Keloid Scar Treatments

Keloid Scar Treatments

A keloid scar is an enlarged, raised scar that can be pink, red, skin-coloured or darker than the surrounding skin.

They can develop after very minor skin damage, such as an acne spot or a piercing, and spread beyond the original area of skin damage.

Keloid scars are more common on the upper chest, shoulders, head (especially the earlobes after a piercing) and neck, but they can happen anywhere.

What do keloid scars look like?

Keloid scars are usually:

Shiny
Hairless
raised above surrounding skin
hard and rubbery
red or purple at first, before becoming brown or pale

They can last for years, and sometimes do not form until months or years after the initial injury.

Treatments for keloid scars

There are several treatments available, but none have been shown to be more effective than others.

Treatment can be difficult and is not always successful.

Treatments that may help flatten a keloid scar include:

steroid injections
applying steroid-impregnated tape for 12 hours a day
applying silicone gel sheeting for several months

Other options include:

freezing early keloid scars with liquid nitrogen to stop them growing
laser treatment to reduce redness (but this will not make the scar any smaller)
surgery, sometimes followed by radiotherapy, to remove the scar (although it can grow back and may be larger than before)