A plastic surgeon from Chester has used the therapeutic powers of green tea to develop a revolutionary new cream that helps prevent scarring.

Douglas McGeorge FRCS (Plast), who practises at the Grosvenor Nuffield in Chester and the Spire Murrayfield in Wirral, has worked with scientist Dr Ardeshir Bayat to develop the cream which includes a crucial ingredient made from green tea extract.

Solution for Scars is effective in shrinking scars and offers a new approach to wound management.

Now the two leading medics have formed their own company, Science of Skin Ltd, to provide innovative solutions for skin health.

Mr McGeorge, who set up the Plastic Surgery Unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 1993, says the cream works by switching off the body’s inflammatory response once a wound is healed, reducing itching and discomfort and limiting scar thickening.

He said: “If you operate on a foetus while it is still in the womb the baby will be born without a scar. This is because before birth skin and tissue is repaired by regeneration.

“But post birth we heal in a different way, by inflammation, which is far quicker as the body needs to repair more quickly, but unfortunately it results in scars.

“What Solution for Scars cream does, once it is absorbed into the skin, is turn off the body’s inflammatory response which can create thickened, uncomfortable scars.”

The revolutionary new Solution for Scars cream which plastic surgeon Douglas McGeorge helped develop

The former president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) added: “The main thing is we now have an evidence-based study, published in Archives of Dermatological Research, that shows just how effective the treatment is.

“This is so important and significant as most of the current gels and oils, ones that have been prescribed for decades, have limited scientific basis for their use. I’m certainly proud of what we have achieved.

“It’s the first product that works and is proven to work. We are now working on a cream for the treatment of stretch marks and next year, hopefully, anti-sun cream products with protection for both UVA and UVB rays.

“Of course the ultimate aim has to be scar-less healing, that’s what we have to work toward.”

Mr McGeorge says while green tea has been consumed in the Far East for generations and has been used to treat skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, their research showed a specific green tea extract actually helps shrink scarring.

He said: “No cream or ointment will work on an old mature scar. However, used as soon as a wound is healed Solution for Scars will address the initial redness and irritation as well as radically changing the course of scar development.

“It has a direct effect on the progression of the scar and promotes healthier recovery as the skin can heal without interference from constant itching and uncomfortable symptoms. That means any scar will appear smoother and far less visible.”

Solution for Scars is available online by visiting www.scienceofskin.com/solutionforscars and is priced at £18.99 for 30ml.