How to Prevent Keloids
Keloids are thick, hard and shiny scars resulting from excessive growth of fibrous tissues. These type of scars usually appear as a raised patch of skin that grow beyond the size of an injured area. It may feel itchy or numb around its surface and typically looks darker than the original color of the skin (brown, pink, or purple). Dark skinned individuals are more susceptible to have keloids than those with lighter skin color. Both men and women are equally vulnerable and they occur more commonly on people between the ages 10 to 30 years old. In most cases, keloids, otherwise known as hypertrophic scars, are considered benign. They may stop growing on their own and may even vanish without treatment. But there are cases where in these elevated skin patches may grow overly large on a damaged area causing discomfort such as interference around movement of joint surfaces.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
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1
Be careful not to cause trauma to your skin and avoid having tattoos or piercing if keloid formation runs in your family as there may be a huge tendency for you to form one. If this is the case, be wary about it.
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2
Avoid submitting yourself to elective surgeries such as face lifting or breast implants. The results of such procedures may not possibly be hindered if keloids are prevalent in your family.
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3
Pamper your skin with spa treatments and keep it properly moist. This will help relax and decrease tension around your skin and muscles, keeping it safe from keloids.
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4
Take care of your cuts or bruises right away to avoid scarring on the area. Applying cortisone injection within the soonest possible time may help reduce keloid size, making the outcome of the scar more appealing.
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5
Consume a lot of collagen-rich food and drinks such as soymilk, cheese, red peppers or tomatoes. All of these will promote faster tissue repair or healing in wounds. Cheese and soymilk contain a substance called genistein that aids collagen production; while red peppers and tomatoes contain lycopenes that acts as antioxidants and also help in collagen formation.
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6
Inform your surgeon about a prevalent formation of keloid in your family, if you are in need of a certain type of surgery (such as cyst removals in the abdomen or breasts). This way, the doctor will somehow find ways to prevent you from having bad scars out of the incised area. To minimize keloids the doctor can do the following: using radiation treatment or corticosteroid injection during the primary onset of healing of the incised area and covering the wound with sheets made up of silicone gel (topical silicone gel sheeting) after the operation or surgery.
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7
Add some vitamins in your diet such as vitamin A, C and E. Taking these supplements will help in keeping your skin protected and healthy.
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