Keloids are probably one of the most difficult type of scar tissues 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 a few treatment options available for people who suffer from small and larger keloid scars. They right type of scar treatment will depend on the size and location of the lesion. Keep in mind that certain people have a tendency to produce keloid scars.

Do I Have a Keloid Scar?

When someone talks about keloids, keloid scar or keloidal scarring they're talking about the same thing. Keloids aren't really scars but instead a benign fibrotic tumor that is characterized by excessive amounts of collagen, elastin, and proteoglycans.

A keloid can either be small or quite extensive. Not only does size determine the severity of this scar tissue, but also its location. For example, keloids that form over joints can cause mobility problems as well as pain.

Options for Keloid Scar Treatment

Any type of keloid treatment used to treat minor scars will consist of compression therapy and intralesional corticosteroid injections. Surgery may not be suitable for smaller lesions due to the high recurrence rate of keloid scars.

Silicone bandages or compression garments may be used as a form of compression therapy. Compression garments are worn permanently for several months or a year depending on the size of the keloid. They can be custom fitted to offer more comfort.

The pulsed-dye laser can be effective at flattening keloids and making them look less red. Treatment is safe and not very painful, but several treatment sessions may be needed. Before subjecting yourself to this type of treatment you should know that it is not often covered by insurance plans, and can therefore become very costly.

Surgery is generally the best option for larger keloids as these may restrict movement and cause pain or discomfort. This type of keloid removal allows doctors the possibility to monitor and control any new keloid formation. However, before actually undergoing surgical keloid scar removal, there is a great deal of pre-op preparation that needs be done.

Before surgery, the doctor may treat the keloid with corticosteroid injections. Depending on how the keloid responds to the injection will be the determinant of whether or not the keloid needs to be removed surgically.

During the surgery a steroid injection may be used as a way of controlling the development of a new keloid. Injections may also be applied after surgery to help prevent a keloid from forming, a task that can also be accomplished by using compression therapy to keep a new keloid under control.

Other treatment options, alternative and complementary, include radiation, interferon injections and fluorouracil injections. All of these treatments have shown promise in both treating and preventing keloid formation.