Natural Remedies for Basal Cell Carcinoma: Safe & Effective Options

It started with an itchy red bump at the left side of my nose - it would clear scab over but wouldn't heal. I remembered my parents had BCC and used an ointment to treat it, and so here I arrived at my go-to site looking for a symptom set and natural remedy.

I treated the bump with H2O2 quite successfully within 2 weeks, but noticed there were other itchy bumps and inflamed spots and so I dug those up with H2O2. They were bigger and deeper. And took longer to heal. My face was on fire. Sometimes the lesions would close over but I could tell from the remaining surrounding inflammation and the tenderness or sharp pain that they were not fully "excavated". I would dig in a little bit with the H2O2 and yup - still there.

After about eight weeks I had cleared areas on about 60% of my face, but the last 40% was just agony. I felt like I was chasing this thing all over my face - no sooner had I cleared a pocket than one just a centimeter away would start to inflame and itch, and a light rub with H2O2 would show a large area of abnormality.

The scabbing and peeling was, I gotta say, monstrous. I haven't had this kind of skin since my acne-infested teens.

I felt like I was missing something.

I read up on oil of oregano to see if it was effective against BCC. Yes, it is. Also coconut oil. Yup that too. I began to treat the most stubborn open lesions with oregano oil and within a week, saw improvement.

I began to reflect on what I know about H2O2, oil of oregano and coconut oil.

First of all - H2O2. If you watch any science youtube content, it talks about how it "explodes" mico-organisms. These are living things that are super-oxygenated and just go "poof" and create the foam. And I was thinking, wait a minute. The BCC cell is abnormal - but WHY is it abnormal? Sure it has sun damage. There's something wrong with its functioning. But H2O2 doesn't make a healthy cell foam. So is there something inside the BCC cell that explodes?

Then I thought about oil of oregano. It is effective against three things: viruses, bacteria and fungi. Why would it be effective against a malfunctioning skin cell? It is neither a bacteria, nor a virus nor a fungus. UNLESS one of those things is living rent free inside the cell. THEN maybe there's a reason why it might kill the cell, or the thing inside it. if it exists.

Then I looked at coconut oil. Is it a fungicide? Why yes it is. It's used as part of treatment against a candida overgrowth. Also I looked at various remedies - the ketogenic diet for instance inhibits the proliferation of candida albicans.

Then I looked at the BEHAVIOUR of this thing, and it was behaving like a plant. You know when you cut off a small outgrowth of a plant, suddenly it responds with a burst of energy and branches out in all directions from the injured part?

I started with a tiny speck on one cheek and within eight weeks my face was covered in weeping lesions, as new spots grew out next to the healed ones.

So I put 2 and 2 together and thought - OK. What if this is a kind of fungus? Some kinds of fungus only grow on bread. Others only grow on toenails. What if there's a KIND of fungus that only grows in sun-damaged skin cells? Mybe we don't know what t is, but why are antifungal treatments so effective against BCC?

So. I started to treat the remaining open lesions with over-the-counter clotrimazole. Within a week, lesions that had been open for six weeks were closed, healed over, and non-inflamed.

I began to treat the small bumps that were arising next to the healed lesions directly with clotrimazole, without opening them up with H2O2. I opened one or two just to be certain, though. Within a week, they had disappeared, but the skin that was sloughing off showed circular pit-shaped "holes" where a fungus had once existed.

So now I'm moving on to some itchy bumps under some of my sun spots on my arms and torso.

Today I had an experience where I was swimming in the sea and there are small fish that will come and nip at your skin. It's ticklish and hilarious. But one was attacking some part of my foot, really giving it a kind of "tearing" effort. I was like "Whoah little dude. What the heck do you see here?" I put my finger to the spot and it was a tiny, almost imperceptible bump. Later I sterilized the area and gave it a good rub with H2O2 and what do you know? It foamed like a champ. Made me wonder what kind of spectrum these little fish actually see. I mean, it was invisible to the eye, barely perceptible to the touch, but that little fish saw "DINNER".

ANyway, that's my story. I hope it helps someone.

If you have sun damaged skin there is good evidence now of usage of vitamin B3 and curcumin (both orally and topically), see Sydney Uni studies etc. They may also work on already established BCCs (even my very left brained doctor told me about trying these). My skin cancers have almost halted since I used these and Vit C in past years.

If you are 'told' to use Aldara, PLEASE google it! I have ended up with Parkinson's disease, unfixable vision loss, shingles/ postherpetic neuralgia (excruciating pain through 2/3 of my body), coeliac disease, skin rashes on chest and neck etc. As severe symptoms happened overnight on my last dose, I can connect the dots easily.

I tell the doctors as I don't want others to suffer, they all go into denial and cover it up (as they have prescribed it often for decades for BCC or genital warts). I post this info on medical websites and it does not get posted (they are 'selective'). I don't want others to suffer :) Better to get cut out if need (the surgeons are pretty good stitchers often! ) Otherwise use Aldara minimally. There are class action court cases.

During the use of the h202, I did notice some slight stinging, off and on, and that it itched. I also read that a vitamin c soln was good for BCC. All I had was a vitamin c tablet, that I let dissolve, and I did use that paste some. (not sure if that helped any, but I did use it a couple days before I started the h202. ) I do believe in prayer and I prayed a lot. I also believe the scripture that says, "My people perish for lack of knowledge. " and I feel God allowed me to find these websites, and He gave me this wisdom. Thank you, Jesus!

I went to a dermatologist to have a weird fatty thing removed. Of course they tested it and it was benign. But, reason for this post, they always give you a going over, checking for other spots and he was amazed that I had none at my age and he mentioned sun screen. Told him I've never used it and I never burn or even get pink. Why? Because I've been taking the flush niacin for over 20 years. He said that this is a little known fact, that niacin protects from skin cancers but most people refuse to bear the flush. He also said that they are researching now about using niacin in people with aggressive skin cancers and are finding all good results. He then said that good diets are so very helpful, but most people can't be bothered. Niacin that causes flushing is a natural vitamin that we all need.

At only 500 mg/day, taken just before sleep, I hardly feel the flush anymore. Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Continue this process until no visible signs of the spot are apparent above or below the skin. Atypical growths with lingering roots usually reappear again later, so repeat this cycle.

Occam's razor: The simplest solution is more likely to be the case when compared to a complex one.

Warning though, the compound stings a bit and the burning and redness of surrounds may be disconcerting but please try it for yourself. All the best to all with this ailment and I hope I have been helpful to you.

I got another one above my lip and along my hairline. I treated them the same and again my husband made me biopsy. All clear! I told him I healed 3 so I will not biopsy any more because it is 2 cuts, 1 to diagnose and 1 to prove to him it is clear. He is very cautious because he had one on his back that required mohrs surgery so he couldn't believe I was able to cure my own. He then got another one on his back and gave me the opportunity to "Witch doctor" on him. It took about 2 months to cure his simply because he would vascilate between whether he believed it would work or not but I convinced him to at least let me try before his appointment and now it is all clear. 😊

IF you use the treatment faithful 2 times a day, it should honestly not take more than 2-3 weeks to clear up but I know depending on location, you can't walk around with a white paste.

I had a very small spot on my nose that started to bleed and wouldn't heal so I'm pretty sure it was a basal cell. I read that some people cured there bcc with Vit C. First I tried Sodium Ascorbate paste made with water and that was going slowly. Finally I went from eating dairy everyday (lactovegetarian) to a vegan diet and tried Ascorbic Acid powder in a paste with Aloe gel. Ascorbic acid will sting unlike sodium ascorbate. The second application it started to bleed and scab, like a small dark purple scab. I think I applied it one more time after that, then I left it alone. A week later the spot is healed with no scar. For almost 3 months that spot had a mind of its own, turning red or bleeding. Now finally it looks like normal skin. Cool!

The first time I removed my bcc, I used ACV soaked in a cotton ball and taped it to my BCC every night. After a few days it turned red and after about a month I was BCC free.

The second time I removed my bcc, it was close to my eyes, so I used baking soda with coconut oil 1 tbsp each mixed and made a paste and applied it to the area. After about 2 weeks I was bcc free. I had to deal with scabbing and redness but after that I'm bcc free.

His students were reporting that they were being told this. “Wet table salt cures skin cancer”.

Fast forward to today… I was reading a book “Health at home, or, Hall's family doctor, by William Whitty Hall · 1876” and I read this;

Col. Ussery · 1876, of the parish of De Soto, in Louisiana(?), informs the editor of the Caddo Gazette, that he fully tested a remedy for this troublesome disease, recommended to him by a old Spanish woman, a native of the country had the reputation of curing cancers by making a salve of the yolk of an egg (the yellow part at the center of an egg);

The remedy is this: Take an Egg and break it; pour out the white, retaining the yolk in the shell; then put in Salt, and mix with the yolk as long as it will receive it; stir them together until a Salve is formed; put a portion of this on a piece of sticking-plaster by spreading a portion of it on linen or other material, and lay it over the spot and apply it to the cancer about twice a day. He has tried the remedy twice in his own family with complete success. This plaster must be renewed night and morning, until a cure is effected; the bowels being made to act freely every day.

Some I am thinking to myself, this is what Granny was telling me. Salt and Sea water is the oldest known form of medicine to human kind. Ever since man bathed in the ocean and noticed the some kind of skin rash was healed. Just google search “Sea Water Cure” and you will see my point.

Now if you investigate salt and it's use against cancer, you will find the following:

Salt for Skin Cancer: A new study, carried out in mice, focuses on salt. The researchers have successfully used sodium chloride nanoparticles to destroy cancer cells. Scientists — many from the University of Georgia, in Athens — are looking to sodium chloride, or salt, in nanoparticle form.

The authors of the new study, published in the journal Advanced Materials, tested their theory that “Sodium chloride nanoparticles (SCNPs) can be exploited as a Trojan horse strategy to deliver ions into cells and disrupt the ion homeostasis.”

“Unlike conventional chemotherapeutics, SCNPs cause immunogenic cell death or ICD. In vivo studies show that SCNPs not only kill cancer cells, but also boost an anticancer immunity. The discovery opens up a new perspective on nanoparticle‐based therapeutics.” https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adma.201904058

SCNPs contain millions of sodium and chlorine atoms, but the ion channels responsible for keeping salt out do not recognize them in this form.

Consequently, SCNPs are free to enter the cell, and once inside, they dissolve, releasing sodium and chlorine ions that become trapped in the cell.

These ions disrupt cellular machinery and rupture the plasma membrane. As the cell membrane breaks open, the sodium and chlorine atoms are released. This, in turn, signals an immune response and inflammation.

Using a mouse model, the scientists tested their theory. They injected SCNPs into tumors and charted their growth. They compared the growth of these tumors with those of mice in a control group who had received the same quantity of sodium chloride in a solution, rather than as nanoparticles.

The team found that the SCNPs suppressed tumor growth by 66%, compared with the control group. Importantly, there were no signs that the SCNPs caused damage to any of the mice's organs.

This method appears to be safe. As associate professor and lead author Jin Xie, Ph.D., explains: “After the treatment, the nanoparticles are reduced to salts, which are merged with the body's fluid system and cause no systematic or accumulative toxicity. No sign of systematic toxicity was observed with SCNPs injected at high doses.” Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327468

Findings suggest common salt activates anti-tumor cells
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-common-salt-anti-tumor-cells.html

Salt could help to boost the immune defense against cancer. This is suggested by the research findings of a team led by Prof. Dr. Christina Zielinski, who holds the Chair of Infection Immunology at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena. The group presents its findings in Nature Immunology.

Sodium chloride, commonly known as "table salt, " was a valuable commodity in history. Today, table salt is cheap and indispensable in the kitchen. It is therefore not surprising that it has long since found its way into our everyday language—although not all expressions always bode well. However, the phrase "rubbing salt into the wound" could soon be given a positive twist, namely in cancer therapy.

In the past, cancer was usually a death sentence, but research has made considerable progress in recent decades and has significantly increased the survival time with a high quality of life for many types of cancer. Recently, adoptive T-cell therapy in particular has developed into an effective treatment tool.

Here, certain of the body's own white blood cells, the T cells, are modified in such a way that they can specifically recognize and fight tumor cells. The effectiveness of this method is influenced by the metabolic activity of the T cells, which is usually suppressed in the immunosuppressive environment of a tumor. It is therefore important to identify factors that overcome this suppression.

The team led by Christina Zielinski from the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology—Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI) in Jena has now discovered one of these factors: Sodium ions—a component of sodium chloride—increase the efficiency of antitumoral T cells. The researchers were able to show that breast cancer tumors have a higher sodium concentration than healthy tissue and that T cells act particularly strongly against tumors when the immediate environment has a higher sodium concentration. These patients then even have a longer survival time.

"We were able to show that sodium enhances the immune response of CD8+ T cells, " says Chang-Feng Chu, who is a first author of the study. CD8+ T cells are immune cells that can recognize and kill tumor cells or cells infected with viruses in the body.

"Previous research has already shown that sodium regulates other types of T cells involved in autoimmune diseases and allergies. We wanted to find out what effect sodium has specifically on the activity of human CD8+ T cells, " explains Shan Sun, another first author.

The researchers therefore used various technologies to investigate the effect of sodium ions on gene regulation and the metabolic process of CD8+ T cells. "We pre-treated the human T cells with salt and then cultured them with tumors. We also carried out mouse experiments with T cells, " Chu explains.

Immune cells become fitter

The researchers found that the salt improved the metabolic fitness of the CD8+ T cells by increasing the uptake of sugar and amino acids and thus energy production in the cells. As a result, the immune cells were better able to eliminate tumor cells, as the experiments on cell cultures and mice have shown. "Pancreatic tumors shrank in the mice after we injected them with T cells pre-treated with salt, " says Chu.

But how exactly does sodium work in the cell? "Sodium ions increase the activity of the sodium-potassium pump on the cell membrane of T cells. This leads to a change in the membrane potential, which in turn increases the activation of the T-cell receptor, " reports Sun. "This signal amplification makes it easier for the immune cells to kill tumor cells more efficiently."

Her colleague Chu adds, "The salt also protects the T cells from becoming exhausted too quickly. This is important because exhausted T cells gradually lose their ability to fight cancer cells."

The research team recommends using sodium chloride as a positive regulator for the "killer" function of T cells in future. Of course, this is not about patients consuming more salt in their diet. Rather, it is conceivable that the immune cells are exposed to an increased salt concentration outside the body and become highly active against tumor cells after being administered to the patients.

Ordinary table salt could therefore support adoptively transferred T cells in the fight against cancer and possibly also against infectious diseases that require a defense against infected cells. So, the expression "rubbing salt into someone's wound" does not necessarily remain a negative one

I just discovered this wonderful site so forgive my ignorance if this topic has been extensively covered. I noticed that a lot has been written here about using Petty Spurge (euphorbia peplus) for successfully curing warts but I have been using it for several years now to treat non-melanoma skin cancers. Having grown up on the beaches of Australia, I have suffered most of my adult life from the effects of both basal and squamous cell carcinomas and have had extensive (and invasive) excisions and curettage treatments to remove frequent growths. After intense research I tracked down some Petty Spurge herb seeds from a reputable supplier and I now grow my own treatment. I still return for annual check ups with my local dermatologist (such is my paranoia for keeping this dreaded disease under control) but I have not had any need for traditional surgery since using this wonderful herb. Happy to elaborate if anyone would like more info!

This year, for the first time, I found a patch of Petty Spurge growing wild in my garden. I researched it and found amazing uses for it. It is actually a beautiful "weed". I applied the sap very carefully to a spot on my nose and it worked!

INTERESTING INFO

The botanical name is Euphorbia peplus. Other common names include Cancer Weed, Wart Weed, Milk Weed and Radium Weed.

Petty spurge, and all other Euphorbias, are named for a Greek physician of King Juba II (50 BC), Euphorbus, who discovered the medicinal uses of the Euphorbias. It is the only genus of plants that has all three kinds of photosynthesis, CAM, C3 and C4. "Spurge" is derived from Middle English/Old French, "to purge" due to its use as a purgative. All Euphorbias have a caustic milky sap, "latex", which can cause burning to mucousal tissues.

It has long been used successfully as a traditional remedy to treat sunspots, corns, warts, non-melanoma skin cancers (BCC, SCC), actinic keratosis, waxy growths, skin blemishes, and other common skin lesions. it is also used as a tincture to treat other conditions. It was described by Nicolas Culpeper's Complete Herbalist (1826) as “A good treatment for warts”.
It has always been used for sunspots in Australia.
In 1997, Dr Aylward isolated one of the active ingredients, a diterpene ester called Ingenue mebutate, which he discovered was toxic to rapidly replicating human tissue.

Clinical trials of Picato, a gel derived from milkweed sap, suggests it is effective at stopping lesions turning into skin cancer. And, an Australian company called Peplin Biotech is conducting research and developing a gel from the sap of Euphorbia peplus as a simple topical treatment for certain skin cancers, such as basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. According to Peplin Biotech, the sap penetrates the skin and destroys the malignant tissue.

There are several ways to use Petty Spurge to treat BCC.

RAW SAP:

Pick a fresh stem and wait for the white sap to exude and apply 1 drop only to the lesion (avoid surrounding skin). Apply 1-2 times daily for 1-7 days, usually 2-4 days. Can cover with a bandaid and leave overnight. Note: some have noted they had to repeat the treatment to completely clear out the infection.

Each day use a fresh stem.

Some people mix it with aloe vera gel (50:50,70:30) in which case it might take longer (weeks to months) to resolve though with much less irritation. Apply a thin layer to the affected area only.

When using the raw sap, if there is abnormal growth, there is a strong reaction to the sap. The area will fester, redden, and scab which eventually falls off leaving fresh pink skin. At this point, aloe vera gel can be applied to aid healing.

There are a few points that need to be applied when using the raw sap:

1. When plucking the stems to extract sap, choose the small stems first. The first time you use it only use a tiny dot of the sap, to see how you react and how the lesion reacts.

2. IMPORTANT
Wear gloves and do not allow the sap to get onto your fingers, lips, eyes, nose, genitals or onto healthy skin. Care must be used not to allow the sap onto unaffected skin or anywhere near the eyes. THIS IS IMPORTANT. The eye can be affected more seriously by inflammation because it is easily scarred and cause loss and clarity of vision. It is toxic if ingested and will cause blistering wherever it is applied. If even a tiny dab gets in your eyes, it can cause excruciating pain, redness, swelling and even blindness. Take care not to inadvertently rub your eye when handling the sap. Sweating, rubbing or washing may inadvertently carry the sap into the mouth or eyes causing causing inflammation and scarring.

Congealed latex is insoluble in water though can be removed with an emulsifier such as soap and milk.

3. Apply the sap only to the most prominent and specific tissue only.

4. The lesion should be cleaned with soap and water and dried before applying the sap.

5. Do not over treat. Once or twice per day is more than enough. If the area starts to bleed discontinue. Most people apply it once daily, usually at bedtime.

6. It is recommended to see a doctor or alternative healthcare specialist before self-treating.

A typical sequence of healing is listed below. Obviously it will vary a lot, depending on what you are treating, the severity, your state of health and age, and other conditions.

Day 1: Redness surrounding the lesion, sometimes mild localised pain.
Days 2-3: Swelling, red area spreads. There may be some level of pain from the lesion.
Days 4-5: lesion may ooze or form a crater.
Day 6. Lesion starts to dry, no pain, there may be some itching.
Day 7. Scab starts to form.
Days 7-14. Scab heals and falls off.

Do not pick at the scab that forms. It will delay healing, may cause infection, and may cause a scar. It is tempting to pick but let it come off on its own.

Keratosis. When treating keratoses, on day 4 erythema (redness), flaking/scaling and crusting may peak.

VARIOUS DIY SALVES

Apply a thin coat to the affected area daily until resolved.

1. Petty Spurge sap, Wheat germ oil, Grapeseed oil, Mango Butter, Vitamin E.

2. Petty Spurge Sap, Sorbolene (emulsified coconut wax).

3. Petty Spurge 3%, aloe leaf juice, coconut oil, almond oil, emulsifying beeswax, Vitamin E (tocopheryl acetate), Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate), Vitamin D (ergocalciferol). All ingredients are organic.

COMMERCIAL GELS

There are several companies that make a cream from the sap, some are sold on Amazon (e.g., PhytoMedx Suphorbia Cream). The active ingredient in Euphorbia peplus sap is ingenol mebutate, which has been approved by the FDA in the United States of America for use as a gel on skin lesion. Treatment appears to involve applying the gel 0.05% once daily for two or three consecutive days to the surface of the BCC or SCC lesion.

Study:

Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5.2. Petty Spurge (Euphorbia peplus (L.))

The latex of the lactiferous petty spurge contains toxic diterpene esters such as ingenol mebutate. A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the efficacy of 0.025% and 0.05% ingenol mebutate gel compared to placebo in 200 patients with actinic keratoses. The topical products were applied once daily for three days. Both ingenol mebutate concentrations were highly effective (75% and 100% clearing, versus 0% clearing with placebo). Ingenol mebutate induces a localized necrosis of the treated skin, followed by an inflammatory response, crusting and subsequent clearing of the treated area. Scar formation was not observed [53] (LOE-A). These results were confirmed in another randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study [54] (LOE-A). Ingenol mebutate gel was approved in 2013 as a prescription drug (150 µg/g gel and 500 µg/g gel).

RESEARCH

Recent research into Petty Spurge has shown that a wide range of cancer cells is acutely sensitive to this substance.

In many studies, the Active Ingredient: Ingenol Mebutate -
is an activator of Protein Kinase C which is a key factor in the treatment of cancer.
In laboratory experiments against leukemia cells lines, Ingenol Mebutate (Ingenol-3-angelate) was found to be both selective in targeting leukemia cells and that the leukemia cells are highly sensitive to the small doses being applied.
in laboratory trials with skin cancer in mice, 3 daily topical applications resulted in significant clearance.
intermediate clinical trials (Phase IIa) against Sunspots (Actinic Keratosis) resulted in significant clearance.
Phase I/II clinical trials show that the sap from Petty Spurge resulted in significant clearance of human non-melanoma skin cancers.
Caution: Petty Spurge sap is toxic and should not be used internally.

An interesting study found uses for other cancer types:

Anticancer Drugs. 2007 Mar;18(3):357-62. doi: 10.1097/CAD.0b013e3280149ec5.
Proceedings of the First International Conference on PEP005

Steven M Ogbourne 1, Peter Hampson, Janet M Lord, Peter Parsons, Peter A De Witte, Andreas Suhrbier

PMID: 17264770 DOI: 10.1097/CAD.0b013e3280149ec5
Abstract

The sap of Euphorbia peplus, commonly know as 'petty spurge', 'radium weed' or 'milkweed' has been used for centuries as a traditional treatment for skin conditions, including warts, corns and cancers of the skin. Documentation of its use by medical professionals to treat basal cell carcinoma (BCC) dates from the early 19 century. Individuals who participated in a 1988 survey of home treatments for cancer indicated the sap of E. peplus was an effective cure for actinic lesions leading the investigators to suggest that this potential utility should be further explored in controlled clinical trials. The fractionation of the sap E. peplus using solvents of varying polarity yielded several macrocyclic diterpenes, many of which were found to have cytotoxic activity or the ability to influence cellular differentiation. Ultimately, ingenol 3-angelate (I3A) of PEP005, emerged as a promising potential new anti-cancer treatment. Here we report the proceedings from the First International Conference on PEP005, covering the exciting potential of PEP005 as the therapeutic agent for the treatment of skin cancer, leukemia and bladder cancer.

I never went to the doctor again for BCCs and I have treated dozens of them over the last 30 years or so using the Milk Thistle. You simply break the stem near the top where it is soft, wait a few seconds for the white sap to rise, and dab it on. Then leave it. After an hour or so it will turn a brown colour and after a few days will turn almost black. It sticks like tar and will not come off, even in the shower, providing you dont scrub it! After a week or so it will gradually wear off and the BCC will be much reduced if not gone altogether. Persistent cases may need a second application. It is painless, does not leave a scar or loss of pigment; it is simple to use and it's free! The whole world should know about the old fashioned "cow-cocky" remedy, but I guess that would put a lot of fancy skin cancer clinics out of business.

My latest success is on my nose. The latest scab falling off shows pink new skin with no trace of aberrant skin, and with no white skin forming with the application of h2o2. On my nose of course I was nervous and of course everyone had a comment over the month or so that it took to finally get rid of it. I did not dig deep as I did before, but just had patience, applying the h202 day and night. When a scab formed, each time I applied iodine several times to help the new skin beneath to form.