Some Quick Facts On Keloid Scars

• Scar formation can be a normal part of the healing process
• In some cases scar tissue formation can be excessive
• The two types of excessive scar tissue formation are known as keloid and hypertrophic scarring
• Keloid scarring tends to overgrow the boundary of the initial injury, and can be itchy and painful. Keloids usually don’t get better with time. Surgical revision of keloid scars can make them worse
• Hypertrophic scarring tends to remain within the boundary of the initial injury, and get better over time.
• Darker skin types are more likely to develope keloid scars
• Keloid scars be be treated with a combination of laser, cortisone/5FU injections, and sometimes surgical excision with adjunctive treatments
• Hypertrophic scars can also be treated with laser, cortisone/5FU injections and also surgical revision.

Keloid scars

The body’s skin naturally heals itself when it is damaged. This healing process can cause scars to appear.

If the skin is broken , the body produces more of a protein called collagen. The collagen grows around the damaged skin and then builds up helping the wound to seal . The resulting scar tends to pull tight and flatten and then fades over time. Unfortunately Keloid scars continue to grow invading the surrounding undamaged skin and can become bigger than the original wound.

There are many kinds of common skin injury’s that could lead to keloid growth such as :injections, insect bites, burns, acne, chicken pox,surgery, ear piercing, lacerations, abrasions, tattooing, vaccinations, injections, folliculitis/ingrown hairs, and shingles. Their appearance is of a raised, often purple/red coloured scar that can have a solid consistency. Removing the scar is one treatment option, however this could make the scar worse i.e. the probability that the resulting surgery scar will also become a keloid is high, usually greater than 50%. Laser treatment has also been used with varying degrees of success.

Although anyone can have a keloid scar form some ethnic groups are at more risk of developing them than others. Keloid scars are seen 15 times more in highly pigmented ethnic groups rather than Caucasians.

Below is a photo of a typical keloid scar.

Can you prevent keloid scars?

Unfortunately there’s little you can do if you have the type of skin that forms keloid scars only to follow the usual routine of keeping the wound clean.If you believe you may be susceptible because of previous experience or a family connection then you can avoid taking extra risks. Do not have piercing or tattoos and make sure you tell your doctor if you are going to have surgery that you may be at risk of developing keloid scars .

Treatment for keloid scars

There is no guaranteed method for getting rid of a keloid scar but there are several types of treatment that can be tried.

• Kelo-cote-advanced gel:Recommended by Dermatologists and Plastic Surgeons, used by the NHS’ Kelo-cote is a new product which has excellent reviews. A patented topical silicone gel for the management and prevention of abnormal scars in the form of hypertrophic scars and keloids.
• Surgery: This is risky, because cutting a keloid can trigger the formation of a similar or even larger keloid. Some surgeons achieve success by injecting steroids or applying pressure dressings to the wound site after cutting away the keloid. Radiation after surgical excision has also been used.
• Laser: The pulsed-dye laser can be effective at flattening keloids and making them look less red. Treatment is safe and not very painful, but several treatment sessions may be needed. These may be costly, since such treatments are not generally covered by insurance plans.
• Silicone sheets: This involves wearing a sheet of silicone gel on the affected area for several hours a day for weeks or months, which is hard to sustain. Results are variable. Some doctors claim similar success with compression dressings made from materials other than silicone.
• Cryotherapy:  Freezing keloids with liquid nitrogen may flatten them but often darkens the site of treatment.
• Interferon: Interferons are proteins produced by the body’s immune systems that help fight off viruses, bacteria, and other challenges. In recent studies, injections of interferon have shown promise in reducing the size of keloids, though it’s not yet certain whether that effect will be lasting. Current research is underway using a variant of this method, applying topical imiquimod(Aldara), which stimulates the body to produce interferon.
• Fluorouracil: Injections of this chemotherapy agent, alone or together with steroids, have been used as well for treatment of keloids.

Below is a photo of large keloid scarring.

Below some links to more information on keloid scars.

• Keloid Scars Best Scar Treatment | Blmnm Lil Chmbr – Keloid Scars Best Scar Treatment You may have trusted what your doctor predicted. He said scars fade naturally over time. Yours didnt. Now what? You ask.
• Many People Do Suffer From Acne Scars | Health For World – Keloid scars tend to “run in families”-that is, abnormal growth of scar tissue is more likely to occur in susceptible people, who often are people with relatives who have similar types of scars. Hypertrophic and keloid scars persist for …
• The treatment of keloid scars – treatment and disposal of keloid … – Image : http://www.flickr.com Keloids are scars on a regular basis, and serious when it pain you should consult with your doctor as keloids risk of infection.
• Keloid Scars Best Scar Treatment – Keloid Scars Best Scar Treatment. You may have trusted what your doctor predicted. He said scars fade naturally over time. Yours didnt. Now what? You ask your doctor whats the best scar treatment . He talks about something called scar …
• How to Effectively Treat Keloid Scars | acnescarscream.com – Keloid scars are produced by the human body attempting to fix itself out of cases that include acne, ear piercing, burns, surgical cuts, chickenpox, and vaccination sites. Younger women are considered to have a substantial rate of …
• How Keloid Scars Are Treated Without Incisive Treatments – After an injury when the pain begins to subside, one of the first things we think about is whether it will leave a scar. Sometimes the injuries that cause scars are out of our control, for example, acne breakouts or accidents…
• Over The Counter Acne Scar Treatments, Part 1 | Acne Articles – Keloid scars: These are elevated scars which are beyond your boundaries of the original trauma. Your scar tissue formation went out of control in these cases. Organic Acne Scar Treatments. Apple Cider Vinegar for Scarred tissues …