Keloid scars

Table of Contents:

1. What are keloid scars?
2. Prognosis
3. Symptoms
4. Medical tests
5. What are the causes of keloid scars?
6. Can they be prevented?
7. Treatment
8. Medical specialist

What are keloid scars?

Keloid scars form during wound healing. In the process, the wound secretes too many growth factors and causes the abnormal growth of the scar which is usually large and red. Keloid scar and hypertrophic scar are not the same. The latter are less thick and deformed.

Prognosis of the disease

The prognosis is good if the treatment recommended by the dermatologist is carried out and specific cares are followed among which are:

• Use sunscreen with a high protection factor.
• Silicone healing patches or gels.
• Ointments, creams, serums and oils with healing, moisturizing and repairing action. However, the specialist will recommend individually the best treatment to follow at home after assessing the specific case.

Symptoms of keloid scars

Keloid scars have the following symptoms:

• They appear and grow slowly
• They start out pinkish or violet in color and are higher than a normal scar.
• They are different from the surrounding skin, they can be soft or hard.
• They may cause pain, peaking and tenderness in the area.

Medical tests for keloid scars

Dermatology specialist can diagnose keloid scars simply by looking at the skin. In addition, a biopsy may sometimes be performed to rule out other dermis-related pathologies.

The causes of keloid scars can be very diverse.

What are the causes of keloid scars?

The causes of keloid scars can be very diverse. After the skin is injured, the cells try to repair it by forming a scar and in some cases scar tissue forms after the wound heals. It is not yet known why this happens in the skin of some patients, what is known is that some skin injuries can cause a keloid, such as:

• Cuts
• Puncture wounds
• Scars from operations
• Acne
• Chickenpox
• Insect bites
• Perforations
• Tattoos

Can it be prevented?

There are people who are more prone to suffer from this type of pathology, so they should be careful and/or decide not to get a tattoo or pierce their body to wear a piercing. Keloid scars are more likely to appear in Latinos, Asians or blacks, in people under 30 years old, in pregnant women, during puberty and people with a family history of keloids.

Treatments for keloid scars

The treatment of this pathology continues to be a challenge for dermatology specialists. Nowadays there are medical esthetic treatments to eliminate scars of all types, including keloids.

• Cortisone treatment is the most effective for this type of scars. It consists of administering anti-inflammatory drugs through infiltrations directly into the scar area. This requires several sessions over several months, since a monthly session is performed. The result is progressive and improvement is seen after each session.
• Other treatments for keloid scars are: laser, carboxytherapy, medications and topical cosmetics. In addition, in extreme cases, resection of the scar by surgery can be resorted to.

Which specialist treats it?

The specialist who treats this pathology is the dermatologist.