Aloe Vera and burns

Dr Peter Atherton
MB ChB, DObst, RCOG, FRCGP


The most common nickname for Aloe Vera around the world is `the burns plant'. It richly deserves this sobriquet as it does indeed both soothe and heal burnt skin. Research carried out in the USA began as early as the 1930s. Using fresh Aloe Vera Gel, a certain

Dr Collins showed that regular application to a post-radiotherapy bum reduced the burning and itching sensation and then went on to promote faster healing, importantly with minimal scar formation.
Animal experiments in the 1950s and 1960s reinforced this discovery and by the 1980s Aloe was being used in several plastic surgery units across America. these
surgeons of course were only prepared to use Aloe in their units when they had fully understood how it actually worked. It was these animal models that had revealed the mechanisms at work behind this improved
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healing. The main reason turned out to be that Aloe Vera blocked the formation of a powerful substance liberated into traumatised skin called Thromboxane. This substance constricts blood vessels and as a consequence reduces blood flow, so where there is less Thromboxane around, more blood enters the damaged tissue and thereby speeds up healing.

Japanese research in the late 1980s also unravelled the cause of the natural anti­inflammatory effect of AID which, together with the increased blood flow, combines to speed up healing and reduce scarring.

In practice, the sooner Aloe is applied to a burnt area the better and if the individual can be persuaded to drink the gel as well, the newly-forming skin will be provided with all the essential micro-nutrients necessary to make healthy and robust cells.
For thousands of
years, people have used Aloe Vera to support the healing process in bums - from mild sunburn to more serious bums. Aloe has been shown to help speed up the healing process of bums and stimulate healthy new skin growth. It can also help soothe pain,
swelling, infection and blisters.
Aloe Vera Gelly is the topical, soothing and cooling stabilised clear Aloe Vera Gel from our Forever range, which can be easily spread onto the affected area without touching or rubbing and is available in a tube.

To read more details of Aloe Vera Gelly goto:http://www.aloeveraexpress.com/site/1345660/product/03a