How To Get Rid Of Keloid Scars

Getting Rid of Keloid Scars

Last Updated: August 21, 2021

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doctor makes a laser correction of the scar on the skin

A keloid scar develops from regular scar tissue that continues to grow and spread—even after the injury has healed—and often becomes bigger than the injury was in the first place. These scars often discolor the skin and may continue to grow for months or years. Keloid scars can be itchy and painful, and they may limit movement if one grows over a joint.

While they are relatively uncommon—only about 10% of people get keloid scars—they most typically occur in people under 30 with darker skin. Keloid scars can run in families, and men and women have an equal chance of developing keloids. Keloid scar removal can be difficult, but you do have some treatment options.

Keloid Scar Causes

Keloid scars can develop from many different injuries, particularly those that take a longer time to heal, such as surgery or burns. Other causes include shaving, body piercing, tattoos, chickenpox or vaccinations, and acne keloid scars are very common. Keloid scars are most likely to develop on the upper chest, upper arms, shoulders, earlobes and cheeks, but it's possible for them to happen anywhere.

Keloid Scar Treatment

Treatment can be difficult because surgical keloid scar removal comes with a high risk of another one developing. You may need a combination of treatments to see results. There are several types of keloid scar treatments available, which include:

Cortisone shots: Injecting a steroid into the keloid monthly often helps reduce keloid scars, making it flatter and less noticeable. You may see results within six months, but because keloid scars can be stubborn to treat, they may recur.
Cryosurgery: Small scars (such as acne keloids) on people with lighter skin may see positive results from cryosurgery, which uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the scar. This treatment is often used along with cortisone shots.
Interferon alfa-2b injections: This drug has shown positive results, sometimes even better than steroid shots, when it is injected after a keloid is surgically removed. However, these injections are more expensive and painful.
Imiquimod 5% cream: After surgical removal, imiquimod 5% cream has been used to prevent keloid recurrence. This keloid scar cream tends to work best on the earlobes where the skin is less taut.
Pulsed dye laser: Laser treatment has shown less promising results, but outcomes are better when combined with other keloid treatments.
Radiation: This treatment has a higher success rate if used immediately after surgical removal of a keloid scar rather than alone, without surgery.

Keloid Scar Prevention

Because keloid scars are difficult to treat, your best bet is to try to prevent them from developing. Some considerations for prevention include:

Silicone sheets: This product is available over the counter and comes in various forms besides sheets, including strips, gels and sprays. By keeping the area of a scar warm and hydrated, the silicone helps prevent a keloid from forming. It must be worn for at least 12 hours a day and up to the entire day for several months to be effective. In addition to being a prevention technique, silicone sheeting can also be used as a treatment for keloid scars.
Compression: Pressure dressings or clothing are similar to silicone sheeting, but are typically more uncomfortable and must be worn for a longer time, at least six months to a year, to be effective.
Avoiding unnecessary surgery: If you have a high risk of developing a keloid scar, including a family history of keloids, or have had one in the past, you may want to forgo tattoos and opt not to undergo nonessential surgery.

If you have had an injury, surgery, or other wound, such as a tattoo or piercing, and you begin to notice thickening and darkening of your skin, talk to a dermatologist right away to discuss your symptoms.

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About The Author

Ashley Festa is a Greenville, S.C.-based freelance writer and editor who has been writing professionally for nearly two decades. In addition to Healthgrades, she also has written for Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, the University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing and Health Innovation, and Fit Pregnancy magazine.

Last Review Date: 2021 Aug 21

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