How Do You Treat A Keloid?

Treatment – Keloid scar treatments include the following. One or a combination of approaches might be best for your situation. Even after successful flattening or removal, keloids can grow back, sometimes bigger than before. Or you may develop new ones.

  • Wound care. For newer keloids, the first treatment option might be compression dressings made from stretchy fabric or other materials. This method is also used after surgery to remove keloids. The goal is to reduce or prevent a scar by putting pressure on the wound as it heals. Such dressings need to be worn for 12 to 24 hours a day for 4 to 6 months to be effective. This method can be very uncomfortable.
  • Corticosteroid cream. Applying a prescription strength corticosteroid cream can help ease itchiness.
  • Injected medicine. If you have a smaller keloid, your doctor might try reducing its thickness by injecting it with cortisone or other steroids. You’ll likely need monthly injections for up to six months before seeing the scar flatten. Possible side effects of corticosteroid injections are skin thinning, spider veins and a permanent change in skin color (hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation).
  • Freezing the scar. Small keloids might be reduced or removed by freezing them with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy). Repeat treatments might be needed. Possible side effects of cryotherapy are blistering, pain and loss of skin color (hypopigmentation).
  • Laser treatment. Larger keloids can be flattened by pulsed-dye laser sessions. This method has also been useful in easing itchiness and causing keloids to fade. Pulsed-dye laser therapy is delivered over several sessions with 4 to 8 weeks between sessions. Your doctor might recommend combining laser therapy with cortisone injections. Possible side effects, which are more common in people with darker skin, include hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation, blistering and crusting.
  • Radiation therapy. Low-level X-ray radiation alone or after surgical removal of a keloid can help shrink or minimize the scar tissue. Repeat treatments might be needed. Possible side effects of radiation therapy are skin complications and, in the long term, cancer.
  • Surgical removal. If your keloid hasn’t responded to other therapies, your doctor might recommend removing it with surgery in combination with other methods. Surgery alone has a recurrence rate of 45% to 100%.

Contents

Do keloids go away?

Keloids > Fact Sheets > Yale Medicine We’re familiar with the way our skin heals after a minor burn or injury. A thin, smooth crust forms over the damaged layer of skin before falling off to reveal a pink-ish layer, which is the scar. But sometimes, for reasons that are still not completely known, your skin can overreact to the damage with an overgrowth of scar tissue that rarely goes away on its own. These overgrowths, called keloids, are generally shiny, firm and smooth, just like regular scars, but often cover a much larger area and continue to grow for weeks or months after the injury. They typically develop on the torso and sometimes on the face and earlobes. Although anyone can get them, keloids are more common among darker-skinned people. Keloids can be painful or itchy but aren’t usually dangerous to a person’s health. However, depending on where they are located, they can be a cosmetic concern. Fortunately, there are many treatment options to help remove keloids. “Keloids can be very challenging to treat, but doctors can work with you to figure out a solution that works best for your circumstances and goals,” says, a plastic surgeon at Yale Medicine. It is still unclear why some people are more likely to develop keloids rather than regular scars, but it seems that the longer a wound takes to heal, the greater the risk a person has of developing an overgrowth of scar tissue. Other things that may increase your risk include the following:

A family history of keloids Mesh skin grafts (a procedure that involves enlarging donor skin to cover a large open wound) Puberty or pregnancy (the elevated level hormones may affect the wound healing process)

Keloids are usually diagnosed through a clinical exam with your doctor, who is usually able to make a diagnosis by looking at the scar shape, size, and growth pattern, and by taking a patient’s medical history. Sometimes, your doctor may conduct tests to make sure that your scar growths are not a sign of such rare but more serious conditions as nodular scleroderma, giant cell fibroblastoma, and lobomycosis.

Prevention is often more effective than treatment, as removing a keloid often causes another skin wound, leading to potentially developing another keloid. “Since we don’t understand keloids themselves, treatment can possibly stimulate more keloid formation,” says Dr. Hsia. “It’s something about the way the body responds to trauma.

A scar that looks like it was well-healed can turn into a keloid. Generally speaking, they don’t go away. No matter what we do, it carries a risk of making the keloid worse.” The following might be used to prevent keloids during the wound healing process:

Silicone sheet or gel : This may be applied to increase hydration to the wound and decreasing risk of keloids. Compression therapy : A therapy that uses tight clothing to create pressure and, thus, decrease collagen and blood flow, which may decrease the development of scar tissue.

Once the keloid has formed, your doctor may use the following treatment options:

Intralesional corticosteroids : These are injected to soften and flatten the scar by reducing collagen. They can reduce inflammation and constrict blood vessels. Intralesional fluorouracil : For patients who do not respond to intralesional corticosteroids, this chemotherapy medication, usually used to treat cancer, is injected into the scar tissue, Cryotherapy: This is a fairly effective therapy for keloids in which scar tissue is destroyed by freezing. Surgical excision: This technique uses surgery to remove the scar tissue. However, because it creates a significant amount of trauma to the skin, surgery may make it more likely that the keloids will return. Radiation therapy: Studies show that low-dose radiation therapy, used in conjunction with other therapies, may be effective in reducing recurrence of keloids Laser therapy : This is a fairly new form of therapy used for keloids that uses light rays to destroy scar tissue.

: Keloids > Fact Sheets > Yale Medicine

Can you remove a keloid on your own?

– No home remedies have been shown to get rid of keloids once they have formed. But, there are a few things that people can do at home after a skin injury to help prevent keloids from forming or minimize their appearance.

What triggers keloid?

Causes – Experts don’t completely understand what causes keloid scars. But most agree it’s likely a dysfunction of the wound-healing process. Collagen — a protein found throughout the body — is useful to wound healing, but when the body produces too much, keloids can form.

  • Eloid growth might be triggered by any sort of skin injury — an insect bite, acne, an injection, body piercing, burns, hair removal, and even minor scratches and bumps.
  • Sometimes keloids form for no obvious reason.
  • Eloids aren’t contagious or cancerous.
  • A keloid is different from a hypertrophic scar.
You might be interested:  How To Treat Scalp Psoriasis At Home?

A hypertrophic scar stays within the bounds of the original wound and can fade over time without treatment.

What’s inside a keloid?

Keloid
Bulky keloid forming at the site of abdominal surgery
Pronunciation
Specialty Dermatology
Usual onset scar formation

Keloid, also known as keloid disorder and keloidal scar, is the formation of a type of scar which, depending on its maturity, is composed mainly of either type III (early) or type I (late) collagen, It is a result of an overgrowth of granulation tissue (collagen type 3) at the site of a healed skin injury which is then slowly replaced by collagen type 1.

  1. Eloids are firm, rubbery lesions or shiny, fibrous nodules, and can vary from pink to the color of the person’s skin or red to dark brown in color.
  2. A keloid scar is benign and not contagious, but sometimes accompanied by severe itchiness, pain, and changes in texture.
  3. In severe cases, it can affect movement of skin.

In the United States keloid scars are seen 15 times more frequently in people of sub-Saharan African descent than in people of European descent. There is a higher tendency to develop a keloid among those with a family history of keloids and people between the ages of 10 and 30 years.

What shrinks a keloid?

Treatment – Keloid scar treatments include the following. One or a combination of approaches might be best for your situation. Even after successful flattening or removal, keloids can grow back, sometimes bigger than before. Or you may develop new ones.

  • Wound care. For newer keloids, the first treatment option might be compression dressings made from stretchy fabric or other materials. This method is also used after surgery to remove keloids. The goal is to reduce or prevent a scar by putting pressure on the wound as it heals. Such dressings need to be worn for 12 to 24 hours a day for 4 to 6 months to be effective. This method can be very uncomfortable.
  • Corticosteroid cream. Applying a prescription strength corticosteroid cream can help ease itchiness.
  • Injected medicine. If you have a smaller keloid, your doctor might try reducing its thickness by injecting it with cortisone or other steroids. You’ll likely need monthly injections for up to six months before seeing the scar flatten. Possible side effects of corticosteroid injections are skin thinning, spider veins and a permanent change in skin color (hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation).
  • Freezing the scar. Small keloids might be reduced or removed by freezing them with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy). Repeat treatments might be needed. Possible side effects of cryotherapy are blistering, pain and loss of skin color (hypopigmentation).
  • Laser treatment. Larger keloids can be flattened by pulsed-dye laser sessions. This method has also been useful in easing itchiness and causing keloids to fade. Pulsed-dye laser therapy is delivered over several sessions with 4 to 8 weeks between sessions. Your doctor might recommend combining laser therapy with cortisone injections. Possible side effects, which are more common in people with darker skin, include hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation, blistering and crusting.
  • Radiation therapy. Low-level X-ray radiation alone or after surgical removal of a keloid can help shrink or minimize the scar tissue. Repeat treatments might be needed. Possible side effects of radiation therapy are skin complications and, in the long term, cancer.
  • Surgical removal. If your keloid hasn’t responded to other therapies, your doctor might recommend removing it with surgery in combination with other methods. Surgery alone has a recurrence rate of 45% to 100%.

Can you squeeze out a keloid?

Can you pop an ear keloid? – It may be very tempting to squeeze an ear keloid. However, you can’t pop an ear keloid. Ear keloids are a type of scar tissue, so there isn’t any pus to squeeze out, like a pimple. Trying to pop a keloid on your ear can damage your skin and introduce bacteria, which can cause an infection.

Do keloids go away naturally?

Keloids can continue to grow for months or even years. They eventually stop growing but they do not disappear without treatment. In some cases, as mentioned above, keloids can return after they have been removed.

What happens if keloid is left untreated?

– The decision to treat a keloid can be a tricky one. Keloid scarring is the result of the body’s attempt to repair itself. After removing the keloid, the scar tissue may grow back again, and sometimes it grows back larger than before. Before any medical procedures, try considering at-home treatments.

Moisturizing oils, which are available online, can help to keep the tissue soft. These might help reduce the size of the scar without making it worse. Keloids tend to shrink and become flatter over time, even without treatment. Initially, your doctor will probably recommend less-invasive treatments, such as silicone pads, pressure dressings, or injections, especially if the keloid scar is a fairly new one.

These treatments require frequent and careful application to be effective, taking at least three months to work. Learn about other home remedies for old scars.

What cream is good for keloids?

COMBINATION THERAPY FOLLOWING SURGERY – If neither silicone nor corticosteroids are effective over 12 months, second-line surgical treatment followed by corticosteroids and possibly silicone sheeting should be considered. The use of corticosteroid injections following keloid surgery reduces the recurrence rate to lless than 50 percent.28 Scar excision may be complete, or a minute remnant of scar may be left on the wound margin, which may reduce recurrence (based on expert opinion).

Immediate wound edge corticosteroid injection after the excision is followed by weekly injections for two to five weeks and monthly injections for three to six months.9 A “triple keloid therapy” combining surgery, corticosteroids, and silicone sheeting has been shown to be even more effective, with only a 12.5 percent recurrence rate after 13 months.14 However, this approach was described as tedious and time intensive by the author of the study and requires a motivated patient.

Imiquimod 5% cream (Aldara), an immune response modifier that enhances healing, has also been used to help prevent keloid recurrence after surgical excision. The cream is applied on alternate nights for eight weeks after surgery. Although the trials have been small, the postsurgical recurrence rate averaged only 28 percent over a six- to nine-month follow-up period, with best results (2.9 percent recurrence) in low skin tension areas such as earlobes.12 Adverse effects include irritation and hyperpigmentation.

  • Treatment of keloids with short-pulsed, 585-nm pulsed dye laser has shown limited promise, with a 57 to 83 percent improvement rate.15 It is more vascular-specific than other laser therapies and appears to be most effective if used early and in conjunction with other techniques.
  • Laser-treated portions of keloidal median sternotomy scars showed significant improvement in erythema, pruritus, and scar height compared with untreated portions of the same scars, and these improvements persisted for at least six months.16 The principal effect of a pulsed dye laser is on scar microvasculature, reducing erythema and pruritus and improving skin texture.
You might be interested:  Sharp Pain In Right Side When Sneezing?

The effectiveness of this therapy remains controversial, however, with other studies showing insignificant reduction in scar thickness.29 Disadvantages include significant expense and availability only through a specialist. Other therapies with limited studies include intralesional verapamil, fluorouracil, bleomycin, and interferon alfa-2b injections.

  • Although all of these have results comparable or sometimes superior to corticosteroid injection and silicone sheeting, the optimal keloid therapy remains undefined.
  • Combinations of therapies have proved superior to individual approaches.
  • Intralesional verapamil (2.5 mg per mL) in conjunction with silicone sheeting reduced keloid postsurgical recurrence by 90 percent at 18 months (54 percent of patients were keloid-free; 36 percent had partial success) compared with only 18 percent showing any improvement with silicone sheeting alone (no patients were keloid-free).17 Calcium antagonists appear to work by reducing collagen production and may be a reasonable and safe alternative to corticosteroid injection in the future.

Intralesional fluorouracil (50 mg per mL, two to three times per week) appears to shrink keloids safely while avoiding the tissue atrophy and telangiectasia that may occur with repeated corticosteroid injections.30 Combining fluorouracil with corticosteroid injections and pulsed dye laser produced superior results more rapidly than corticosteroid injections alone or corticosteroids with fluorouracil.13 Good to excellent responses at 12 weeks as rated by a blinded observer were 15 percent for triamcinolone acetonide, 40 percent for triamcinolone plus fluorouracil, and 70 percent for all three modalities (all significant).

  1. Combining corticosteroids and fluorouracil diminished the adverse effects of corticosteroids.
  2. Rare skin complications of fluorouracil may include hyperpigmentation and wound ulceration.
  3. No systemic adverse effects (e.g., anemia, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia) occurred in this study.
  4. Bleomycin is another useful chemotherapeutic agent; a standard approach is bleomycin tattooing 0.1 mL (1.5 IU per mL) over two to six sessions, with a maximal dose of 6 mL.31 Results of one study showed a total regression of 84 percent.18 Multiple intralesional punctures are probably safe because it is likely that less than 5 percent of the dose ever reaches the bloodstream.18 Compared with triamcinolone injections combined with cryotherapy, bleomycin tattoo performed significantly better for keloids larger than 100 mm 2 ( P =,03).19 Systemically administered bleomycin is capable of causing pulmonary fibrosis (at doses greater than 400 U) and various cutaneous reactions (at doses of 200 to 300 U), including hair loss, hyperpigmentation, fibrosis, and vasospasm, any of which warrants cessation of treatment.32 Intralesional interferon alfa-2b (1.5 million IU twice daily for four days) reduced keloid size by 50 percent over nine days, proving superior to intralesional corticosteroids.31 Interferon alfa-2b was also more effective than corticosteroids for preventing keloid recurrence after excision.

Injection pain and expense (about $100 per treatment) are the main concerns. A liposome-encapsulated interferon alfa-2b cream is also being investigated for scar reduction.33 Radiation, alone or (more commonly) after keloid excision, is a much more controversial option.

What does a permanent keloid look like?

– A keloid is a raised scar that occurs as a result of trauma or injury to the skin. Sometimes, this type of scar may appear after a piercing. A keloid forms due to an overgrowth of fibrous tissue. In response to injury, cells in the skin — called fibroblasts — produce excessive collagen, which leads to the development of a keloid.

  1. Eloids can take 3–12 months to develop after the original injury.
  2. They start as raised scars that can be pink, red, purple, or brown and typically become darker over time.
  3. The appearance can depend on the location of the keloid, as well as the person’s skin tone.
  4. Earlobe keloid scars are likely to be round or oval.

They can continue to grow over time — either quickly or slowly — and can become very large. The texture of keloids can differ. They can feel soft and doughy or hard and rubbery. Other symptoms that a person with a keloid scar may experience include:

painitchinesstenderness

What do keloids look like?

What are keloid scars? – A keloid scar is an enlarged, raised scar that can be pink, red, skin-coloured or darker than the surrounding skin. They can develop after very minor skin damage, such as an acne spot or a piercing, and spread beyond the original area of skin damage.

Does salt water get rid of keloids?

Answer: Keloids develop from inflammation The scars and keloids form as a healing response to trauma and should settle down in a few months, but will grow with continued stimulation of inflammation. Salt treatments may help to reduce swelling, but the foreign body inflammation will only add more collagen to the keloid.

What can stop a keloid from growing?

After the wound heals, apply silicone gel sheets or silicone gel. You can buy both of these products without a prescription. They can help prevent a keloid. To get the best results, you apply a new sheet or gel to the area every day.

Why am I getting keloids all of a sudden?

Spontaneous Keloids: A Literature Review Background: Keloids are benign fibroproliferative tumors that extend beyond the original wound. Spontaneous keloids are those that result without a significant history of trauma. There are multiple reported cases in the literature.

  1. Objective: This article provides a summary and review of the cases that have been reported with spontaneous keloids and organizes them according to their associated medical conditions.
  2. Methods: A literature review was conducted using PubMed and MEDLINE that included all English published cases and case series from May 1955 to February 2018.

Results: Spontaneous keloids have been reported mainly in association with syndromes such as Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, Dubowitz syndrome, Noonan syndrome, Goeminne syndrome, Bethlem myopathy, conjunctivocorneal dystrophy, X-linked recessive polyfibromatosis and a novel X-linked syndrome with flamin A mutation.

  • Furthermore, spontaneous keloids were reported in atopic patients and a couple of patients who are medically healthy.
  • Conclusion: Spontaneous keloids are diagnosed clinically based on the patient’s history, and it is challenging to confirm since they might be triggered by minimal injury or inflammation especially if it is a single lesion.

Reported syndromes indicate a genetic possibility in the pathogenesis of spontaneous keloids. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel Keloids are benign fibroproliferative tumors that occur as a response to any kind of injury to the skin of susceptible individuals.

  • Eloid tissue extends beyond the margins of the wound, which distinguishes it from hypertrophic scars,
  • Eloids tend to grow symptomless, but still can often cause pain or itching.
  • They have a functional, aesthetic, or psychosocial impact on patients, as highlighted by quality-of-life studies,
  • Individuals of African, Hispanic, or Asian descent appear to be at an increased risk for the development of keloids,

Spontaneous keloids, that is, those keloidal lesions that develop without any history of trauma or surgery, are very rare. It is generally believed that they are triggered by microtrauma or minimal cutaneous inflammation in genetically susceptible patients.

Should I be worried about keloids?

Is Your Scar Getting Bigger? Understanding Keloid Scars Scars tend to fade over time, but some people may have scars that grow larger. These types of scars are known as keloids. Learn more about keloid scars so that you can get the treatment you need if you suspect you have one.

You might be interested:  What Is The Best Medicine For Back Pain?

What Do Keloid Scars Look Like? Unlike other scar types, keloid scars can extend and grow beyond the original injury site. Unlike other scars that may be flat and lightly colored, keloids are often lumpy and ridged. They can be flesh-colored, but they can also be brown, red, or pink. What Causes Keloids to Develop? Keloid scars are the result of an over-active healing process; however, doctors are still unsure why some people develop them while others don’t.

For example, some people with acne scars may just develop atrophic scars, which are flat, shallow depressions on the skin, while other people with acne scars may develop keloids. Keloids can also develop after the following:

Vaccinations Surgical incisions Ear piercing Burn injuries A case of chickenpox

While the cause of keloid formation is still unclear, some demographics are more at risk for their development. For instance, certain genes, like the gene, can make some people more likely to develop these kinds of scars. People of Latino or Asian descent are also more likely to develop keloids after injuries compared to other ethnicities.

Are Keloids a Problem? Some people may be worried that keloids are cancerous because of their size and discoloration; however, keloids are benign. They are mainly a cosmetic concern. While keloids don’t cause pain, they can be very itchy and can cause discomfort if they rub against clothing or affect movement around joints.

How Can a Dermatologist Help? Visit your dermatologist for a firm diagnosis if you suspect you have a keloid. If you do have a keloid, you have many different treatment routes available. Conservative treatment routes can include things like corticosteroids or cryotherapy.

Corticosteroids Corticosteroids are drugs that can lower inflammation levels in the body. Your doctor can inject some corticosteroids directly into the keloid, which can reduce itchiness and swelling. The steroids also break up the bonds between collagen fibers — a structural protein found in skin — which can help the scar tissue to shrink.

Cryotherapy During cryotherapy, your dermatologist will spray liquid nitrogen into the keloid to freeze it. The keloid cells are destroyed and shrink when frozen. Cryotherapy is best used for people with smaller keloids. If you’ve had a keloid for some time or have a larger keloid that doesn’t respond to corticosteroid injections or cryotherapy, then your dermatologist might recommend surgery or laser treatments.

Surgery During surgery, your dermatologist can excise the excess scar tissue and use skin grafts from another area of your body to encourage healing. However, the removal of keloids could lead to more keloids, so to prevent that from happening, your dermatologist may use pressure bandages or silicone bandages on the surgical site following the procedure.

Laser Treatments Laser treatments can help the keloid and area around the keloid look smoother and give your skin a more even appearance. Laser treatments can reduce the number of blood vessels, and such decreasing vascularization can reduce further growth of the scar tissue.

Like surgical excision, there is a risk that the treatment could increase scar tissue in the area, but pressure bandages after the procedure can help reduce this risk. These are just a few ways you can treat keloid scars. Reach out to our staff members at for more information about this condition and how to treat it.

: Is Your Scar Getting Bigger? Understanding Keloid Scars

Are keloids cancerous?

A keloid is an overgrowth of scar tissue. They are not cancerous, and they don’t affect your physical health. However, they can be harmful to your mental health and extremely sensitive or uncomfortable.

How do you get rid of a keloid overnight?

Aloe Vera Gel – Known for its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, the wonder gel from the aloe leaves are an absolute answer for almost all skin problems. It plays a quintessential role in reducing the size of the keloids and also minimises soreness, inflammation and helps in the healing of the scar tissue.

What shrinks a keloid?

Treatment – Keloid scar treatments include the following. One or a combination of approaches might be best for your situation. Even after successful flattening or removal, keloids can grow back, sometimes bigger than before. Or you may develop new ones.

  • Wound care. For newer keloids, the first treatment option might be compression dressings made from stretchy fabric or other materials. This method is also used after surgery to remove keloids. The goal is to reduce or prevent a scar by putting pressure on the wound as it heals. Such dressings need to be worn for 12 to 24 hours a day for 4 to 6 months to be effective. This method can be very uncomfortable.
  • Corticosteroid cream. Applying a prescription strength corticosteroid cream can help ease itchiness.
  • Injected medicine. If you have a smaller keloid, your doctor might try reducing its thickness by injecting it with cortisone or other steroids. You’ll likely need monthly injections for up to six months before seeing the scar flatten. Possible side effects of corticosteroid injections are skin thinning, spider veins and a permanent change in skin color (hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation).
  • Freezing the scar. Small keloids might be reduced or removed by freezing them with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy). Repeat treatments might be needed. Possible side effects of cryotherapy are blistering, pain and loss of skin color (hypopigmentation).
  • Laser treatment. Larger keloids can be flattened by pulsed-dye laser sessions. This method has also been useful in easing itchiness and causing keloids to fade. Pulsed-dye laser therapy is delivered over several sessions with 4 to 8 weeks between sessions. Your doctor might recommend combining laser therapy with cortisone injections. Possible side effects, which are more common in people with darker skin, include hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation, blistering and crusting.
  • Radiation therapy. Low-level X-ray radiation alone or after surgical removal of a keloid can help shrink or minimize the scar tissue. Repeat treatments might be needed. Possible side effects of radiation therapy are skin complications and, in the long term, cancer.
  • Surgical removal. If your keloid hasn’t responded to other therapies, your doctor might recommend removing it with surgery in combination with other methods. Surgery alone has a recurrence rate of 45% to 100%.

How long does it take for a keloid to leave?

These scars appear in the first weeks after a wound heals and then develop over the next six to eight months, after which they stop. Keloids, on the other hand, begin to grow anytime in the first year after the injury and can continue to spread for months or even years.

How long to keloids take to go away?

Between 50% and 80% of keloids shrink after being injected. Many of these keloids, however, will regrow within five years. To improve results, your dermatologists may follow these injections with one or more treatments like keloid surgery or prescribe a pressure garment.