Keloid Treatment – What Helps You the Most?

Keloid scars are granulation tissue that begins to grow out of control after a skin injury. This may be the result of surgery, body piercings, blemishes or even a simple little cut or scrape or even a pimple. An overgrowth of collagen, which is necessary for normal healing, will form a lump at the site of the injury. In susceptible individuals this lump tends to continue growing.

Keloid scars can be asymptomatic or they can be painful and very itchy for some people. Secondary infections sometimes occur when the uncontrollable itch causes the person to scratch the scar or when the keloid is located in a hair bearing area such as the scalp, beard, or pubic area. Keloids can also become ulcerated as a result of the infection making the situation much worse.

Who gets Keloid scars?

The exact cause of Keloid scars is unknown although a familial tendency is often noted. People of any age and any walk of life can develop Keloid scars although children under 11 rarely present these symptoms.  There is an ethnic predisposition for keloids to occur in Asians, African Descendants, and Northern Europeans.

How to prevent Keloid scars:

Since the cause is unknown there is no way to determine who will and will not develop them. The best way to prevent them is to avoid instances of elective skin injuries such as piercings and tattoos. If a family member has developed Keloid scars, you need to take extra precautions since there is usually a 50% or more chance that another family member can be affected as well.

Effective Keloid Treatment

The best treatment will be determined by a dermatologist after he/she has examined your Keloid scars. If infection is present it will need to be dealt with first.

• Corticosteroid injections. This is usually the first course of action for most Keloid scars. The corticosteroid is injected into the scar tissue and results in the shrinking and flattening of the Keloid as well as relief from pain and itching. Although about 70% of the patients respond favorably to this treatment, there is a recurrence rate of 50% within 5 years.
• Excision. Having the scar surgically removed along with additional therapies of triamcinolone or interferon injections. With excision alone, the recurrence rate is very high. Used in combination with other therapies it ranges from 10% to 50% depending upon the body location.
• Silicone Gel Sheeting. This treatment is effective in treating symptoms such as itching but does not remove or reduce the scar.
• Cryosurgery. Like excision, this is most effective in combination with other treatments and therapies. This Keloid treatment is not recommended or used with caution for skin of color as it often results in hypopigmentation of the skin leaving lighter spots where the scar was.
• Radiation therapy should be reserved only for patients who do not respond well to other forms of therapy and never on children or very young patients. It has been shown to be an effective follow up to excision with only a 13% recurrence rate. There have been links to cancer developing in the Keloid site but the link to radiation therapy has not been proven.
• Pulsed dye laser. This type of treatment is primarily beneficial for new keloids in the early growth phase and in individuals who do not have darker skin color. Laser therapy has shown to be a very effective Keloid treatment. The laser causes a regression of Keloid growth and stimulates enzyme activity. Used in combination with corticosteroid injections it has proved to be the most helpful treatment to date.