While small scars might be worn as a badge of pride, signs of the body’s ability to heal and the strength to endure, for some people scars are more than the little white mark on your finger or knee.

There are a wealth of reasons why people might not want to show off their scars, be it physical or emotional pain, restricted movement, or a person feeling like their scars are prohibiting them from living a full and happy life.

Sadly, those people are frequently victims of exploitation by companies who design treatments that could work, then charge exorbitant prices in the name of hope and ultimate probably disappointment.

But thanks to researchers in Australia, hope could soon be restored to those who want to be rid of the scars, since a clinically-proven scar treatment cream could be in the pipeline.

After an injury in which the skin has been damaged or broken, the body tries to heal itself. In the case of some injuries, this leads to fibrous tissue that replaces the skin that was lost or damaged as a result.

The resulting scar often starts off red, but over time can fade to a shiny silver or white patch, marking the site of injury indefinitely.

However, according to the paper, which was recently published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, there is evidence to suggest that a newly-developed cream known as PXS-6302 or SNT-6302 could lead to the reduction of scar tissue, since it prevents collagen from maintaining a scar’s raised appearance.

And in a clinical trial of fifty participants, the ointment showed unprecedented success.

In comparison to the placebo group, the participants applying the PXS-6302 cream showed a significant reduction in scar composition after several months of use, as the authors explain in their paper:

“Treatment with PXS-6302 three times per week reduced lysyl oxidase activity by 66 percent and decreased hydroxyproline (a marker for collagen) and total protein concentrations in scar biopsies compared with placebo.”

Though this was only the first phase of clinical trials, the unprecedented success will undoubtedly give hope to those hoping to remove their scars for good.

And if future trials go well, this could be a game changer for all those who are suffering with their scars.

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