An Herb as Effective as Conventional Keloid Treatments
Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) has been used in traditional and Ayurvedic medicines for centuries to treat skin disorders and to heal wounds. It is an indigenous perennial plant in many warm regions all over the world, including the United States.42
How Does Gotu Kola Work?
Gotu kola extracts contain asiatic and madecassic acid, and compounds derived from these acids (asiaticoside and madecassoside) are responsible for gotu kola’s wound healing benefits. Lab studies indicate that gotu kola probably works in several ways to prevent new keloids from forming, including regulating proliferation of cells that produce collagen and speeding up healing.42
Evidence of Benefit
Research shows that gotu kola more effectively reduces keloid scars and their reoccurrence then steroid injections or radiation. In animal studies, wounds treated with topical gotu kola extracts in ointment, cream, and gel forms healed faster than untreated wounds, with the greatest effect noted in the gel formulation. Skin strength in healed areas was greater and scarring reduced when treated with gotu kola, and the herbal extract also reduced areas of skin necrosis in burn injuries.42
When hospital patients were treated with topical gotu kola, it accelerated healing in burns and chronically infected skin ulcers that were resistant to other treatments.42 Burns and infections are both linked to increased risk of keloid formation, and madecassic derivatives from gotu kola have been shown to help prevent scarring from burn wounds.16 Gotu kola also reduces keloid scars, and is as effective as compression therapy.42