Insulin shots could banish unsightly scars

LONDON - Giving insulin shots is the latest treatment for banishing or reducing unsightly scars.

Insulin is best known for its role in controlling blood sugar levels. However, insulin injections similar to those used for treating diabetes are now being given to stop or reduce the formation of excessive scar tissue after surgery.

More than six million people have surgery every year in Britain, and many are left with unsightly scarring; some patients suffer from depression as a result, reports the Daily Mail.

When the skin is damaged, the healing process creates scar tissue to seal the opening as quickly as possible to reduce blood and tissue loss and prevent infection.

Insulin, a hormone, is produced by the pancreas and works to mop up sugar from the blood. However, some studies have shown that in small quantities it can also reduce scarring.

A series of tests at the University of California, US, showed that cuts treated with insulin healed faster. Those on arms healed 2.4 days faster than the wounds treated with saline solution.

In one study, a woman who had a deep scar on her arm was given insulin jabs into the area. Researchers say after 82 days of daily insulin injections, there was no evidence of the scar.

It’s thought insulin reduces the amount of fibroblasts, the scar tissue-producing cells, that collect just after the wound has healed, and improves the quality of collagen they produce.