Keloids are among the most difficult type of scar tissue to treat. They have a high recurrence rate which limits your surgical options, and some people are affected by a type of keloid that keeps growing even after the wound has healed.

Fortunately, there are treatment options available to people who have small and larger keloid scars. Scar treatment, as with all types of scars, will depend on the size and location of the lesion. Also keep in mind that some people have a tendency to produce keloid scars.

What Exactly Is a Keloid Scar?

If you thought that keloids, keloid scar and keloidal scarring referred to different type of keloid scar you've been misinformed. As a matter of fact the all refer to the same thing. Keloids aren't exactly scars but rather benign fibrotic tumors. They are characterized by excessive amounts of collagen, elastin and proteoglycans (all of which make up normal skin).

A keloid can either be small or quite extensive. In order to find out the severity of your keloid you'll have to notice its size and location. For example, keloids that form over joints can cause mobility problems as well as pain.

Keloid Scar Treatment Options

Keloid treatment for minor scars consists mainly of compression therapy and intralesional corticosteroid injections. Surgery may not be suitable for smaller lesions due to the high recurrence rate of keloid scars.

Compression therapy may be done with silicone bandages or compression garments. Compression garments are often custom-fitted for extra comfort. This is important considering the fact that these types of garments can be worn permanently for several months or a year depending on the size of the keloid.

The pulsed-dye laser can be effective at flattening keloids and making them look less red. This type of treatment is safe and not very painful, however, you'll have to undergo several treatment sessions before seeing results. These may be costly, since such treatments are not generally covered by insurance plans.

Surgery is commonly used to eliminate larger keloids. This option is often necessary because larger keloids can restrict movement and cause pain or discomfort. This type of keloid removal can also give doctors the possibility to monitor and control any new keloid formation. However, before submitting yourself to surgical keloid scar removal, there are several things that need to be done.

Before surgery, the doctor may use corticosteroid injections to treat the keloid. Depending on their success, he or she will determine whether it is convenient to proceed with surgery or not.

During surgery, the doctor may also inject a steroid injection to help control the development of a new keloid. Injections may also be applied after surgery. Compression therapy is also a common post-op treatment used to help keep new keloids from forming.

Other types of treatment options may include radiation, interferon injections, and fluorouracil injections. These treatments have shown positive results in both treating and preventing keloid formation.