Abstract
Aloe vera has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes. Clinical and experimental evidence indicates usefulness for skin moisturization, promoting wound healing, thermal skin injury, frostbite, and ischemic skin insults. Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory, antimicrobial, and proliferative actions, which have been investigated in various experimental models and in various in vitro studies. This extensive literature review of the properties and actions of Aloe vera finds substantial evidence for the reported and also likely clinical usefulness for Aloe vera in Plastic Surgery and in wound care and wound healing. Though further clinical investigation is warranted, Aloe vera use may likely be indicated in situations where its effects could positively influence outcomes, such as wound healing, flap vascularity, and inflammatory skin pathologies.
Highlights
Aloe vera is a succulent tropical plant native to the Arabian Peninsula
This review describes and identifies the effects and mechanisms that Aloe vera has on skin care and wound healing
We propose clinical uses based on the available data of its mechanisms of action
Summary
Aloe vera is a succulent tropical plant native to the Arabian Peninsula. Early documented usage of the plant dates back to ancient Greece and Egypt, where it was used to alleviate sunburns and as skin beauty care [1]. The skin is the largest organ in the human body and serves as a protective barrier from the outside environment. The mucilaginous tissue in the Aloe vera leaf contains phytochemicals, and its anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and proliferative properties have been shown to promote wound healing in both animal and human models [6] [7] [8] [9]. Enhancing these properties can help augment blood supply and tip the scale of relative ischemia to adequate perfusion, thereby salvaging reversible ischemic skin injury. We propose uses and the potential utility of Aloe vera in the field of plastic surgery as it pertains to wound healing
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