A keloid scar forms when connective tissues called fibroblasts create too much replacement tissue when repairing a skin wound. According to the website for the United Kingdom's health service, NHS.uk, keloids most commonly form on the head, neck and shoulders. For people prone to them, keloids can form on the face as a result of skin conditions such as pimples and boils or through jewelry piercings.
Types
Keloids are thought to be largely an inherited trait and those most at risk are young people between the ages of 10 and 30 with African-Caribbean or south Indian skin tones, notes the NHS website. No distinguishable difference exists in keloid frequency between men and women in that demographic. The reason for this group of people being most at risk it still largely unknown.
Diagnosis
To complicate things, hypertrophic scars can look distinctly like keloids and are often confused with them. Hypertropic scars are far more common and do not distinguish between skin types. The American Osteopathic College of Dermatology notes that hypertrophic scars do not grow as large as keloids, fade quicker and are more easily removed by surgery.
Removal
According to MedlinePlus, keloidosis is when keloids repeatedly occur. If keloids are in your blood line, the prospect of this happening is more likely. This is a particularly distressing thought when the keloid has grown on your face. The AOCD's website notes that surgeons can expose the scar site with localized X-rays after surgery to prevent a keloid from regrowing. This has been shown to be 85 percent effective in the most severe cases, according to the AOCD.
Reduction
A more favored approach for keloids by some specialists, especially on delicate areas such as the face, can be to reduce the size of the scar. Liquid nitrogen can be used to freeze the scar, damaging the tissue and either killing it or halting its growth. Another method is to inject the scar with cortisone hormones that reduces inflammation and swelling and induces healing, notes Acne.org.
Considerations
Prevention of keloids altogether is obviously the ideal course of action. If you know that keloids run in your family, avoid piercings on the face. Upon receiving an injury or developing a skin condition, apply silicone pads or steroid-impregnated paper to the wound to prevent growth, notes AOCD.
If you already have a raised scar, consult your doctor to determine whether it is keloid or hypertrophic in nature.
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