How to Get Rid of a Keloid From a Piercing
Keloid scars, an unfortunate byproduct of ear piecing, occur when excess collagen builds up instead of normal skin tissue around an ear-piercing wound. Although keloids do not present a danger to a person's physical health, they can cause itching, pain and physical disfigurement. Removing a keloid begins with conservative treatments. If these are unsuccessful, surgical excision might be necessary.
Instructions
-
-
1
Wear a Band-Aid over your keloid when exposed to the sun to prevent the keloid from becoming discolored in appearance.
-
2
Apply the adhesive gel sheet directly to the keloid. Begin by wearing the sheet for 4 hours, then work your way up to 8 hours at a time. Gel sheets can reduce the size of keloids and the itchy symptoms associated with them.
-
-
3
Use a Zimmer splint or ear clip to reduce the scar tissue buildup in the skin. Clip the Zimmer splint directly onto the ear and securely clamp the keloid. The splint, which closely resembles an earring, creates pressure on the earlobe. This constant pressure can reduce keloid size by as much as 50 percent, according to InteliHealth.com.
-
4
Begin by wearing the splint for 4 hours at a time, then work your way up in 2-hour increments as the splint becomes increasingly more comfortable. Make your goal to wear the clips for 24 hours a day for a period of six months.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
As soon as you notice a keloid developing around a piercing, initiate treatment. Silicone gel sheets are available for purchase from most local or online drugstores. While over-the-counter treatments are not painful, it may take several months to successfully flatten the scar surrounding the piercing. However, they have proven to be a successful over-the-counter treatment used in place of more invasive methods.
The tendency to produce keloids can be genetically inherited. If a close relative has keloids, it is highly likely you will experience them at a piercing site as well. Additional treatment methods involve more invasive approaches in treating keloids, including corticosteroid injections, which can reduce the keloid's size; cryosurgery, to reduce the keloid's size, and surgical removal, which can remove the keloid, but recurrence is frequent following the procedure.
