Top Health Tips on Managing Keloids

Hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia or pattern baldness is a condition that affects both men and women equally. Surgical hair transplantation is the only solution for restoring the lost hair in pattern baldness when medical hair restoration does not offer you a good hair re-growth. If you have well-defined and clearly established areas or patterns of baldness on the crown with healthy dense coverage of hair at the sides and the back of the head, you are probably suitable for a hair transplant surgery. Hair that is transplanted in the frontal region of the skull generally offers the best results. However, a hair transplant procedure can also be carried out on any other area of your head if you have some bald patch there.

It is best to have detailed information about the hair transplant procedure before you make plans to undergo a surgery. It is only after you have read through all the information that you can understand and appreciate the significance of surgical hair restoration. The information will also help you decide whether you are the right candidate for the hair transplant surgery. Receiving a hair transplant can improve your appearance and self-confidence.

All those who can opt for a hair transplant:

Men with male-pattern baldness
Women suffering from hair thinning
Anyone who has lost some hair from a burn or scalp injury
Hair replacement isn t a good option for:

Women with a wide-spread pattern of hair loss throughout the scalp
People who don t have enough donor hair sites from which to remove hair for transplant
People who form keloid scars (thick, fibrous scars) after injury or surgery
People whose hair loss is due to medication like chemotherapy
Two types of procedures

It's worth noting that there are new surgical techniques involved in hair transplants:

FUE - Follicular Unit Extraction: The hairs are individually extracted from the back of the head and re-planted across the area. This is a lengthy, pain-staking process but the result is minimal scarring and a very natural-looking hairline.
FUT - Follicular Unit Transplantation: This technique involves taking a larger area or 'strip' of hair from the back of the head, dividing it into smaller units and then re-planting those units in the desired area of hair loss. Scarring can be slightly more conspicuous at the back of the head as a larger area has been removed but an expert surgeon will minimise incision marks to ensure rapid healing.
Hair transplant do, of course, utilise your own natural hair and re-growth can be expected within 4 weeks of surgery. Great care must be taken during your recovery period to protect the newly-transplanted hair. However, once it is deemed safe to resume normal activities, the results can be life-transforming. A successful hair transplant is permanent and can restore confidence and self-esteem.

Scars are referred to as marks left on the skin or body tissue, caused by an accident or injury. Scars are part of the natural healing process that takes place after an injury. When the white blood cells attack bacteria, they cause physical changes to the underlying skin cells around the area, thereby leading to the formation of a scar.

There are different types of scars, caused due to different factors. Some of the commonly occurring scars are:

1) Atrophic scars - These types of scars are flat against the upper layer of the skin. This type of scarring is caused by hyperpigmentation and is marked by discolored parts and patches of the skin. Initially, they are red, dark and raised. With the help of medicines and passage of time, they gradually fade away.

2) Hypertrophic scars - These types of scars appear to be elevated or raised and are caused as a result of a disparity in the production of collagen (connective tissues). These scars do not extend beyond the outline of the original wound, and can remain for a period 2-5 years. Hypertrophic scars turn flatter and paler with the course of time and with the help of requisite medication.

3) Keloid scars - Keloid scars tend to appear when the skin goes through an aggressive healing process. This causes thick, dark, clustered scars to form, which are often in contrast with the surrounding skin. Secretion of excess collagen on the affected area can also be a cause of keloid scars. Although medications are used, the most effective way to remove keloid scars is through surgery.

4) Scar contractures - This type of scar is caused due to burns. Burns present on the joints and creases stiffen the affected area, causing difficulty in movement and flexibility. Deep contracture scars may in some cases lead to dysfunctions in nervous and muscular activities.

5) Acne scars - Acne and pimples are acute skin problems, and the marks they leave behind are long lasting. Acne scars are caused due to severe acne and show differing patterns when it comes to their shape, type, and depth. In fact, the treatment for acne scars varies depending on these factors.

When an injury happens, the normal tendency of the skin is to repair itself from inside out, until it is completely closed and healed. However, in some cases, due to various reasons, excessively large scars can form. These hypertrophic scars are known as keloids. Here is everything you would like to know about keloids:

Features of keloids:

Benign, fibrous, smooth, hard growths that form over a healed wound
Can be bigger than the original wound
Most commonly found on chest, ear lobes, cheeks, and abdomen
Pregnant women are usually at the risk of developing keloids
Though they do not develop into malignant lesions, they are a cosmetic issue, especially when the visible portions of the skin are affected
They are localized, flesh-colored and red in color
They are raised from the surrounding tissue and are prone to repeat injury
It continues to grow with time
Could cause discomfort and irritation when it comes in contact with clothing
Sun exposure or tanning can worsen it and cause tenderness
Common injuries that can lead to keloid formation include burns, surgical incisions, skin piercings, chicken pox scars, tattoos, etc.
Treatment for keloids may not always be effective and need repeat treatments
Treatment options: If the keloid is not in a visible area and does not cause any problem, it is best to leave it untreated and observe for any changes. The following changes could indicate the need for treatment.

Change in color from pale pink to red (indicating inflammation)
Severe increase in pain/tenderness
Sudden increase in size, which could indicate malignancy (keloids are an area where benign growth can turn cancerous)
A biopsy can be done to identify if treatment is necessary. This involves removing a small part of the tissue by injection and sending it for laboratory examination.
Treatment options include both nonsurgical and surgical. Nonsurgical methods are tried first before resorting to surgery.

Steroid injections into the keloid to control growth and inflammation
Moisturization to keep it soft and avoid dryness and cracking and bleeding
Freezing the tissue (cryotherapy) to freeze the growth can help in a further increase in the size of the tissue
Laser to remove the tissue, especially if it is small. Alternately, this could be used as a secondary measure after the keloid is excised to prevent further growth
Radiation therapy to shrink the growth
Surgical excision, where the keloid is quite visible or large. This could be followed by radiation or laser to prevent further growth.
Also, in people who are prone to develop keloids, surgical incisions can be treated for a longer time with pressure dressings and silicone pads.

When an injury happens, the normal tendency of the skin is to repair itself from inside out, until it is completely closed and healed. However, in some cases, due to various reasons, excessively large scars can form. These hypertrophic scars are known as keloids. Here is everything you would like to know about keloids:

Features of keloids:

Benign, fibrous, smooth, hard growths that form over a healed wound
Can be bigger than the original wound
Most commonly found on chest, ear lobes, cheeks, and abdomen
Pregnant women are usually at the risk of developing keloids
Though they do not develop into malignant lesions, they are a cosmetic issue, especially when the visible portions of skin are affected
They are localized, flesh-colored and red in color
They are raised from the surrounding tissue and are prone to repeat injury
It continues to grow with time
Could cause discomfort and irritation when it comes in contact with clothing
Sun exposure or tanning can worsen it and cause tenderness
Common injuries that can lead to keloid formation include burns, surgical incisions, skin piercings, chicken pox scars, tattoos, etc.
Treatment for keloids may not always be effective and need repeat treatments
Treatment options: If the keloid is not in a visible area and does not cause any problem, it is best to leave it untreated and observe for any changes. The following changes could indicate the need for treatment.

Change in color from pale pink to red (indicating inflammation)
Severe increase in pain/tenderness
Sudden increase in size, which could indicate malignancy (keloids are an area where benign growth can turn cancerous)
A biopsy can be done to identify if treatment is necessary. This involves removing a small part of the tissue by injection and sending it for laboratory examination.
Treatment options include both nonsurgical and surgical. Nonsurgical methods are tried first before resorting to surgery.

Steroid injections into the keloid to control growth and inflammation
Moisturization to keep it soft and avoid dryness and cracking and bleeding
Freezing the tissue (cryotherapy) to freeze the growth can help in further increase in the size of the tissue
Laser to remove the tissue, especially if it is small. Alternately, this could be used as a secondary measure after the keloid is excised to prevent further growth
Radiation therapy to shrink the growth
Surgical excision, where the keloid is quite visible or large. This could be followed by radiation or laser to prevent further growth.
Also, in people who are prone to develop keloids, surgical incisions can be treated for a longer time with pressure dressings and silicone pads.

Quite strikingly, Acne can become a persistent cause of your worries, if left untreated. Acne not only harms you physically, but also damages your psychological health. Persistent acne can result in a pockmarked face, making you feel sullen and unsure of yourself. Acne refers to a condition where the skin perpetually develops stinging, red bumps. Red pimples might show on your face, shoulders, back or neck. The bumps usually take a lot of time to heal and they leave behind deep scars. And, in order to treat, such scars one can go for cosmetic dermatology procedures.

Acne Scars: What are they?

When inflamed blemishes, result from crushing of excess oil, bacteria and dead cells in your skin pores, enlarge and swell up breaking the follicle wall, acne scarring is caused. One can get rid of acne scars through the natural healing process of your skin if the lesions are not very deep. Deep lesions will require medical assistance. New collagen formation can heal such scars, but it doesn't restore the radiance and tautness of your original skin. Acne scars can be divided into two broad types:

Hypertrophic and Keloid scarring: Raised tissue on the surface of the skin following excess collagen production causes such kind of scars.

Atrophic or depressed scarring: These scars are caused due to reduced tissue production. Small, but noticeable holes on your skin are called Ice picks. However, the boxcar is a scar, which is similar to a chicken pox mark.

Causes of Acne scars:

Malfunctioning of hormones even after the age of puberty can lead to acne formation in both males and females.
Food items rich in carbohydrates can trigger acne. Dairy products could also worsen the condition.
Any medicine that contains lithium, androgen or corticosteroids can worsen this skin condition.
Bacteria, excess oil, blocked pores, and dead skin cells are the primary reasons behind acne.
Treatments of Acne scars:

Cosmetic dermatology procedures can successfully help you do away with acne scars. Blue-light therapy, is a procedure in cosmetic dermatology, which can work wonders for acne scars. A narrow- band, but high - intensity Blue-light is used to counter Porphyrins released by bacteria causing acne. Porphyrins easily absorb Blue-light and the light leads to radical damage of Porphyrins when used in certain wavelengths.

There are certain topical creams available, which can improve mild scarring, most of the acne scars are either depressed or raised type and need a combination of surgical procedures and skin resurfacing. The therapeutic options that are currently available to treat acne scars include subcision, dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, derma rollers, chemical peels, TCA cross, ablative lasers, fractional lasers and dermal fillers.

Fractional resurfacing laser is one of the most effective treatments for acne scars. It is a minimally-ablative technique that creates microscopic zones of dermal injury in a grid-like pattern. This helps in collagen remodelling, skin tightening, scar improvement, reduction in fine lines, improvement in texture, tone and colour of the skin. A series of 4 to 6 sittings are usually needed for optimal results. Each session lasts for one hour and is performed at monthly intervals.

Certain types of scars such as the ice pick and rolling scars, pixel laser are combined with subcision, dermal rollers and TCA cross. In addition, punch excision and softening of margins with laser can be done for box scars. All the mentioned procedures are well-tolerated with local application of anesthetic creams before procedure. With these procedures, improvement of scars is seen over several weeks.

Lately, injectable dermal fillers are being used for correction of acne scars, giving it a smoother appearance. This is semi-permanent and needs to be redone as and when required. Timely treatment of acne is necessary to keep, both unwanted pigmentation and scars at bay. So, get rid of your scars and make the dream of blemish free and smooth skin come true.

As per the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, an estimated 10 percent of individuals encounter keloid scarring every year. While women and men are equally prone to have keloid scars, people with darker skin tone are more likely to experience keloids.

What are keloids and why do they occur?
Keloid is widely recognized as keloid scar or keloid disorder. It is caused when the fibrous tissues also known as scar tissues are injured. In specific instances, the scar tissues grow in excess, and they form a hard and smooth growth, which is known as keloid, which could be bigger than the actual wound. They are customarily found in areas like the chest, cheeks, shoulder, and earlobes. Nonetheless, any part of the body could be affected by keloids. Though they do not pose a threat to health, they can be a cause of significant cosmetic concerns. Another factor why they occur is in the case of overgrowth of the scar tissue that develops over the period of weeks.

Are keloids a cause for concern?
Keloids are often itchy and discomforting. Keloids often cause a major cosmetic concern as they are large and easily spotted. Due to this, several patients encounter stress as they become conscious. Exposure to sun must be avoided in case of keloids as the tanning of the affected area may darken the keloid scar and become more prominent. The response of the treatment for keloids depends majorly upon the anatomical location of the scar. An extremely itchy keloid can be quite distracting. Many patients are skeptical of getting treatment as it may leave a permanent scar.

Common Treatment options for Keloids

Laser: The pulsed-dye laser can be helpful in flattening keloids and making them appear less red and intense. The treatment is considered as safe and is almost painless, but many treatment sessions may be required. These may be expensive, as insurance plans do not usually cover laser treatments.
Cryotherapy: This is a method in which the keloid is frozen with the help of liquid nitrogen to flatten the keloid. However, it may result in lightening or darkening of the affected area.
Radiation: Radiation is considered as a safe and effective option by several doctors for the treatment of keloids.
Silicone gel or sheeting: In this method, a sheet of silicone gel has to be worn continuously for months in order to treat the affected area. The outcomes of this treatment may vary. Some doctors claim relative success with compression dressings composed of materials that are not silicone.
Surgery: Treating keloids by surgery may prove to be risky as it may activate the development of a more prominent keloid. Some operations have been successful by applying compression or injecting steroids to the wound after the keloid has been treated. Superficial radiation treatment post-surgical procedure has also been considered to be helpful.
A condition that poses no threat to your health, and is purely of cosmetic concern, Keloids do have several treatment options providing the expected results.

A breast augmentation surgery can leave you with bigger and fuller breasts, but can also leave you with a few scars. These scars typically appear on the lower half of the breast, under the arm or around the areola. Scarring depends on the type of skin, as well as how well your skin heals after the surgery. Like any other, the scars caused by breasts augmentation surgery can be treated in a number of ways. Some of these are:

Silicone gel scar treatment: This involves applying silicone gel onto the scar and allowing it to dry. For best results this needs to be applied daily and left on, for as long as possible. Silicone gel shrinks the scar while simultaneously flattening it and lightening it.
Silicone sheeting: Silicone sheeting is a strip of silicone available in a variety of shapes depending on the type of surgery undergone. It is a self-adhesive and can be reused. This is typically used to treat scars on creases or areola scars. Both silicone gel and silicone sheeting are most effective when used within 6 months of the surgery.
Cortisone creams: Cortisone is a hormone that helps fight inflammation. Creams that contain cortisone when applied on a scar can help lighten it and reduce its size. If you plan to use cortisone creams to treat scarring, ensure that the wound has healed completely before applying the cream.
Dermabrasion: This is a minor surgical process through which the upper skin layer is removed. This is especially useful in cases of raised scars but not suitable to sunken scars.
Massaging the affected area: A soft circular massage of the operated area can help drain the lymph nodes beneath the skin. This helps reduce inflammation and softens the skin. This also helps break down dense collagen and prevents the formation of a raised scar. However, do not attempt to massage your breasts without consulting your doctor first.
Laser treatment: Lasers can be used on new as well as old scars. The number of sittings required for laser treatment depends on the size and type of scar. When used on keloid scars, laser treatment can help flatten the scar and reduce redness. Lasers can also be used to stimulate the production of collagen to help the body heal itself. Further, ablative lasers can be used to vaporize scars and are the preferred form of treatment for sunken, irregular shaped scars.

Keloid
A Keloid is an extensive hard growth of a fibrous tissue (also called as scar tissue), which is formed when your body attempts to heal an injured skin even when it is already healed. It is actually a thick skin or tissue generated due to excessive production of collagen of Type - I in the dermis of humans. Normally, such fibrous tissue is formed in a controlled manner, when the skin is injured and needs repair. When it is produced in more quantity than actually required, it takes the form of a keloid.

The shape of the keloids is irregular and may float around the wound itself. The size of a keloid could be more than that of the original injury or wound. You will be able to see keloids mostly on the shoulders, chest, earlobes, and cheeks. But those are not specific to these body parts and could occur at any part of the body with an injury. However, it is noticed that keloids are least likely to appear on the face of its patients.

The keloids do not impose any kind of harm to your health. However, those are the cosmetic concerns for almost all its patients. The only difference between the normal scars and keloids is that the keloids do not regress on their own, as the normal scars do.

Symptoms
Since the keloids are the result of the overgrowth of fibrous tissues, their symptoms arise at the skin position of some prior injury. Following are the general symptoms of keloids:

- Turning of the normal skin colour to flesh-coloured, either pink or red

- Slightly up-raising of some area on or near to the previously injured skin

- Slight and continual growth of the skin area of prior injury over the period of time

- Itching in the skin area of prior injury

Note that the keloids could spread over a larger area than the initial wound area over the skin. Those may continually grow further over several weeks or even months.

Generally, keloids do not cause any severe harm to your skin, other than the itchy temptation. Rest than that, you would be experiencing uneasiness, sensitivity, or irritation, when those keloids are rubbed with the clothes that you would be wearing. In some rare cases when keloids spread over larger areas of the body, the hard-fibrous tissues may impact your normal and usual routine tasks.

In fact, keloids do not impose any health issues by their own, its patients may feel a little awkward or conscious, when those are larger in a well visible area, like on the wrist or face. When exposed to the sunlight, keloids tend to tan or darken as compared to its surrounding skin, which at times makes its patient feel a bit awkward in going public.

Additionally, children and people with older age are less likely to have keloids on their skin as compared to those in the years of their young age. It is recommended to the patients of keloids to keep those covered in the sunlight to avoid discolouring.

Causes
The primary breed places for a keloid are various types of skin injuries, such as:

- Burn

- Acne Scar

- Chickenpox wounds

- Scratch

- Ear piercing

- Surgical areas

- Vaccination spots

As per the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, around 10% of global individuals suffer a keloid at some point of time in their life. Both the males and females are equally prone to have keloids on their skin injuries. However, the individuals with a little dark or yellowish skin (like those African-Americans), are more likely to have a keloid on their skin. They have the tendency of up to 15 times of developing the keloids on their skin as compared to those with fairer skin.

Some other factors with which individuals are more likely to get the keloids on their body include being:

- An Asian origin

- A Latino origin

- Pregnant women

- Individuals with age below 30

Keloids are also associated with the hereditary inheritance. It means that those individuals whose either one or both parents have ever faced this problem are more orient to have keloids. Based on the studies and researches, the AHNAK gene plays a crucial role in assessing the probability of developing keloids in the individuals. It means that those individuals who have AHNAK as part of their gene system are more prone to get the keloids on their skin injuries over the others. So, it is recommended that such people should prevent themselves from getting unnecessary piercing, surgery or tattoo on their body.

Note: It is very rare to see patients have both keloids and psoriasis at the same time.

Prevention
There are certain measures that you must take care after getting an injury over your skin to prevent the formation of keloids. Those include:

- Take complete care of the wound in order to get it healed at the earliest. You may use the silicone gel pressure pads on the area impacted by injury for a quick recovery and avoiding the chances of getting keloids.

- Consume food rich in vitamin E and minerals in good quantity when you have any kind of skin injury. This would ensure faster healing of the wound. The tissues of our body tend to get repaired faster when we eat foods rich in collagen. The vegetables such as cucumber and celery, are a very good source of collagen. Other than those, the green leafy vegetables like cabbage, spinach, and kale also contain a considerable amount of collagen, along with other essential antioxidants like lutein. The foods rich in vitamin C also produce collagen within our body itself. Various food items rich in vitamin C include guava, black currant, red pepper, kiwi, green peppers, orange, strawberries, papaya, broccoli, parsley, pineapple, mango, and more. You must consume those in good amount when getting a wound on any part of your body.

- Avoid unnecessary skin piercings and take care of the injuries, at least when you or either of your parents has the history of getting a keloid in the past.

- It is found by the researches that the most sensitive piercing area in terms of getting a keloid is the back side of your earlobe. This is because that part of your body is in contact with the metal part of the earring. So, in case you have the passion of wearing a pair of earrings for which you would have got your ears pierced, it is strongly recommended to use a pair of earring with the non-metallic back. This minimizes the chances of getting the development of keloids in that area.

- Studies have identified that the formation of a keloid due to ear piercing is much more common amongst kids below the age of 11 years. So, you must take care to not get the ears pierced of your kids below this age, especially if they have the history of keloids in their family.

How is it diagnosed?
Generally, you do not need any medical attention for keloids. However, in case you would see any of the above-mentioned symptoms of those on your body, you may consult your physician, who would visually examine and confirm its occurrence. Note that the continual, excessive and uncontrolled growth of keloids may also be the signs of the skin cancer.

So, if the growth of a keloid is not stopping in a few weeks, or maximum in two months, you must consult a doctor and get it treated, if needed. Once after screening the keloid on your skin, the physician may recommend further to get a biopsy test done for a diagnosis of cancer if needed. In this process, a little tissue sample is extracted from the keloid area and sent for the diagnosis for the occurrence of cancer cells.

Treatment
Once after the diagnosis and confirmation of keloid, the physician would recommend the correct treatment methodology to be followed. A keloid is the result of the human body s trying to heal the skin or wound. In case the keloid is grown enough, the doctor would recommend getting it removed through some simple and minor surgery. It happens at times that even after getting a keloid removed, it is re-grown back, which may be larger than that of before the surgery.

Note that the large keloids are very difficult to get treated. Apart from the surgery, the following treatments are carried out the suppress the symptoms of a keloid:

- When there is excessive inflammation, the patient is given the corticosteroid injections to get relieved.

- Some moisturizing ointments or oils could be applied to soften the keloid tissue.

- Some doctors recommend using the silicone gel for applying on to the keloid since it helps to shrink those and also from growing further. The best part is that silicone does not cause any kind of side effect and is almost safe for individuals of all age groups.

- In some cases, the keloid impacted part is frozen for a short period so that the tissue cells over the skin are killed without any side effects.

- The laser therapy treatment could also be undertaken to minimize the intensity of keloid tissues and stop their further growth.

- Radiation therapy could also be used in case the keloids are at multiple places on the body.

Complications
There are very rare cases identified where keloids would have caused adverse side effects on the skin or any other part of the body. This is the reason why you may leave it untreated even after years of its diagnosis. The only bad thing may be that many of its patients do not like its appearance of their body.

Else than the appearance part, some patients face little difficulties when the size of keloids on their body grow much with which they may make them face problems in wearing clothes, shoes and more. The only critical thing is to get it diagnosed and confirmed by your doctor.

This is because many people could not differentiate between keloids and skin cancer, which would make them face complications at a later stage. The treatment methodologies for keloids are also not much difficult or expensive. So, in case you have also got such kind of problem, you may get it treated by a good doctor.

Myths
Myth #1: Keloid is a preliminary stage of skin cancer

This is absolutely incorrect. Keloid is a disorder with which the growth of tissues over the skin is expanded to an extent. However, in the skin cancer, the growth of the skin cells is unstoppable. If the physician suspects that the scars of the patient s skin are due to the skin cancer, they may be advised to get a biopsy test done.

Myth #2: Exposure to the sun would help reduce the size and growth of a keloid.

The sunlight never reduces the existing impact or further growth of a keloid. In fact, the exposure to the sunlight tans or darkens the area affected by the keloid. This way, it starts appearing distinctively when compared with its surrounding skin. So, it is recommended for you to be covered in the sunlight in case you are a patient of keloids.

Myth #3: Rubbing the Vitamin E oil would stop the growth of a keloid.

It is true that the Vitamin E oil helps the skin from healing an injury a bit early. However, there are no clinical proofs that it helps in recovering from keloids.

Myth #4: The surgery process for the removal of keloids ensure that they would not reoccur.

This is not necessarily true. At times, keloids are re-grown even after getting those removed through a surgery. Even the size of the new re-grown keloids may be larger than the previous one which was there before the surgery.

Conclusion
Keloids are actually adverse symptoms over your skins, which do not impose any direct health complication by any means. It is, however, very crucial to get it diagnosed and confirmed by a physician even when you are pretty sure about its symptoms. It will be good if you intake vitamin E and minerals in good quantity when you have any kind of skin injury. This would help you in faster healing.

What are keloids?

Keloids are overgrowth of scar tissue after an injury has been healed. Fibrous tissues are formed over the wounds to repair the injury. But sometimes extra scar tissue grows over the healed injury forming hard smooth growths called as keloids.
However keloids can appear at any part of the body but most commonly keloids appear on chest, earlobes, shoulders, jawline. Though keloids have no harmful effect over the body but it causes cosmetic concerns.


Risk factors

Keloids are common in men and women.
Keloids are less common in children and the elder.
Melanin also has direct relation with keloids as people with darker skin are more develop them.
In some cases, the tendency to from keloids seems to run in families.
People with blood group a are more prone to develop keloids as compared to other blood groups.
Complications

There is no complication as such but sometimes due to trauma the keloid may be predisposed to localized bacterial infection.
Symptoms and causes

Symptoms

Keloids are raised, shiny and dome-shapedgrowth.
The color may vary from pink to red.
Some keloids are quite large and unsightly.
Keloids may have itching also.
Swollen blood vessels in the skin.
Causes

A keloid is caused by an excess of a protein (collagen) in the skin during healing.
Keloids are a variation of the normal skin s healing process, usually deep skin wounds, upon trauma.
Excessive proliferation of normal tissue result in keloids.
Any skin injury may contribute to keloid formation like acne scars, piercings, chickenpox scars, surgery scars, vaccination sites etc.
Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis

Visual appearance is enough for diagnosing a keloids. Keloids are often lumpy or ridged. The scar rises after an injury or condition has healed. Keloids develop most often on the chest, back, shoulder, and earlobes. They seldom develop on the face except for jawline.
Treatment

Conventional treatment includes surgery, laser, cryotherapy, cortiosteroid injections, radiation, silicone gel or sheeting. But they seldom help and sometimes make the situation worse as the keloid reappears and sometimes double in size. So homeopathic medicines are best option for treatment of keloids.
Management

If the body has tendency for keloid formation then injuries should be avoided that could lead to scarring.
Patient should be advised to use pressure pads or silicone pads on the injury areas.
Over exposure to sun should be avoided by the patient as melanin reduction would make the situation worse.
Avoid further trauma to the keloid
Don't cut the keloid.
Take homeopathic medicines.
Homeopathic management

Homoeopathic medicines like thiosinaminum, graphites, silicea, nitric acid, fluoric acid, causticum, calendula etc have wondrous results in treatment of such cases depending on the case and the patient. Medicines should always be taken after consulting the doctor.

Do s and don ts

Do s

Apply a protective silicone sheet or pressure pads over the affected area.
Use sunscreen while going out in sun.
Take healthy diet.
Keep the keloid moisturised.
Don ts

Don t make incisions across joints, which are high stress area for skin.
Don t make tight sutures as it would increase tension at wound site and may trigger overscarring.
Don't get the keloids further traumatized as it would increase the size of the keloids.
Don't go for surgical removal of keloids or for corticosteroids.





What are keloids?

Keloids are overgrowth of scar tissue after an injury has been healed. Fibrous tissues are formed over the wounds to repair the injury. But sometimes extra scar tissue grows over the healed injury forming hard smooth growths called as keloids.

However keloids can appear at any part of the body but most commonly keloids appear on chest, earlobes, shoulders, jawline. Though keloids have no harmful effect over the body but it causes cosmetic concerns.

Risk factors

Keloids are common in men and women.

Keloids are less common in children and the elder.

Melanin also has direct relation with keloids as people with darker skin are more develop them.

In some cases, the tendency to from keloids seems to run in families.

People with blood group a are more prone to develop keloids as compared to other blood groups.

Complications

There is no complication as such but sometimes due to trauma the keloid may be predisposed to localized bacterial infection.

Symptoms and causes

Symptoms

Keloids are raised, shiny and dome-shapedgrowth.

The color may vary from pink to red.

Some keloids are quite large and unsightly.

Keloids may have itching also.

Swollen blood vessels in the skin.

Causes

A keloid is caused by an excess of a protein (collagen) in the skin during healing.

Keloids are a variation of the normal skin s healing process, usually deep skin wounds, upon trauma.

Excessive proliferation of normal tissue result in keloids.

Any skin injury may contribute to keloid formation like acne scars, piercings, chickenpox scars, surgery scars, vaccination sites etc.

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis

Visual appearance is enough for diagnosing a keloids. Keloids are often lumpy or ridged. The scar rises after an injury or condition has healed. ;Keloids develop most often on the chest, back, shoulder, and earlobes. They seldom develop on the face except for jawline.

Treatment

Conventional treatment includes surgery, laser, cryotherapy, cortiosteroid injections, radiation, silicone gel or sheeting. But they seldom help and sometimes make the situation worse as the keloid reappears and sometimes double in size. So homeopathic medicines are best option for treatment of keloids.

Management



If the body has tendency for keloid formation then injuries should be avoided that could lead to scarring.

Patient should be advised to use pressure pads or silicone pads on the injury areas.

Over exposure to sun should be avoided by the patient as melanin reduction would make the situation worse.

Avoid further trauma to the keloid

Don't cut the keloid.

Take homeopathic medicines.

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Homeopathic management

Homoeopathic medicines like thiosinaminum, graphites, silicea, nitric acid, fluoric acid, causticum, calendula etc have wondrous results in treatment of such cases depending on the case and the patient. Medicines should always be taken after consulting the doctor.

Do s and don ts

Do s

Apply a protective silicone sheet or pressure pads over the affected area.

Use sunscreen while going out in sun.

Take healthy diet.

Keep the keloid moisturised.

Don ts:-

Don t make incisions across joints, which are high stress area for skin.

Don t make tight sutures as it would increase tension at wound site and may trigger overscarring.

Don't get the keloids further traumatized as it would increase the size of the keloids.

Don't go for surgical removal of keloids or for corticosteroids.