Keloids are a type of scar tissue that develops beyond the borders of the original injury site. Like any scar formation, the healing process stimulates the production of collagen and other connective tissues to fill in the gap left in your skin. Normally, the production slows once the wound is closed. But with keloids, the cells continue to multiply, leaving a mound of raised, often red scar tissue on the surface of the skin. Getting rid of this type of scarring can take a great deal of time, but it's not impossible.
Step 1
Ask your doctor about intralesional corticosteroid injections. The American Osteopathic College of Dermatology maintains that injecting corticosteroids directly into the keloid is the best form of treatment. Corticosteroids are administered once a month and should help flatten the raised tissue with the rest of the skin in three to six months.
Step 2
Adhere a pressure bandage over the raised scar tissue, suggests the National Institutes of Health. If corticosteroid injections fail to improve keloids, pressure bandages can be used to compress the raised tissue, reducing its size and appearance on the skin.
Step 3
Schedule a surgical procedure to remove the keloid. This is often the second or third option when corticosteroids are unable to improve raised, red scar tissue. During the procedure, the keloid is cut out of the skin and then the surgical wound is sutured shut.
However, surgeries are typically followed with another treatment, such as corticosteroids, pressure bandages or even radiation, to combat the regrowth of the keloid.
Step 4
Remove the raised, red scar tissue with cryotherapy. Instead of surgical removal, your dermatologist may recommend freezing the keloid. This generates tissue death, which causes the keloid to fall off the skin, explains the American Academy of Dermatology.
Step 5
Flatten and lighten the keloids with laser therapy, recommends the American Academy of Dermatology. The pulses of laser energy help to break down the scar tissue as well as fade discoloration, which can even the raised scar with the surrounding skin.
Step 6
Undergo radiation treatment to remove the keloid. If other methods fail to improve the raised, red scar tissue, dermatologists may recommend undergoing such a procedure. The area is exposed to radiation to break down the scar tissue and bring it flush with the rest of your skin.
Tips and Warnings
- If you have a history of keloids, a pressure bandage can be used to prevent this type of scar tissue from forming. Both cryotherapy and laser therapy are often used in combination with intralesional injections to minimize the recurrence of keloids, advises the American Academy of Dermatology.
