A scar is the skin's natural response to an injury or wound. However, in the case of a keloid scar, the skin overcompensates for an injury by developing excess amounts of skin over the wound. Keloids are composed of fibroblasts, which are thick pieces of tissue that can be flesh-toned, red or purple in color that develop over the skin, giving a mound-like appearance over the skin. When a keloid occurs, it is important to treat the scar in order to prevent excessive growth. Because keloid development often is a genetic trait, it's important for those with keloids to be aware of skin injuries that may trigger keloid development.
Step 1
Apply a silicon or compression bandage to the keloid. These bandages can be purchased over-the-counter at most pharmacies. Because the keloid is essentially tough, excess scar tissue, the compression helps to break up and soften the tissue, reducing the keloid's size. Silicon bandages also have been linked with reduction of a keloid's appearance.
Step 2
Apply each bandage as instructed--this typically is performed on a daily basis. This treatment may take several months to take full effect in treating the scar. If this fails, it is time to try a more invasive method.
Step 3
See a physician who can evaluate your keloid scar for treatment options. One in-office procedure that can be performed is a steroid injection into the scar, which helps to reduce inflammation in the keloid as well as reduce the keloid's thickness. This is not, however, a good treatment option for larger scars. If less-invasive methods do not prove fruitful, a physician may recommend surgical methods.
Step 4
Make an appointment with a surgeon in order to have the surgeon excise the surgical wound. While this procedure is effective for removing the current keloid, there is always a risk for developing a larger keloid, particularly after surgical removal. For this reason, X-ray treatments are given following the surgery in order to prevent the cells from uncontrolled growth. It also is best to practice the earlier-mentioned non-invasive methods following removal in order to prevent the keloid from coming back or even growing potentially larger.
Tips and Warnings
- Cover your keloid with a bandage when going out in the sun. Failure to do so could result in keloid discoloration.
Things You'll Need
- Silicon compression bandage
