When your skin is damaged, such as with a cut, your body repairs the damage and leaves behind scar tissue. Normally, while thicker than the surrounding healthy tissue, the scar tissue is relatively flat. With keloids, the scar tissue grows more than it needs to, causing large, thick, raised areas of scarring. The tendency toward keloid scarring is hereditary and some individuals are more prone than others. It can be difficult to prevent the scars because the body automatically creates them in response to any trauma, no matter how small.
Step 1
Protect your skin as much as possible. The best and only way to prevent keloid scarring is to avoid things that would cause trauma to the skin, such as body piercings, cuts and scrapes.
Step 2
Consult your physician immediately if you do experience skin trauma. Your doctor may administer compression bandages or silicone pads. These methods may prevent keloids from forming, or flatten them so they look more like regular scar tissue.
Step 3
Notify your physician or surgeon about your tendency to form keloids. Those with keloids should avoid surgery as much as possible. Your physician may be able to perform minimally invasive surgery, such as endoscopic, or reduce the size of the incision. He may also be able to administer silicone pads or sprays after the surgery.
Member Comments