Keloid scars grow beyond the boundaries of the original wound and can appear anywhere on the body. They can be difficult to treat and prevent, but compression, laser surgery, cryotherapy, and radiation can help. Proper wound care can reduce the risk of keloid scarring.
Keloid scars, also known as keloids, are scars that grow out of control, becoming large and protruding beyond the boundaries of the original wound. Keloids can appear at any time during wound healing and the reasons why they form are not fully understood. Treating keloids can be difficult, as they tend to come back. Keloid scarring is also difficult to prevent, with such scarring occurring on perfectly healed wounds along with wounds that receive indifferent treatment or neglect.
These scars look very similar to hypertrophic scars, scars that lift and thicken. The key difference between the two types of scar overgrowth is that keloid scars go beyond the original wound, whereas hypertrophic scars will spread to the wound margins and no further. Keloid scars can be rubbery or stringy in texture and white to reddish in color, depending on where they are located and the types of collagen present in the scar tissue.
Keloids can grow quickly or slowly and can appear anywhere on the body, in people of any age, and in association with any injury, from an old pimple to the site of surgery. Keloids can itch or sting with sharp pain, depending on the patient, and can restrict range of motion if they grow particularly large. Keloid scars are usually treated as benign, because they don’t cause further injury or damage, but people often want to get rid of them because they’re unsightly, painful, or irritating.
Simple surgery for keloid scars is often ineffective because the overgrowth will return. Laser surgery, cryotherapy, and radiation are sometimes successful. Basic compression with a bandage at the wound site can also help shrink a keloid. It is important to seek the advice of a doctor when trying to get rid of a keloid scar, as the scar can become infected, which can lead to complications for the patient.
These scars supposedly form when the skin repairs itself after an injury and cell division goes awry, promoting the uncontrolled growth of collagen and the development of a keloid. There is no way to prevent this from happening, although proper wound care is generally a good idea. Keeping wound sites clean and dry will reduce the risk of infection and may reduce the risk of keloid scarring. Compression bandages can also help and may be recommended after a surgeon performs a procedure that leaves a large wound behind.
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