outside edge of my eyebrow, about 1/2" long.

Mederma on Epinions

I had saved prior epinions reviews on Mederma, and after re-reading them I decided to give it a try. I checked out internet drug stores, and prices were as high as $24.00, but I was lucky to find it at one of our local stores for $16.99. I felt it was expensive, but this was my face I was talking about, so I went ahead and purchased it.

Directions

First of all, Mederma is not to be used on an open wound, so I had to wait patiently for the cut to heal completely before I could apply the Mederma scar cream. The directions say to gently rub the gel into the scar several times a day. For new scars it should be done for 8 weeks, and older scars for a couple months. I was very diligent about applying the Mederma the 3 or 4 times a day, and initially I thought I saw some improvement. More on the results later.

What Makes Mederma Different?

Mederma, manufactured by the Merz Pharmaceutical Company, is a greaseless gel formulated with CEPALIN® (a botanical extract made of onions), that helps scars appear softer and smoother. It comes in a small 20 gram tube, (50 gram is also available) and has a blue cap and the word "Mederma" is in purple. It has very little odor, and is not at all offensive smelling.

The actual ingredients are:
Ingredients: Water (purified), PEG-4, onion (allium cepa) extract, xanthan gum, allantoin, fragrance, methylparaben, sorbic acid.

The gel is clear, and rubs easily into the skin. It takes only a very small dab to do the job, so one tube would last several months I would guess. The only thing that I didn't care for was that when it dried, it left a white flaky substance on my skin that I was always picking off. It simply looked like dry skin.

Precautions

Mederma is not to be used on an open wound, and care must be taken to avoid getting the gel into your eyes. The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) on this product says that "contact with the eyes may result in moderate irritation". They also state that if swallowed it may cause vomiting or nausea, so keep out of the reach of children.

Merz warns that itching may occur the first couple weeks, and if the user experiences severe itching or swelling to discontinue use and get medical attention.

Mederma is even safe for "very young children" - the company does not give an age however.

Mederma's Claims

While they admit that the scar may not totally fade away (even though the box shows an actual before and after photo of a woman where her scar did disappear), they still claim that their scar cream can help scars "appear" softer and smoother.

My Experience

As I stated, I was diligent about using Mederma several times a day, and after the first couple weeks I did think I saw some improvement. I was encouraged and continued to use the gel for the 8 weeks as suggested. I have finished my 8 week course, and my scar is still very visible. It is not any smoother that it was before. To be honest with you, I had high hopes that this product would do what it claimed to do, but unfortunately it didn't work for me.

Mederma claims that 74% of physicians recommend the product for their Post-op surgical patients, and that many
Dermatologist's and Plastic Surgeons have the 20 gram size available in their offices. Well, I just went with my husband to his dermatology appointment, and I asked the Dr. about Mederma. He had never heard of it, and he has been in business for 20 years and is one of the best skin Dr.'s in Anchorage. He recommended vitamin E, aloe vera gel, or the new silicone patches (which he gave me a brochure on.)

I am going to try the aloe vera and Vitamin E. I have two friends who had surgery and after using Vitamin E on their Dr.'s recommendation, their scars faded considerably. It is also much cheaper.

Mederma's Guarantee

I kept the box that the Mederma gel came in, just in case I wanted to return it and get my money back. Guess what, the address on the box was no help - it said it was manufactured in GERMANY. There was also no phone number to call. The store was kind enough to refund my money, and they were also surprised when they looked on the box for manufacturer information and found no helpful information.

Conclusion
I gave the Mederma scar cream a fair trial. It did not live up to it's claims, so I am forced to try other alternatives. What works for one person may not work for another, unfortunately I was not one of their success stories.

Recommended: No