What is a Keloid Scar? 6 Effective Treatments!
What is a Keloid Scar? The scar is fibrous tissue that grows over an injury to the skin to heal and protect it. In some circumstances, additional scar tissue develops, resulting in keloids, which are complex, smooth growths.
Keloids sometimes exceed the size of the initial wound. They most frequently appear on the cheekbones, earlobes, shoulders, and chest. Keloids, however, can impact any area of the body.
Even though keloids are not dangerous to your health, they can be unsightly.
Whenever the body’s recovery period is too rapid, an enlarged scar called a keloid, also known as a keloid scar, forms.
After a wound like a minor burn, cut, or abrasion, the body’s natural healing process includes the formation of scars.
Scars fade with time and become smaller, but in rare cases, the skin may overreact to the injury, producing scars far more significant than the original lesion. These scars are known as keloid scars.
1. What is a Keloid Scar?
A keloid scar is a thickened, arched scar. Skin damage can occur anywhere, but it usually manifests on the chest, shoulders, cheeks, or earlobes.
If you are susceptible to developing keloids, they could appear in several places.
Keloid scars can be unpleasant even though they are not physiologically harmful. Early diagnosis or prevention is crucial.
It is possible to treat scars from keloids. If you don’t like how a keloid feels or appears, ask your doctor how to flatten or remove it. Even after treatment, a keloid may persist for years or come back.
1.1. Keloid Scar Symptoms
The excessive development of scar tissue is what causes keloids. The average keloid scar is greater than the actual wound.
Keloid scars may itch, but they often pose little threat to your health. You’re clothing or other types of friction may cause you to feel uneasy, uncomfortable, or even irritated.
Large portions of your body can develop keloid scarring, which is often uncommon. When this occurs, the tight, stiff scar tissue may limit motion.
In many cases, keloids are more of an aesthetic issue than a health one. You could feel self-conscious if the keloid is large or situated in a prominent area, such as on the face or an earlobe.
1. Some warning signs and symptoms include:
2. Scarring is thick and asymmetrical, usually on the chest’s earlobes, shoulders, cheekbones, or concenter
3. Luminous, hairless, lumpy, and elevated skin
4. Various sizes are based on the extent of the initial damage and the point at which the keloid stops growing.
5. Various textures, ranging from rubbery to hard and soft
6. Depending on the tone of your skin, reddish, brown, or purplish
7. Itchiness
8. Discomfort
1.2. Keloid Scar Causes
Keloid scarring affects millions of persons, as per estimates. Keloid scars are equally common in both men and women. Keloids are more likely to develop in people with darker skin tones.
Since keloids frequently have a genetic component, having one or both of your parents with keloids increases your risk of developing them.
Rarely, skin that has not been damaged might develop keloids. These have the name “spontaneous keloids.”
Keloid creation can result from skin damage, including bug bites, acne, injections, body piercings, burns, hair removal, and even tiny scrapes and bumps. Sometimes keloids can form for no apparent reason.
A keloid is different from a hypertrophic scar. Without treatment, a hypertrophic scar can eventually disappear and is contained by the initial incision.
1.3. Hypertrophic Scars
Keloids are occasionally mistaken for hypertrophic scars, a more prevalent type of scar. These scars are flat and can be any hue, from pink to brown.
Hypertrophic scars are less noticeable than keloids and have the potential to fade over time.
Both men and women can develop hypertrophic scars, which can be brought on by various physical or chemical traumas, including piercings or strong perfumes.
Fresh hypertrophic scars can be unpleasant and itchy at first, but as the skin heals, the symptoms go away.
2. Treatment for Keloids
2.1. Home Remedies
Deciding to treat a keloid can be challenging; Keloid scarring results from the body’s attempt to restore itself.
After the keloid has been removed, the scar tissue may return and get bigger.
Before undertaking any medical procedures, think about using DIY cures. Oils for moisturizers are available online from shops.
These might help to reduce the scar without making it worse. Keloids usually fade over time and subsequently grow flattered, even without therapy.
If the keloid scar is still relatively young, your doctor might suggest less invasive methods like silicone pads, pressure dressings, or injections.
2.2. Keloids Surgery
Surgical excision may be suggested in the case of an exceptionally large keloid or an older keloid scar. Keloid scarring after surgery can happen frequently.
Cryosurgery is likely the type of surgery for keloids that has the best success rate. Liquid nitrogen I, also known as cryotherapy, is essentially used to ” freeze” away the keloid.
Your doctor may also suggest corticosteroid injections after surgery to reduce swelling and lessen the chance that the keloid will grow again.
2.3. Laser Treatment for Keloid Scars
Your doctor may suggest laser therapy for certain scar types, such as some keloids.
This procedure uses powerful laser beams to renew the skin around the keloid to produce a smoother, more toned appearance.
The risk of laser therapy is that it will exacerbate your keloids by bringing on more erythema and scarring.
Even though sometimes these side effects are better than the original scar, you should still expect to experience some scarring.
With similar benefits and risks, laser therapy can also be used to treat other kinds of skin scarring.
2.4. Preventing Keloids
Keloid scarring treatments can be challenging and even ineffective. Therefore, it’s crucial to make an effort to avoid skin injuries that might result in keloid scarring.
After an accident, applying silicone gel or pressure pads may help prevent keloids.
The scar tissue may turn darker than the surrounding skin due to sun damage or tanning.
This may make the keloid more noticeable. When exposed to the sun, keep the scar protected to avoid discoloration.
2.5. Cryotherapy
In cryotherapy, a physician or dermatologist uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the scar tissue to help it flatten. Numerous minor studies have demonstrated cryotherapy’s efficacy, safety, nontoxicity, and well-tolerance.
2.6. Laser Therapy
Compared to older scars, newly developed scars respond better to laser therapy. The lasers flatten raised scars by burning them. They also target the scars’ red and pink pigments to lessen the spots.
3. How Are Keloids Diagnosed?
Dermatologists typically diagnose keloids by reviewing your medical history and visually inspecting the scar to determine its size, shape, and growth pattern.
To rule out more dangerous disorders such as lobomycosis, a skin infection caused by a fungus, or nodular scleroderma, a form of connective tissue disease, your doctor may also do a skin biopsy.
4. Complications and Prevention of Keloid Scars
On the surface of a joint, keloids can form hard, tight tissue that limits motion.
4.1. Prevention
Follow these self-care precautions if you are prone to keloids:
4.1.1. Use Proper Wound Care Techniques-
Maintain a clean, moist wound. Use neutral soap and water to cleanse the area gently. Put on a thin coating of Vaseline, Aquaphor, or any ointment containing petrolatum.
Apply the cream again as necessary throughout the day. While a wound is healing, your doctor might advise using a silicone gel pad or pressure pad.
Adults must take these precautions for six months and children for up to 18 months following a skin injury.
After getting your ears pierced, you can avoid keloids by pressing pressure earrings against your earlobes.
4.1.2. Defend Your Skin From Harm-
Avoid damaging your skin if you can. Think twice before obtaining tattoos, piercings, or other elective procedures.
A keloid can develop from minor wounds, including cuts, scratches, and ingrown hairs.
Discuss your propensity for keloids with your surgeon if you want to have surgery.
The chance of keloids forming at the surgical site can be decreased by your doctor’s use of surgical methods.
Ask your surgeon about postoperative instructions and carefully follow them after surgery.
Suggested Reading- What Is Keloid: 6 Important Facts That You Must Know
5. Final Words
A type of expanded scar or very aggressive healing reaction to a lesion is known as a keloid, often known as a keloid scar.
Keloid scars, which are frequently thick and asymmetrical, rarely disappear on their own. Dermatologists emphasize the significance of preventing keloids from occurring in the first place because they can be challenging to treat.
Although keloid scars are not physically damaging, they can nonetheless be upsetting. The key is early detection or prevention.
It is feasible to treat keloid scars. Ask your doctor how to flatten or eliminate a keloid if you don’t like how, it feels or looks. A keloid can stay for years or return even after therapy.
Although keloids rarely have adverse side effects, you might not like how they look. A keloid can be treated anytime, even years after it first manifests. Therefore, if a scar bothers you, have it examined.
