If you get burned or cut, your skin usually heals itself without incident. Unfortunately, for some people, a minor injury to the skin may cause scar tissue to grow far beyond the original site, producing a thick, disfiguring scar known as a keloid. If you have had one keloid scar form, you are likely to experience a recurrence on future injuries to the skin.
Appearance
Keloids are hard, rubbery, raised bumps that can be red, reddish-brown, pink or flesh-colored. According to "The Merck Manuals," they can rise one-fourth of an inch or more above the skin's surface. Keloids can form anywhere on your body but are most likely to appear on your shoulders, ear lobes, upper chest and back. Often growing larger over time, they may feel tender or itchy.
Causes
Keloids are caused by skin injuries like burns, acne, chicken pox, ear/body piercing, cuts, insect bites and surgical incisions. Normally when the body experiences these sorts of injuries, it creates more of a connective tissue protein called collagen to seal the opening and help heal the wound. This process results in a scar, which usually fades over time. However, sometimes the body keeps producing collagen, and the scar continues to grow even after the wound has healed. This overgrowth of scar tissue is called a keloid.
Who's at Risk?
Anyone can develop keloids, but they are more common in people with darker skin tones. According to observations published in the "Journal of the American Dental Association," of the estimated 3 million Americans who are affected by keloids, the majority are African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians. Keloid formation can have a genetic component, and is most likely to develop between the ages of 10 and 30.
Treatment
Even though keloids are not contagious or cancerous, they can make you feel self-conscious. Several different treatment options are available. Having steroid injections, applying retinoids (chemicals related to vitamin A) or covering the scar with silicone gel or salicylic acid solution sheets may help reduce keloid formation. Freezing keloids with liquid nitrogen or undergoing surgery may eliminate them altogether. However, getting rid of keloids is very challenging, especially since treatment can make keloids worse, according to Dr. Marcus Frohm, a Mayo Clinic dermatologist. In fact, based on observations made in the "Journal of the American Dental Association," 60 percent of keloids come back after attempts to remove or reduce them.
Prevention
If you already have a keloid scar formation, you are at high risk of developing more, according to Frohm. As a result, preventing further keloids is important. Unfortunately, because you can't stop keloid formation once the wound healing process has started, prevention relies on avoiding skin injuries. The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center at Penn State University suggests you avoid scratching or picking at acne, insect bites and other skin irritations. Frohm recommends avoiding ear/body piercing and tattoos, as well as any unnecessary surgery or medical procedures that could lead to scar formation.
