How to Get Rid of a Keloid Scar
Keloids are raised scars that appear after a skin injury. They form when there is an overproduction of scar tissue and can sometimes be quite large. Around 10 percent of people suffer from keloids, according to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD), and the scars can be difficult to eradicate. Keloids are not dangerous, but if you want to get rid of a keloid for cosmetic reasons, treatments are available.
Instructions
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Treatment
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See your physician. Keloids are hard to get rid of, and home treatments are not effective.
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Ask your physician about treating your keloid with cortisone injections. This is the best initial treatment for keloids, according to the AOCD. Injections are usually given once a month for several months.
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Consider cryosurgery, which involves freezing the keloid. Cryosurgery is often used along with cortisone injections, and it works best on small scars and light skin tones.
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Ask your physician about alpha-interferon, a drug that can be injected into the skin after keloid removal. It may keep the keloid from returning.
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According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, laser therapy may be an effective treatment for keloids.
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Ask your physician for advice if your keloid is very large or causing a part of your body to be immobile. Severe keloids can be surgically removed, and the scar tissue removal site can be treated with x-ray therapy. According to the AOCD, about 85 percent of severe keloids can be treated successfully with this method.
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Tips & Warnings
A keloid is not the same as a hypertrophic scar. While the scars look similar, hypertrophic scars are smaller, more common and easier to treat.
According to the AOCD, over-the-counter pads and creams designed to treat keloids may reduce discomfort but will not eliminate the scars.
It is not uncommon for keloids to recur after treatment. If you have a family history of keloids, you may be more likely to experience a recurrence.
