Keloid Scar 101: What It Is & How to Treat It

Scars are never ideal but everyone has had one at least once in their lives. Yes, some scars will fade over time but at other times, they stick around for years to come.

When scars become large, thick and raised, they can really start to impact your self-esteem, with keloid scars being a prime example of this type of scar.

Keloids Explained

When your skin is injured, your body will produce collagen in an effort to close up and heal the wound. However, in the case of keloids, the body produces far more collagen than is actually necessary, which is what causes the scar to become large and raised.

It should be noted that while keloid and hypertrophic scars might be similar, they are not the same thing. Unlike hypertrophic scars, keloids will extend beyond the original edges of the injury.

Where Do Keloids Form?

Keloids are the result of surgery, tattoos, piercings and even minor cuts and scrapes. Keloids can occur anywhere on the body but they're more likely to form on areas with high tension and where the skin moves the most. Your ear lobes and the area in the middle of your chest are prime examples of this.

Who Is More Prone to Developing Keloids?

There is a lot of different information out there about keloids and who is more susceptible to getting them but overall it seems that skin tone and genetics are the two main risk factors.

Research shows that people with darker skin tones are more prone to developing keloids.

Getting Rid of Keloids

There are a number of different ways that you can reduce the size and appearance of keloids, including:

Injectable treatments. This is by far the keloid scar treatment in Using a combination of drugs, doctors are able to reduce keloids over several months until they are smaller and flatter. Substances such as cortisone and steroids will soften and shrink keloids in no time at all.

Topical treatments. Silicone sheets are another popular way to reduce keloids. Not only do these sheets apply pressure to the wound but they also keep it moisturised.

Compression. Some experts say that compressing the scar will slow down its growth. For example, if a keloid has started forming because you pierced your ear, wearing earrings can help compress it and slow its growth.

Surgery. Overly large keloids are generally removed using surgery instead of other treatments. The doctor will then use a substance such as steroids to prevent the scar from getting bigger again.

Laser treatments. While this is an option for treating keloids, it's not nearly as effective as injectable treatments such as cortisone.

Cryotherapy. Another option is to actually freeze the keloid to remove it but not a lot of cosmetic clinics are currently offering this option for keloids.

It should be said that it's not always possible to get rid of keloids completely but it is possible to reduce the size and appearance of this tricky scars.

Article kindly provided by thedoc.com