Keloids are not harmful to your health. But having keloids can be upsetting to you. You may be embarrassed about how they look. This can hurt your self-esteem. American Academy of Dermatology: Keloids.
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Food Poisoning. Acute Bronchitis. Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. Bursitis of the Hip. Abnormal Uterine Bleeding. High Blood Pressure. Home Diseases and Conditions Keloids. Table of Contents. What are keloids? Symptoms of keloids Keloids can have the following characteristics: Appear and grow slowly. It can take 3 months up to a year before you see the first signs of a keloid. Then it takes weeks or months for it to grow. Sometimes, they continue to grow slowly for years. Begin as a raised pink, red, or purple scar.
A keloid is usually a raised scar with a flat surface. The color tends to darken with time. Feel different than the surrounding skin. Some keloids feel soft and doughy. Others are hard and rubbery. Cause pain, itching, or tenderness. When they are growing, some keloids may be itchy, tender, or painful to the touch. These symptoms usually stop once the keloid stops growing. What causes keloids? A surgeon may use aesthetic techniques to move a scar to a less visible place.
With scars on the face, a surgeon may remove and reposition the scar formed by an incision closure so that it is broken up or heals along a natural fold in the skin, making it less noticeable. For example, surgeons may reposition a scar located on the cheek closer to the ear, making it almost imperceptible.
With large burn scars, a surgeon may reduce and realign the scar tissue to more naturally follow the contours of the body. Other cosmetic techniques include injecting a small amount of fat—which surgeons typically remove from another part of your body, such as the thigh or belly—to fill in any sunken areas caused by an open wound that healed by itself or by a wide zone of injury.
In some instances, a surgeon may recommend removing a large hypertrophic scar or keloid. Keloids that far exceed the margins of the original wound, for example, require removal to allow surgeons to reconstruct the surrounding skin and tissue and restore as much of the underlying structure as possible.
A surgeon may also remove a large hypertrophic scar rather than revise it. Removing a scar enables a surgeon to reclose the incision using specialized cosmetic techniques, resulting in a thinner, less noticeable scar. For scars that cover large areas of skin—for example, a burn scar—a surgeon may use a reconstructive technique, such as skin expansion, to allow for replacement of the burn scar with normal skin. In skin expansion, surgeons first implant a small balloon beneath healthy skin next to the scar.
In the weeks before surgery to remove the scar, the balloon is slowly filled with saline water during office visits to expand the healthy skin. Then, when performing surgery to remove the scar, the surgeons use this expanded skin to replace the damaged or burned skin. The new skin heals naturally. NYU Langone doctors also offer hair transplantation if a scar forms in a location where hair naturally grows, such as the eyebrow.
One of the most effective ways of dealing with keloids is combining more than one treatment option. A combination of steroid injections and pulsed dye laser treatments is sometimes recommended. The steroid injections will reduce scar formation and inflammatory response while the pulsed dye laser treatment reduces blood supply to the area.
While some people believe that surgical treatment for keloids could be the most effective way of getting rid of keloids, its cons outweigh the benefits. A combination of various non-surgical treatment methods yield better results and is a safer approach.
Keloids can be difficult to treat since they are scar tissue. Different skin injuries such as surgery, body piercing, vaccination, burns, and acne scars can lead to keloids formation. Although everyone is at risk of developing keloids, they are more common in dark-skinned individuals and those of Asian descent. The primary goal of the various keloid treatment options is to alleviate any pain, prevent itching and therefore prevent further growth of the scar, as well as cosmetic improvement so that they appear more like the surrounding skin.
Keloid Scar Removal in Singapore June 20, Who Is At Risk? What Causes Keloids? Symptoms Keloids will most likely appear in areas of previous trauma, but they extend beyond the injured area. Diagnosis No tests are needed to diagnose keloids. Steroid Injections This treatment option comes in two distinct forms; topical steroids and the injection of steroid locally. CO2 Laser Therapy A dermatologist may recommend the use of CO2 laser treatment to reduce discoloration and redness in mature keloids.
Pulsed Dye Laser Therapy This is an effective treatment method for reducing redness and discoloration in scars. Combination Approach One of the most effective ways of dealing with keloids is combining more than one treatment option.
Is Surgical Treatment for Keloids Recommended? Summary Keloids can be difficult to treat since they are scar tissue.
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