Treating Keloids

Also referred to as ‘keloidal scars’, keloids are skin lesions which repair beyond the size of the original cut or wound. They vary in size, shape, and location and occur commonly on the ear lobes, neck, chest, or back and usually occur after an injury or surgery.

What Causes Keloids?

Keloids form as a result of an overgrowth in collagen production during the skin’s healing process. This happens when your collagen and fibroblasts (cells that make skin) go into overdrive and just don’t know when to stop. Nobody knows why this happens but the end result is a lump that is often many times larger than the original scar. Keloids can also develop spontaneously, without any skin injury. Something as simple as a pimple or scratch may give rise to them.

Keloids are generally benign, but they can hurt with pain ranging from needle-like to itchiness. They affect both men and women equally with a much higher frequency (fifteen times higher) in highly pigmented individuals.

Keloid Treatment

No treatment can cure keloids 100%, so the goal in treatment is to minimize its appearance. A range of treatments are available, all with varying degrees of success:

• One of the most effective treatments for keloids is steroid injections directly into the keloid. Treatment is usually repeated once a month for several months. While the keloid won’t disappear, it will flatten and become less noticeable.
• Silicone sheeting and gels. Although nobody knows exactly why this works, studies show that it does. Dermatix C gel -  combines silicone with Vitamin C (which in itself can help to produce healthy tissue and minimize darkened patches of skin)
• Laser surgery may be performed by a plastic surgeon or dermatologist. Check to see if this might be the right treatment for you.