Keloids happen in places where scar tissue keeps growing long after the wound has closed and healed. Some keloids look like puffy, raised scars while others look like large pimples or even tiny balloons. They present challenges because the treatments that usually apply to removing skin masses can actually cause keloids to form at removal sites. Doctors have developed treatments that help slow keloid regrowth after removal, but the scars may still return, even after treatment. Keloids should only be treated under the supervision of a doctor and regardless of the type of treatment, they may recur.
Step 1
Schedule an appointment with a dermatologist to have your keloid evaluated. Talk about any keloids or raised scars you've had in the past and about your expectations for treatment.
Step 2
Schedule surgical removal of your keloid. Receive post-surgery intralesional, or into the wound, corticosteroid injections. Note that your dermatologist might recommend against surgery and skip forward to other treatments.
Step 3
Apply self-adhesive silicone sheeting to the wound, which applies enough pressure to keep any growing scar tissue soft and flat. Obtain these sheets from your pharmacy, or ask your pharmacist or doctor to order them for you if you have trouble locating them. Change the sheet every 12 to 24 hours and wear them 24 hours per day for at least three months, as noted in the article "Management of Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars," published in "American Family Physician" in 2009.
Step 4
Receive monthly corticosteroid injections to suppress scar tissue formation. Receive these injections for up to six months.
Step 5
Apply a 5 percent imiquimod cream for as long as six to nine months if prescribed by your doctor. Apply the cream to your scar every other night until directed to stop.
Things You'll Need
- Silicon sheeting
- Corticosteroid injections
- 5 percent imiquimod cream
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