Having a mole removed isn't an uncommon procedure, but it can leave behind a scar that's distressing. Over-the-counter products designed to reduce the appearance of scars can be expensive. If you'd rather try an inexpensive product to reduce the appearance of your scar, read more.

Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter

Both shea butter and cocoa butter contain natural fats that soften skin and encourage the growth of collagen, which healthy skin needs. These products are especially helpful if you begin using them as soon as possible after the mole is removed. 

Shea butter and cocoa butter can commonly be found in drugstores, but they aren't usually kept with medicinal creams. Instead, they are often kept with skin lotions, or with ethnic hair care products.

Apply either type of butter four to six times per day and gently rub it into your skin. Do the same right before going to bed. 

Aspirin Paste

Aspirin tablets contain salicylic acid, which is the active ingredient found in many skin care products. It causes old skin cells to shed more rapidly, bringing new skin cells to the surface. That reduces the red, angry look of early scars. 

Break up 3 or 4 aspirin and then add a drop or two of water until you have a gritty paste. (Use baby aspirin, because they crumble easier.) Apply the paste to your scar and then gently rub it onto your skin. Leave it there for at least 20 minutes before you wash it off. 

Apply the mix twice a day: once in the morning and once before bed.

Green Tea

Green tea has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine for its wonderful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

As an antioxidant, green tea removes free radicals from the body to keep them from damaging healthy skin cells.

As an anti-inflammatory, green tea helps reduce the redness of a scar, leaving it less noticeable against the skin.

To make a green tea poultice, take the loose leaves of the tea and add a few drops of warm water to them. Mash both together, in order release the essential components of the tea, and create a thick paste.

Apply the paste to your scar 2 or 3 times a day, leaving it in place until it dries before you wash it off. If the position of the scar makes it possible, use a cotton gauze and medical tape to apply the poultice overnight.

Cucumber

Cucumber has been used for decades as a way to make skin softer and smoother. It also improves the color of skin. 

Cucumber also helps keep new scars from tightening and developing a "puckered" appearance.

Peel the cucumber, remove its seeds, and blend it. Add one beaten egg to the blended cucumber and mix the two together. The egg helps the cucumber hold together as a paste.

Apply the paste to the scar once a day, and let the paste sit until it dries. Wash it off with warm water.

With a little effort, you can drastically speed the healing of new scars, and reduce the appearance of old ones, without resorting to expensive creams. For any questions about your scar or any other dermatological concerns, contact Advanced Dermatology & Skin Cancer Specialists.