How to Remove Keloid Scars
Keloids are overgrowths of scar tissue that extend beyond the boundaries of healed skin injury sites. Keloids can occur from skin injuries like wounds, acne, surgical incisions, body piercing and burns. For some people, a keloid scar can be a cause of discomfort and cosmetic concern when it affects a person's appearance. These are usually the main reasons why people want to remove keloid scars. Luckily, there are various treatments that people can utilize to remove keloid scars. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Prevent the formation of keloid scars at a skin injury site by applying pressure to it with a dressing. When the injury heals, you can place a dressing on it for a few hours daily. Silicone gel dressings are another alternative. Once keloid scars form, they can be difficult to treat.
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Get cortisone injections to flatten raised keloid scars. People usually get an injection once a month until there are visible results. It can take from 3 to 6 months to see results.
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Use cryotherapy for small keloids. Freezing the scars with liquid nitrogen can help flatten them, but this procedure may cause some darkening to the treatment site.
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Improve a keloid's color and skin texture by getting laser treatments. The pulsed-dye laser may be an effective treatment in reducing the redness from a scar; but several treatments may be necessary.
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Remove keloid scars by surgical excision. For best results with this procedure, patients may receive a combination of steroids and radiation treatments immediately after the surgery.
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Consult a dermatologist and discuss other possible options or treatments. One option may be interferon therapy (see the link in Resources). Depending on the severity of the condition, a doctor can recommend the best course of treatment to remove keloid scars.
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Tips & Warnings
Keloid scars can reappear even after surgery. Sometimes, people confuse a keloid scar with a hypertrophic scar. The difference between these is that hypertrophic scars do not widen outside the boundary of the injury site.
