# Any Proven Benefit To Topical Vitamin E?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-proven-benefit-to-topical-vitamin-e/544546>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 25, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-proven-benefit-to-topical-vitamin-e/544546 "2010-06-25T23:19:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-proven-benefit-to-topical-vitamin-e/544546/1 "2010-06-25T23:19:58Z")

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I have an aftershave balm with contains vitamin E-does this actually do anything?  
Or is it just advertising?

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**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-proven-benefit-to-topical-vitamin-e/544546/2 "2010-06-26T12:57:07Z")

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I had a series of reconstructive facial surgeries at UofM Hospital years ago and they advised using Vitamin E to help prevent scars. Further research suggests that it does play a part in skin recovery for surgical and burn situations. Both processes involve chemical changes to the affected area over the early days and weeks following the traumatic events and this is when the E supposed to help. I guess in a limited sense, shaving could be similar to a minor surgical event for those who are not very proficient or have bad equipment.

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**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-proven-benefit-to-topical-vitamin-e/544546/3 "2010-06-27T02:47:37Z")

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I put vitamin E oil on my appendectomy scar for about 6 months after the surgery. You can still see the scar, but it’s not blazingly obvious. More like the contrast between my navel and my normal skin, colorwise. I think it worked pretty well, since that scar is 6" long and relatively high on my abdomen.