| For easy navigation, click on the links below, then the Back button on your browser to return to this list.
How I used castor oil on my scar |
I’ve been writing about castor oil a lot, mainly because I’ve had some wonderful results from it personally. Among other things, castor oil has aided in my recovery from PCOS and dissolved a painful calcium deposit on my heel. That it could do those things were amazing to me — it still is.
Sometimes though, I find myself reluctant to write about my own positive experiences because the extent of my successful healing can sound like I’m making it all up. I think part of it is because the “accepted” way of getting treatment for most of the modern Western world is to go to a doctor, take lots of pills (ALL of which are liver-toxic, by the way) or go for painful surgery (which may or may not make things worse). If you do these things, no one will question your sanity or your prudence.
This is despite the fact that most modern, accepted treatments are expensive, with possibly harmful side effects, may/may not even work, usually become ineffective when discontinued (which means you are chained for life), only seeks to treat the surface symptoms, and abandons even the pretense of healing as its aim. The last one makes me want to alternately cry and tear my hair out because it’s madness… unethical, even.
Meanwhile, the method of treatment I’m proposing (castor oil) is so simple, cheap and effective that many will write it off without even giving it a chance. After all, how can it work when it’s not expensive, painful and harmful to us, right? I know some might mock me or think me as simple-minded, or even worse, a scam artist…
The other day, someone asked me in the comments if I was writing about castor oil because I make money by selling it. I do not produce or sell castor oil on this site or anywhere else. I never have. All the ads on my article pages are contextual ads, not direct product ads. My first instinct when reading this commenter’s question was to feel somewhat hurt/indignant. But after a while, I ended up feeling quite grateful to the commenter as it gave me a chance to clarify an issue that I didn’t even know might cross some readers’ minds.
I seem to have rambled on a bit here… My point is, in the end, it really doesn’t matter what some choose to believe or disbelieve about castor oil. It only matters what I believe/experience/do/ultimately share with the world. I know my messages will go out to those who really need it. That to me is everything. And that is partly why I’ve decided to write this article. Hopefully, it will convince some people to open up their minds a little. Well, I can hope!
This article is quite different from my other ones. I’ve realised that while it’s one thing for me to TELL people about my experience with using castor oil, it’s quite something else when I can SHOW them. That’s right, I’m putting aside any self-consciousness I have and showing everyone my own before-and-after photos. Yeah!!! And here we go…
The story of how I healed my scar using castor oil
THE SHORT VERSION: I successfully healed a three-year old deep burn scar on my leg by using castor oil. Scroll down for photos galore. The end.
THE LONG VERSION: In 2007, I accidentally burned my leg on a hot motorcycle exhaust pipe. Yes, I lead a very exciting life. 🙂 The burn was on the inner calf of my right leg. My initial injury can be classified as a deep second-degree burn.
After the wound scabbed and peeled over a couple of weeks, the scarred skin that emerged was:
- almost completely hairless
- much less sensitive to touch than the normal, healthy skin around it. These mean the burn was deep and severe enough to have “killed” most of the hair follicles as well as some nerve endings.
- had a complete and “permanent” change in color. This was mostly hyper-pigmentation (darkening) mixed with a bit of hypo-pigmentation (loss of color), which is common in deep burns. The pigment change was dermal (reached the lower dermis layer of the skin, as opposed to the upper epidermis only), and deep enough that conventional lightening treatments such as hydroquinone could do nothing to change it.
- there was also a slight crescent-shaped depression close to the centre of the scar. I could feel the dip in my skin by touch alone.
In October 2009, I started using castor oil on my leg.
By June 2010 (9 months later), the scar was almost gone.
Amazingly, after this nine-month period:
- there was normal hair growth — I know the photos below don’t show the hair, but that’s only because I’d shaved my legs.
- my touch sensitivity returned — nerves I previously thought were dead and gone were revived back to life
- skin color/pigmentation returned to normal, blending in almost flawlessly with my surrounding skin. This was not something I expected at all since I have olive skin or Type IV skin
- the small depression had mostly filled in with healthy new tissue
In the most recent photo below (March 2011), you can still see a shadow of the scar on my calf. However, this was deliberate on my part — in August 2010, I decided to stop using castor oil on my leg. As strange as this may sound, I wanted a little bit of my scar to remain with me, because in my eyes, it had turned from a flaw into a reminder of my mind-opening journey.
You may read this article and imagine that the journey was a completely smooth, confident and happy one for me, but that isn’t the case at all. I had many ups and downs. During the first few months, I had many “downs”. There were days when I lost faith and thought about giving up. But as I discovered, all things change with time.
So yes, I want to keep a little bit of my scar with me. It’s a reminder of how far I’ve come and how much I’ve healed. Even now, everytime I look at it, I’d feel so very grateful for my healing and in awe of my body’s amazing transformation.
It truly makes me wonder what else is possible!
My method of using castor oil
How I used castor oil was easy — I kept it on my scar as much as I can. There were many days when I kept castor oil on my scar for almost 24 hours a day (excluding the breaks for showers).
During the day, I would massage castor oil into my scar. Sometimes I did this a few times a day. I learnt to carry a tiny travel bottle of castor oil with me to do this in the restroom at public places or at work.
At night, I would put a castor oil pack on my scar before going to bed. A castor oil pack is just a way to keep castor oil on the skin by wrapping it up. For my castor oil pack, I would slather the oil on my scar, cover it with cotton gauze, put more castor oil over that, and then wrap my calf up in cling film (plastic wrap) to keep it from staining my sheets. I then put on a long sock to make sure everything stayed on while I slept. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but I got it done very quickly, usually in less than a few minutes.
What I used
- I used only microwave-safe cling film that’s toxin-free, which seems to be fairly safe. It’s important to use toxin-free plastic if you’re putting on a castor oil pack. Castor oil is a very good solvent and can displace the chemicals and dyes in some plastics. Once displaced, these chemicals may be readily absorbed by the skin, leading to irritation (thanks to dollfaceluna for pointing this out to me!).
[UPDATE: I recently found something that might work even better than cling flim — silicone food wraps (sometimes called stretch lids/silicone lids). They’re stronger than cling film, clear, washable and maintain their shape (they don’t bunch up easily). And because they’re washable and reusable, they also save money and reduce waste. I bought a set and it’s very easy to cut them down to size. Most come in a few sizes, so you may not even need to cut them.]
- I used cotton gauze because it was cheap and disposable, but when I first started out, I was using cut cloth (basic unbleached cotton). Both are fine, but because castor oil will go rancid eventually, I’d need to wash/dry the cloth every few nights to keep it fresh. Eventually, I switched to cotton gauze that I bought at the pharmacy. Gauze was cheap, plentiful and disposable, so I didn’t need to wash it. It came in long strips so I cut them up into small squares for my use. If you decide to use cloth instead, here’s a tip: wash it out with baking soda. Baking soda gets castor oil out very well.
- The brands of castor oil I used were Home Health, Heritage and Now Foods (where to buy castor oil?). However, this shouldn’t matter. Any brand that’s hexane-free and cold-pressed will do (the oil should ideally be cold-pressed because it retains more nutrients this way — the cold-pressed oil extraction method is much gentler than conventional methods; for example, it uses no heat). Anyway, I couldn’t tell any difference in the quality between the brands I used. So don’t worry about brands so much, I made my own purchasing choices based on how large a bottle I could get for as low a price as possible, just because I go through a LOT of castor oil. 🙂
I used castor oil this way daily, but I also took breaks from it once in a while to let my skin rest. I found that my heavy usage of castor oil would sometimes “loosen” the skin on my scar, making it look a bit wrinkly. Kind of like the way skin would “prune up” when we stay in a bath too long. I wasn’t worried the first time I noticed this “loosening effect” because I somehow knew it was temporary. This probably happens because castor oil is a very good humectant and will put moisture into the skin. The breaks I took gave my skin a rest and then everything would tighten up again. This would be anywhere between a week to two weeks. I took as much time as my skin needed to tighten back up.
Just to be clear, this temporary loosening only happened because I was using castor oil very intensively on my scar (almost 24 hours/day and over many consecutive days). I’ve never gotten any such effect through normal usage of castor oil on other parts of my body or my face.
In the beginning, I worried that taking these breaks from my regimen would delay my healing. But when I saw that my scar was continuing to heal and progress regardless, I started to change my mind. I now believe these breaks were beneficial and possibly even crucial in healing my scar. I believe my skin was rebuilding itself more efficiently during the rest periods, while breaking down the scar tissue more actively during the “on” periods. But that’s just my personal opinion, I don’t exactly know how castor oil was able to do what it did for me, I only have my theories. (If you’re interested in finding out more on your own, google Edgar Cayce and castor oil. Edgar Cayce was a pioneer and advocate of castor oil use. )
Like I told a commenter (Matt), it’s a fairly intensive daily regimen, which was sometimes hard to keep up with. But then I started to see results… Slowly but surely, I saw my scar changing with my own eyes after a few months. This was the proof that kept me going when I would have otherwise given up.
How my scar changed
Everyone’s scars and skin injuries are different so it would make sense for us to heal differently. This was how my scar changed.
-
-
- The appearance of tiny light dots
-
After a few months, I started seeing many tiny, light-ish dots in my hyperpigmented scar. They were so tiny at first that I could only see them by looking closely under the bright light of a torch. Then the tiny dots grew large enough that I could see them in normal lighting.
These dots continued to expand and eventually started to join up with each other. I got very excited at that. Eventually, I had small patches of healed, unblemished skin within my scar, which I spent many minutes staring at and touching…. I was simply amazed at them.
-
-
- Hair growth (important for regeneration!)
-
At the same time, I started seeing short and very fine, light-colored hairs appear on my scar. At first, these hairs were almost colourless and looked “golden” under a light. Over time, they grew longer, thicker and darker, until they looked no different from the hair on the rest of my legs. I noticed that my scar started to show faster improvement after normal hair growth returned.
This is probably because hair growth and follicles are important in cell regeneration. You may be surprised by this, but stem cells — which turn into our skin cells and nerve cells and everything else — originate from our hair follicles (these stem cells also aid skin regeneration after an injury—read ‘Hair follicle stem cells – the hairy truth‘). Knowing that my follicles were important in healing my scar, I made sure not to harm them by waxing since this would pull them from the root. And yes, I admit that I even avoided shaving my scar most of the time just to be safe. Although in theory, shaving should not do much harm, and what harm it causes should be temporary at the most.
Basically, the changes in my scar came slowly and started out very small, but these little changes added up to a big one over nine months.
In fact, here’s another tip: if you’re trying to heal a scar with castor oil, take a good, clear photo of it now if you can. It would be useful for you to look at it and make comparisons after a few months just because it’s sometimes hard for us to see the changes in something that we look at everyday.
About the photos
It was awkward for me to take photos of my calf with my phone. The easiest way for me to take a good shot was to rest my right calf over my left thigh. I actually have tons of photos, these are only a few. What can I say… I’m a big geek and something of an amateur documenter. I’ve been journaling for many years now for my own nerdy pleasure. I never thought I would share these photos with anyone else, let alone publish them online for the whole world to see!
If you’re reading this and have a deep scar you wish to treat, I hope my photos and story give you some hope. 🙂
| Date | Photos (click to enlarge) | Details |
|---|---|---|
| May 2008 |  |
Taken with Sony Ericsson K770i Cybershot. Flash was OFF. You can clearly see the crescent-shaped depression in the middle. |
| May 2008 |  |
Taken with Sony Ericsson K770i Cybershot. Flash was ON. Compare with the photo above taken on the same occasion. The camera flash makes a big difference. |
| June 2010 |  |
Taken with Sony Ericsson Hazel (no timestamp feature available). Flash was OFF. |
| March 2011 |  |
Taken with Sony Ericsson Hazel (no timestamp feature available). Flash was OFF. |
| March 2011 |  |
Taken with Sony Ericsson Hazel (no timestamp feature available). Flash was ON. |
| March 2011 |  |
Another angle to give you some context. Taken with Sony Ericsson Hazel (no timestamp feature available). Flash was ON. |
Note: Thank you to the girl I saw at lunchtime today. She was walking ahead of me in a skirt and had the same burn scar I did, on the same place on her calf. I really, really wanted to ask her about it (motorcycle exhaust pipe, huh?). I wanted to roll up my pant leg, show her my calf and share with her what I did to heal it. But I didn’t. Eventhough I would have approached her with nothing but love and an enthusiastic desire to share/help, I thought there was a chance she would not have wanted my help at all or not in that setting (we were in a crowded place and she was not alone).
Afterwards, I wasn’t sure if I had made the right decision in not speaking to her. Sometimes, we fear too much and a golden moment in life might pass us by. I thought about how I could make things right somehow, and I came up with the idea of putting this article + some of my photos together. So this was all really inspired by her. Thank you!
For how long did u use castor oil before seeing those tiny dots on ur scar.
It took me about three months.
i’m a castor oil “addict” 😀 my hot oil burns healed without blistering & scarring within a week, applied on affected areas nightly only. i use it on my face nightly & in a daytime face oil blend (mixed with a carrier oil & other essential oils) my skin has regained it’s elasticity, breakout scars & pigmentation has faded & my eyelashes are thicker. 2 weeks of once daily application of castor oil on boil in my ear has cleared that problem up as well :)) i even slathered my son when he broke out in hives from head to toes — rashes vanished after 3 hours, itch dissipated immediately. i keep a buffer stock of 10 bottles at home as in my part of the world, it’s only sold in 150ml sizes.
Your comment is awesome 😀 thanks for sharing, nazlene.
p.s: I’m a self-professed addict, too!
Hello Samantha,
I am amazed by you story that im going to give this a go.Wow it was so emotional to read you brilliant story :).
I have dark pigmentation and small scars all over my face from making the mistake of using chemicals and over aggressive microdermabrasion since this time last year.My normal skin is really clear and milky .I used castor oil last night for the first time ,I mixed it with honey because I find it dies my skin out .is this normal ? and what can I do to not make it dry out ?My skin looks a bit rough this morning .Just wondering if this castor oil makes the problem area kinda worse looking before it gets better. ?I really want to keep this on for the year and hoping ut will work :). Can you please answer my question ? Thank you so much Samantha 🙂
Hi Orla
Since you’re using it on your face, castor oil might be uncomfortable since it’s so thick and heavy. Other natural oils like extra virgin coconut oil, olive oil or shea butter might feel better on your face. While I think castor oil is amazing at healing, when it comes to scarring, persistence seems to matter more.
So it might make sense for you to use something that feels good to you instead — it’ll be easier to keep up with it day in and day out. And many people have had good results with healing scars using those oils too, even Vitamin E oil.
If you still want to use castor oil, you can try using only a very small amount of it (a few drops) and rubbing it very well into the skin until it’s absorbed.
Castor oil did make my scar look temporarily worse at times, but I think it was part of the healing process. I’ve found that the body usually does its healing work from the “inside out”, or from the “bottom up” in the skin’s case, so there’s a lot going on beneath the surface that we can’t see. But the good news is that patience usually pays off. Instead of a quick fix that can often disappoint, it’ll be a full and complete healing. Your skin won’t just look good, but it’ll be healthy and strong.
Hope that helps.
Sam
wow 🙂 thank you sooooo much Samantha for answering 😀 😀 😀 .Since I last wrote to you I have been using the cold pressed pukka castor oil every night now, I use a mix of vit e oil,drop of castor and drop of raw honey and I have seen a difference 😀 , I know this will work if I apply every night , just good mental attitude and let the oils do their magic in time :). what do I have to lose 🙂 Thank you so much for your story and im so happy for you :).Isnt it just so amazing that we can share all this info through the internet from anywhere in the world 🙂 :)!! You convinced me that anything is possible for the skin 🙂 .Thanks xx
You’re very welcome 🙂 I wish you all the best, Orla.
hae!i bought an ideal castor oil made in nairobi wil it stil heal my scar!
Thank you Nazlene. Did you use the hexane free castor oil? I cannot get it in my country. What should I mix with the one I have?
It doesn’t state “hexane free” on bottle. The brand is “Lingam” which is a preferred brand in Malaysia. The local Indian community & Ayurvedic centres here uses it for weekly / religious oil baths & treatments. I use castor oil neat for eyebrows, eyelashes, eye area, on raised moles & scares. For the body I diluted castor oil with grapeseed oil (ratio 1:1) & added essential oils geranium rose & lavender. For the face, same formulation blended with vit E, evening primrose oil & argan oil. I have combination skin prone to hormonal breakouts which is responding well to oils 😀 it’s fun to research the properties of all the oils & experiment in one’s “apothecary”
I am 34 years old. When I was 1.5 years old i fell in a boiling rice pot. Most of the burn marked disappeared. But still some marks are there on my front right side abdomen & on my thigh. Can I use I castor oil on those marks to lighten skin colour.
I don’t see why not. Good luck!
thanks for your article…i have lots of very tiny warts on neck…i hope castor oil will work…thanks
Hello, thank you very much for your useful information. Please can you let me know after how long of using castor oil did the tiny dots appear? Also, what about if the hyper pigmentation is on the face aroud and under the eye – one cannot use a castor oil pack on that and I am not sure if just rubbing castor oil over the pgmented areas at night will work as many say that it is too thick to be absorbed into the skin and needs the heat to start a process that allow it to be absorbed into the skin. Will appreciate you help with this very mcu, thanks.
Hi
It took me about three months to see the dots. If it’s on your face, just rub it in several times a day and/or before going to bed at night (a castor oil pack isn’t necessary for everything, it’s just a helpful tool. It’s the oil and time that does the work).
Not sure where you got your info from about castor oil being too thick to be absorbed without heat. That’s simply not true from my experience… but people will say what they will, I suppose.
Better to try for yourself and see.
Best of luck!
Hi Samantha
Thanks so much for your response and again for your time and kindess in helping others through your experience. The world would be a better place if there were more considerate people like you. At least I have some hope about my skin that was once so clear and now so blemished with hyper pigmentation and not even the doctors know why – but they know its not hormonal!!! Thanks again Sam
You’re very welcome and thank you for your kind words. They put a smile on my face this morning 🙂
Can i use bleaching product on my scar along side the castor oil?
I wouldn’t recommend it, especially if the bleach cream contains harmful chemicals like hydroquinone, steroids or mercury. These creams are bad enough on their own, but combined with a deeply-penetrating oil like castor oil, it may cause even more harm to your health and skin.
Can i use castor oil 4 say 7 hours per day without heat and still have the same results? And would it be fast as someone who uses it for say 20 hours per day?
Hi..what great info I LIVE by castor oil…it has healed my ovaries from ruptured cysts… My breast by tearing away unhealthy tissue formation, I rub it on my lymphnodes when they are swollen…it shrinks next day…it has cleared my nasal passage due to bad sinuses, healed wax burns, scars, calcium dpsits in my lower back, rejected inflamation on my daughters eyes, dissolved daughter’s rash asap! Keeps my beautiful brown skin bump free and glowing(i do this every other day, alternating with vitamin E oil) decreased my moms arthritis in her hands because its an anti inflamatory. Not to mention rubbing it on mybelly to cleanse liver and great intestinal movements! Sorry, but its true!… Castor oil IS an ALL natural healer.
Hi Nea, your comment is awesome. Thanks for sharing!
My scar is on my legs. And i want to know if i can expose my legs whiles still using the castor oil without having any more discolouration?
Hi Ivy, I don’t see why not. Castor oil doesn’t make the skin sun-sensitive.
If you have oil on yor skin and you let the sun rays get to it doesn’t that cause hyperpigmintation?
Increased sun-sensitivity only occurs with some essential oils, not all oils. Most other oils like almond, coconut and castor oil do not lead to hyperpigmentation in the sun. The myth probably started with people thinking these oils can be used in place of sunscreen. While they can be very protective against harmful overexposure to sunlight, they do not prevent tanning or skin darkening.
Samantha, you have been like a hero to me. I’ve tried countless creams and things! I’ve tried this castor method and I know what you mean when you said after sometime you saw small light spots (speckled) and one day they fused together. I have experienced that. I had to stop the castor oil plan because I started to find the plastic was causing me to brake out BAD. so I started just rubbing a little castor oil on when I could remember, which slowed down my results alot . I have better plastic to use now that is safe to use. You should tell people to make sure to use food(fda appoved/test/i am unsure exactly what it is called) but plastic that doesnt leak chemical or harmful substance. But I really enjoyed your article, you inspired me. And you gave me hope and I could never thank you enough. I love you greatly one women to another. I’ve been taking photos and I would like to one day show you my documentary. But its been been a while since I broke away from castor oil. So when I get my process together I will show you.
Hi, your comment was so sweet — thank you! I’ve never been called someone’s hero before, seriously. 🙂
Also really glad that you’re seeing changes using castor oil. That’s awesome…
And appreciate you sharing the bit about the plastic. It hadn’t occurred to me that it could be a problem. I’d always used cling film—the kind used for wrapping up food and is microwave-safe, that seems to be safe (or at least I never broke out from that). I’ll update the article soon.
And yes, pls keep in touch. It’d be great to hear about your progress some more and to see your pictures!
Much love back <3
p.s: I've actually had a pretty horrible week at work (something my colleague said to me made me feel quite sad). You've no idea how much your comment means to me.
Sam
I want to try castor oil on my pitted acne scars. How do you recommend I go about it to prevent the loosening of the skin?
Hi Samantha,
Because of you I bought a huge jug of castor oil and am now massaging it into my burn scar twice a day. I have a very similar story.. Calf grazed the pipe of a scooter and left my skin seared with white flesh under. I think it was a deep second degree burn which healed in 3 painful weeks. Now my flesh is red (the scar is still pretty new) and multi pigmented. I see some small hairs so I’m hopeful that as time goes on, the castor oil will help it return to normal color. Thanks for your advice and I hope that you can advise me on the process. I’d like to keep in touch with updates here and there if that’s ok. Perhaps we can email?
Tina
Hi Tina, good luck on your journey. I’d love to hear your updates either here or by email (sam at skinverse dot com). Sorry to write it that way, I’m trying to thwart the spambots 🙂
Hi,
My Son is 1.6 months old . Two months ago a cup of hot tea fell on him accidentally. He suffered a lot . he was admitted in hospital for a week now his wound is all cured but with of multi color skin tone even in his face. i am very much broken after that incident, i am trying to do every thing to get my child so that he well be scar less. Now after reading this article i am trying castor oil massage for him. Hope he get well soon… Everybody please pray for me.
Hi Diana, I’m so sorry to hear about your baby. My thoughts are with you both.
Hi Samantha,
You mentioned that your scar had hypopigmented areas. Did it return to normal skin color? I have burn scars but are white. I wonder if castor oil would work too on this kind.
Hi CN, yes I regained normal coloring in my hypopigmentation as well. I think as the scar healed on a cellular level, everything also returned to their healthy state, not just hair and nerve cells, but the melanocytes as well.
Hi Samantha, I left a reply on your blog over a year ago, I have had marks on my both legs all my life and I have used everything without much help. I started using the castor oil and admittedly stopped because I felt like the results were slow, however I started back this year and I am going to continue. I am seeing improvements in my legs! The skin is loosening where the marks are, almost like they want to peel off, actually my legs are peeling or flaking but only where the marks are. I am convinced this is because the castor oil is working. I hope to continue my use more aggressively and share my testimony on how castor oil healed my scars. Thank you for giving me hope.
Hi Kia, you’re very welcome. I’m so glad you’re seeing improvements! And thanks for coming by again and sharing your update, I’m sure your comment will encourage others.
hii dear….
i read your blog… i recently met with an accident and lost some skin from my upper lips causing hair loss from my moustache .. i want to regain my hair growth .. i think your casteor oil method will help me in that
… are you sure it helps in hair regrowth from wounded skin .. ??
pls rply me soon and pls tell the brands of caster oil on which i can relay on ..
pls rply fast ..
thanks
Hi Rengi, all I can tell you is that it worked for me. You’ll have to try it yourself to know for sure.
Hi Samantha,
Can’t wait to try this on my little girl about 14 months ago now when she was 14 months old the same thing happened as Diana’s son. I feel your pain Diana – just awful isn’t it? I was so depressed about it, I barely spoke a word to anyone for a month afterwards, and I still struggle with it now. I only turned my back for a few seconds and I’m normally so sharp with these things..
She was only in casualty for a couple of hours and had morphine and was bandaged. She was really good. Got the side of her face and all across upper chest. Luckily the nurses said it was superficial. I put her in the shower immediately and doused her in freezing cold water with her clothes on as long as I thought i should (hypothermia and total panic on my part withstanding). Her face didn’t get it so bad and cleared after a week doing as much as I could for her. Her chest cleared up in various parts within about 6 weeks, apart from a patch maybe an inch or bit bigger on the upper right half chest. Sort of area a wide bra strap would cover. This bit blistered in the shower at the beginning and has remained stubborn now for over a year.
It’s white, wrinkled (as I keep it well moisturised anyway) and then around this over a slightly larger area she has had varying discolourations as the skin obviously renewed. This looks like it will be fine over time.
The white, wrinkled and slightly raised scar though is what I’m hoping to improve with castor oil.
Thanks so much Samantha for blogging this. I’ve also seen a girl who had just suffered an exhaust burn and it’s really nasty – so I’m really hopeful for my girl’s little patch. I really really hope that with this stuff in a couple of years time it will be even less noticeable, and I can put that awful day behind me.
Good luck also Diana, I’m sure we can both improve our kids skin with dedication and try not to beat yourself up too much, even though I know it’s hard. This stuff is cheap too, bonus!
Best Wishes and Merry Christmas to you all x
Hi Olivia, thanks very much for your comment! I’m very hopeful for both your and Diana’s babies. I truly believe if it worked so well for me, it’ll work well for others too (and especially as children tend to heal better than adults).
p.s: And I just wanted to say that I think you’re a good mother for thinking of your child and wanting to help her in any way you can. I guess most people take this for granted, but good mothers are not a given.
Happy Christmas to you too!
Sam
HI i clicked the link to see you before and after pics they weren’t there. Can you repost? Also how long did it take to get rid of the scar?
Hi divineubienne, thanks a lot for spotting that. There was some weird code that cut off half of the post. I’ve fixed it now, hopefully.
And to answer your question, it took me about nine months.
Thanks again!
I have deep pitted scars on my face. Can castor oil help me????
Hi rumeli, yes I believe it can help given time and patience. I had a pretty deep indentation in a burn scar on my leg and castor oil helped to fill it in with healthy tissue.
Hi,
I just want to thank you for making this post! I am giving this a try and hopefully in 9 months I see the same results as you have clearly showcased!
Thank you!!!!
You’re welcome and good luck! 😀
I’m from Philippines. Where can i buy “castor oil”? Thank you so much in advance for helping me.
Hi Cherry, see Where to buy castor oil
Hello..I av a scar on my leg but dey r white and hairless ..don’t know if casto oil will work for it ..if d whitish part can come bck to my normal colour
Hi =) Love this post. I have burn scars on both arms. I was wondering , do I need to have plastic wrap or stuff like that on ? Seen some youtube video saying to also use cotton flannel ect or heating pad. Can I apply castor oil and put some clothes on right away (tight or loose) or let it dry in to the skin a bit before getting my clothes on or can this fail the healing process or what I should call it. I often feel that i can smell the oil and it’s thick and after applying the oil before bed I feel like taking a shower when i wake up the next morning, or if I apply the oil in the morning and shower before bed. Do I need to apply the oil after the shower or is the hours in the day/night enough.
I use this one, is this one okay? https://www.ofdusa.com/products/ktc-castor-hair-oil_041-00068
Thank you for this post =)
Hi Mia,
It should work just as well as long as the oil penetrates your skin. You needn’t use plastic wrap if it’s not practical for you. I didn’t wrap my leg during the day (only at night when I slept). During the day while I was at work, I would rub in a bit of castor oil every so often when I went to the bathroom. If you only use a little (a drop or two) and rub it in well, you can avoid leaving too much excess oil, which can stain your clothes.
Don’t worry, you can apply the oil anytime of day. What seems to be more important is that the applications are consistent and frequent (and that you keep up with it for several months at least). If you want to increase your skin’s oil absorption, you can always exfoliate your skin a little with a loofah when you shower.
I’m not sure about that brand since there’s no info on the webpage about whether it’s cold-pressed or not. But I think you can still use it anyway and not worry too much. From what I’ve read, the type of oil may not matter so much. Many people have successfully healed their scars with natural oils like shea butter, coconut oil, Vitamin E oil and extra virgin olive oil. What they appear to have in common is that they didn’t give up. So if castor oil’s smell/consistency makes it a chore for you to use, you can always switch to a more agreeable natural oil.
Hope that helps 🙂
Sam
Thank you so much =) it helps alot =)
Hi, your results gave me hope! I have a question, have you tried to tan and noticed that the black color in the scar come back or that the hypopigmentation becomes visible again?
Hi laura, my results have been permanent. Neither the hypo- nor the hyper-pigmentation have returned over the years (even after going to the beach).
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Samantha,
Your post has really been helpful in me believing about castor oil for healing accident scars…I have scars on both my eyelids due to an accident 11 yrs back and have been using castor oil for a month now only during nights…i work during day time and hence cannot apply during that time…anyway the hyperpigmentation is slowly vanishing…but we need to have lot of patience with it i guess..:)So the whole healing process took you 9 months correct with applying the oil both times in a 24hr day?
Hi Varsha, I’m sorry to hear about your accident, but am glad that you’re seeing some early results from using castor oil 🙂 Yes, the whole process took me 9 months and patience is important (and having faith in the skin’s healing process also helps).
Good luck!
Sam
Hi Samantha,
My son,5 years old, he has a scar on his lower lips near the lip line. The scar tissue seems bumpy and the lip line is cut across. The scar has healed completely and I am worried as will the lip line will join back after the scar has healed completed. Will applying castor oil improve the scar as he ages. Thanks a lot!!
You’re welcome sairish and good luck 🙂
Hi Samantha,
So do you mean that the scar will improve with castor oil for such cases??
Dear Samantha,
Thank you so much for posting this article
I have hypergimentation on my face due to sunburn.it happened like this, I was using a peeling cream on my face and I went out without wearing sunblock and my face got burnt and left me with hypergimentation.
I want to know if I apply castor oil will it fade
the hypergimentation and return my skin color.
I have tried fade creams and steroids but did not get desired results
This happened like 14yrs ago
Thanks
Hi Grace, you’re very welcome. And yes, I believe with patience and consistent applications, castor oil can help fade the hyperpigmentation on your face.
You can also use extra virgin coconut oil if that feels more comfortable (as castor oil is quite thick). And if there was any damage from the steroid creams (they can thin the skin with prolonged use), castor or coconut oil can also help to heal your skin slowly.
Good luck!
Sam
Hi Sam,
Was really inspired reading your article. Btw I purchased the Palma christi castor oil and started using it on my 1 year old scar recently. It had just been the second day. It’s at the corner of my left eye slightly reddish and pigmented. Was using detmatix ultra silicone gel which was prescribed by my PS. Question: will the castor oil help improve my scar? Can u stop using the detmatix ultra. It’s my 2nd day using castor oil. Thx, btw, your calf looks soooo pretty now. I just love looking at the before and after photos seriously, dunno why though
Hi Samantha, thank you very much for posting this. I got 7 scars from just 1 accident last May. They ruined my legs and I cannot even wear shorts of skirts anymore. I started using castor oil and I can see that they are starting to lighten already! Thank you very much! Also, my boyfriend’s hair is getting thinner and thinner even if he is only 21, in just 2 weeks time, hair started to grow on parts of his head that used to be almost bald. Thank you for this!
Hi Ishi, wow that’s great! And you’re very welcome 🙂
Hi there,
Although my message is probably going to sound alot like everyone else’s I thought I should just add in my experience. But first, I’d just like to say a HUGE thank you for posting this. Months of using creams, gels etc. to no avail had put me in a pretty sad state of mind. Finding this post, I thought heck, I’d give it a try after so many failed attempts, it wouldn’t be a very big loss to me.
Anyway, on with my story. Exactly like you I got the burn off a motorcycle (stupidly rode it to a party while abroad) and got a rather serious burn. Because, I was away from home, I didn’t really take as much care as looking back I should have taken with it. So eventually, my scar became effected and I had to have daily treatment at the doctors.
In time, my scar like yours and others in the comments section healed and closed over, however I was left with a deep brown oval scar. Initially, because it was winter, I barely noticed the scar. Sure, I saw it when changing etc, but it didn’t bother me as much as when Summer arrived. Having to constantly where trousers and tights in the day and on nights out really got me down. People would always be like, why are you always wearing trousers and the likes. So, I tried everything. I was all but considering getting professional help when I saw your post, a light to my very horrible months.
I’ve been using castor oil for a month to two months now, and have seen some improvements. It’s got lighter, or perhaps I should say that on *some* days it has got lighter. The other days, it has even got darker sometimes, but on the whole, I think that it is improving. I’ll keep this post updated, because I guess it would be nice for others to see another ‘complete heal’ so to speak.
Finally, I would like to say thank you to Samantha. Seriously, if it wasn’t for your pictures and proof that it works, I would have given up. I really understand how much determination it takes to apply the oil daily, not knowing whether it is actually doing anything. (Oh and for the record to others, I applied it every day, at least twice a day, and all through the night.)
Thanks again,
Sorry for the long post, but I thought I should share with others. And good luck to you all!!!
Hi Dani,
Don’t apologise, I love reading about other people’s experiences with using castor oil — the longer the post, the better! 🙂
I’m really happy that it’s working for you. The patience is *definitely* worth it. And my scar had looked worse at times also, but I think that’s just the healing process (i.e. the skin breaking things down in order to rebuild/heal correctly).
p.s: Looking forward to your updates!
Sam
I have exactly the same scar on my leg, but mine is darker because I’m dark skinned, its so embarrasing to me. Ur post has given me a lot of hope. Thank u very much!
You’re very welcome Ella and good luck! 🙂
how would castor help for internal intestinal scar tissue problems?
Wow, this is such an inspiring post. To be honest, I probably would have just scoffed at this without the pictures haha. My scarring was caused by something completely different (acne cysts on my chin) but I was left with a similar type of scarring.
How long did it take before you started noticing hair regrowing in that area? Did you regrow most of the hair that was lost or only a small amount?
Hi Jun, it took me about a few months to start noticing the hair — about the same time as when I started noticing the light dots.
I regrew all of the hair that was initially lost from the burn. Or at least, from what I can see, the hair there doesn’t look any different from the hair on the rest of my legs.
Thanks for the quick reply 🙂
I had heard from some people that scar tissue kills off hair follicles and that my hair loss would likely be permanent. Do you think that your hair regrew because the damage wasn’t deep enough to destroy the hair follicle or because of some other reason?
Hi Jun
Everyone’s scars will be different. I can only tell you that my burn and resulting skin damage was very deep, and that for 2 years after I got my scar (before I tried castor oil), my scar didn’t change one bit. I would never have expected my own healing until it happened.
My advice — don’t give too much credence to naysayers/skeptics. Ask yourself this, how much have they accomplished in this world, really? If you want to try something, do it for yourself and have faith. Time will go by the same whether you do or not, so what do you have to lose?
Good luck!
Hi! thanks for sharing. I had my hemorroids operation like 10 years ago and lately they have been hurting too much. How much amda for how long should i take the castor oil to heal with the swallen.? I am almost 60 now. Can you take it for life?
Hi mirna, are you saying that you’re planning to ingest it? That might not be a good idea since ingesting too much castor oil can cause diarrhoea, which may cause you more pain.
I’d suggest only external applications of castor oil in your case. You don’t need to use too much, covering the area should be good enough. A castor oil pack while you sleep should help and make usage easier. Try using it for 2 weeks at least and for as long as you feel is necessary. It’s safe to use castor oil externally for life.
If you want to take something internally to help with the pain and swelling, I’d suggest a little bit of turmeric and/or ginger each day.
Hope that helps.
Sam
hello i have three big scares on my leg. i got them when i was about 11 now i am 23 i am in cameroon. i don’t know where to get castor oil. i fell embrace in public i can’t even put on shorts and i never participate in sports whiles in school.
Samantha due to your story i felt relief. i can wait to start the process
Hi mark
Don’t worry too much about getting castor oil, that’s just what I used. People have managed to fade their scars with other oils as well. You can try whatever is available and comfortable for you — olive oil, Vitamin E oil, shea butter, coconut oil etc.
There’s more than one path to getting where you want to go, and I think patience and persistence matters more.
Hope that helps and good luck!
Sam
Hi. Have had dark spots/marks for more than 17yrs now on my legs. Am 26. It has made me stop wearing shorts only pant or long gown.have tried everything, From dark spots removal,hydroquinione,lightening creams to fade them. Please what can I use. Am dark in complexion, from nigeria.
If it helps, I think castor oil (and other healing oils) will work for dark/black skin just as well. I have olive skin, which has more characteristics in common with black skin than caucasian/white skin, and castor oil has worked remarkably well for me.
I actually think natural oils are a much better option for us than harsh chemicals/peeling agents because those can at times lead to discolouration/depigmentation, which would be more obvious on brown/black skin, whereas oils are gentle and will return our skin cells back to their natural healthy state (the fading of spots or dark marks is actually just a by-product or “side effect” of this healing process).
How effective is castor oil. How long wil it take to notice it effect. And does it peel the skin? Finally please do you know anyone who has had great result using it on same issue as mine. Thanks
Hi linda,
Sorry for the late reply, I’ve been having some technical issues with this site (and lost quite a few of the more recent comments to the ether).
To answer your question — No, castor oil doesn’t peel the skin.
You should try it for at least a few months before deciding whether it’s working or not. Like I wrote in the article, it’s not a quick fix (like hydroquinone etc.)
But in my experience, it’s effective and that’s what matters. Good luck!
Sam
Hello Mam,
I found some pitted scars on my face and they are now growing. Is this Castor Oil also useful for these spots. My skin is oily and sensitive and I had the pimples problem also.
I recently had an injury on my eyebrow. About one centimeter wide abrassion on skin. Eyebrow hair are missing in that area. I am concerned if the follicles are damaged. But I have faith. I started using castor oil in that area today. Do you think I can regrow my eyebrows in that area? Thanks a lot.
Hi Nazia
Yes, with time and patience, I believe you can regrow hair there.
Good luck!
Sam
Thanks so much for your enlightments, love,patience,kindness and urgency you apply in answering questions, which you might have even used in making money for yourself,but chose not to do so. I pray that the almighty God will meet u too at the point of ur needs.
Please i am fair in complexion,and while i was in school,i used my roommate body cream(i guess that cream contains hydroquinone) which lightened my skin and caused some black patches on my toes and fingers(i don’t know if u get the picture of what i am saying?). This is sometimes very embarrassing to work on short even as a guy. So please i want to now,if castor oil can remove this black patches,and how do you advice that i use it.
Thanks so much for the great Job.
Hi, you can definitely try castor oil and see if it can help. You’d need to have patience and persistence though as I believe chemical damage from hydroquinone usually happens with long-term use, so healing would also take time (just as the damage happened over a long time).
Hi Samantha,thanx for sharing this.waz really inspired not to give up on the hot waterburn scar my little girl sustained that affected the whole of her trunk and abdomen.God bless u.i ve tried so many things but haven’t seen much change but I will try this castor oil and believe God that it will work for me.my question is if I can combine it with other oils like vit e oil,Shea butter,and coconut oil.
Hi Lovelyn, you’re very welcome 🙂
And yes, you can combine oils as you prefer. If castor oil doesn’t feel comfortable on your daughter’s skin, you can also just switch it with any of those other oils. In my opinion, it’s time and patience that matter more than the kind of oil used. Good luck!
Hi! I am wondering how long it took for you to see that castor oil was making a difference, as you said that some days it looked worse.
Also, what made you decide to use castor oil?
Hi Sugar
It took a few months for the tiny dots to appear.
I can’t remember now what it was exactly that made me choose to try castor oil on my scar in the first place, but I’d read up a lot about it beforehand — including Edgar Cayce material, which probably made the biggest impression on me. I’d also already had some experience with using castor oil to relieve menstrual cramps, and it got rid of my heel spurs for good.
I scraped my leg on a hot grill while cooking three months ago and stupidly didn’t run it under cold water, just left it to heal. Now I have a red indented scar that sounds similar to yours. I’ve been using bio oil and dermatix for the last month or so, but will be trying caster oil after reading your story. I will come back and let people know if it worked.
After two months I can already see an improvement, it’s lighter and much less indented. This may just be the natural healing process but I’m sure the oil helped. I’ll report back in another few months.
That’s really great, Sara 🙂 Thanks for coming back to share your update!
Hi Samantha is it safe to put castor oil on a vitiligo..i got vitiligo on my neck since i was in high cause of hena tattoo..is it possible to treat? It is almost 6 years and and i end up being embarassed..i can’t even tie my hair..so sorry for myself. 🙁
Hi jhen, yes it’s safe to use castor oil on vitiligo. I’m not sure if it’ll work, but it’s worth a shot. On areas of my scar where I had hypopigmentation, the melanin came back as castor oil healed the scar. I know vitiligo is different from simple hypopigmentation, but it’s still an encouraging result. Good luck!
I have a scar on right knee from falling out of bed and banging knee hard. It is slightly raised, a bit hypopigmented and is less sensitive than normal skin. Will castor oil heal all of this?
Hi Stephanie C.
Yes, I believe with time and patience, it can.
Sam
I got burn 48yrs ago my legs are scar , I am going to try the oil
tnx for your post. Pls i had a burn on my right tigh 9yrs ago, some parts healed smoothly y, some developed a scar. Pls i want to knw if using castor oil will make it peel off and form a fresh wound. Just scared cos i dnt want to cos any havoc to myself. Cos the scar does not pain me, though some little hairs have started growing on it. And pls since it sticks how can i apply it during the day since one might go out. And do i get a plastic from a pharmaceutical store. Tnx in anticipation of ur reply
Hi calista
Castor oil won’t peel scars or create a wound. I’m not sure where you got the idea that it could do those things (?). Anyway it’s an oil, not an acid peel.
You could just use very little, like a drop or two of castor oil and rub this in well so it’s fully absorbed and leaves little/no excess that’ll stick to your clothes. If you’re worried, you can dab off any excess with some tissue paper.
And if you want to use more and cover it with plastic, cling film works. You can get this at the supermarket. And you could cut up some old pantyhose or tights and use this as a makeshift bandage to hold the plastic in place on your thigh. But that’s just one idea, you might find a better one that works for you.
Good luck!
Sam
Hi I was just wondering, will a Castro oil pack work on croup cough. I know a mustered plaster would work but it would be to strong for my three year old twins. Please get back to me when you can. Thanks
Hi Richard
Yes, you can try a castor oil pack on the neck and chest for a few days and see if there’s any improvement. If your twins expel a lot of mucus, don’t be alarmed as it’s likely a much needed purging before they can get better.
If you have iodine tincture, you can also try painting some on the back.
Best of luck and I hope they recover soon.
Sam