Onion Extract Gel Helps Scarring

HIGH POINT, N.C.— A study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology showed onion extract gel significantly improved the softness, redness, texture and global appearance of postsurgical scars (2008;7(2):101-04) (DOI: 10.1111/j.1473-2165.2008.00371.x). Sixty subjects with symmetrical seborrheic keratoses at least 8 mm in diameter on the right and left upper chest were enrolled. The lesions were removed with a scalpel shave, following local anesthesia with 2 percent lidocaine plus epinephrine. The surgical sites were allowed to heal for 2 to 3 weeks, at which time the subjects returned to the research center for randomization to either the onion gel treatment group or the no-treatment group. Forty-seven subjects in the active treatment group were further randomized as to the site of study product application. Thirteen control subjects applied nothing to either side. Subjects returned to the study center at weeks 2, 4, 6 and 10 for photography, subject evaluations and investigator assessments.