Scars are never pretty, particularly when they are keloids. Keloid scars are a type of raised or bumpy scar, sometimes in a slightly darker skin color than your normal skin, making it all the more irritating. Anyone can develop keloids; keloid formation can follow from surgical scars, a burn, or even a small paper cut or after popping a pimple.

It can be annoying and painful to have scar tissue ruining your otherwise nice skin, which is why we wrote this short article to help you understand more about keloid scar tissue and how to remove it.

Keloid Scar Tissue Removal 101

Why Get Rid of Keloid Scars?

Regular scars usually shrink, become smoother, fade, and eventually become barely noticeable with simple care. However, when it comes to getting rid of keloid scars, things are more complicated.  While keloid scars are not dangerous, a lot of people want to remove them for several reasons, such as:

• They cause discomfort and tightness and are sensitive to the touch.
• They can become itchy and rub on clothing.
• They are unsightly.

Keloid scars are also bothersome because they can keep on growing for a long time. When keloids form, your skin doesn’t know the scar is fully healed, so your skin tissue is in an ongoing repair action, causing your keloid to slowly grow for months or even years. Keloid scarring is complicated to treat without medical help, and most of the time, home remedies are useless.

If you have a new scar that started growing instead of shrinking, have keloid-prone skin, or has been living with a raised scar for years, this information is for you.

How to Get Rid of Keloids

If you’ve been developing keloids and you’re tired of your bumpy scars, you’ve probably wondered ways to treat keloids and remedies that can effectively remove them. Let’s go over some effective steps you can take in order to get rid of or minimize your keloids.

1. Visit a licensed dermatologist. While certain topical ointments that can be bought at any pharmacy can help when treating scars, keloids cannot be removed without medical help. Your dermatologist will be able to evaluate the size and shape of your keloid scar and recommend the best treatment for you.
2. Topical treatments can help, sometimes. If your keloid is small, not too bumpy, and hasn’t changed its size or appearance in a long time, medical-grade retinoid creams can help. To make sure you’re actually helping your skin, ask your dermatologist for his or her recommendations. Some retinoid creams and gels require a prescription.
3. Freezing your keloid. Your dermatologist can employ cryotherapy in order to reduce the size of your keloid. This approach works best on small, not-painful keloids.
4. Laser therapy. Another approach that yields good results for small keloid scars is laser treatment. Laser treatment can also be combined with other treatments, which is usually the most effective way to get rid of those bumpy, annoying scars.
5. Surgical excision. For patients who don’t have keloid-prone skin with isolated keloid scars, the dermatologist can remove them with keloid surgery. This is a simple surgical removal that is usually performed as an outpatient procedure. If surgical removal is the treatment, you and your doctor choose, it is extremely important to follow post-op instructions and see your doctor for follow-up appointments after keloid surgery. When patients don’t follow up after keloid removal surgery instructions, the keloid scar can become bumpy again.
6. Steroid Injections. Doctors may also recommend corticosteroid injections, such as Kenalog. This treatment is given as a series of 3 or 4 injections and can effectively shrink and soften your keloids. Your dermatologist will evaluate how your keloid is responding to the treatment and might consider a second series of shots months or years after the initial treatment.

Can I Prevent Keloid Formation?

After any type of laceration or cut to your skin, it’s important to keep the area clean and free of infections. For a lot of patients, being careful with their scars is the simplest method of keloid prevention. On the other hand, some patients are more prone to keloid formation and hypertrophic scars after even the smallest skin injuries. In either case, seeing a dermatologist will help you prevent and treat them.

Here at VIDA Wellness and Beauty Center, we understand the importance of feeling comfortable in your own skin. If your keloid scars are starting to appear, or you’ve been trying to hide them for long enough, contact us about keloid treatment!

Give us a call at (619) 738-2144 to schedule a one-on-one consultation with our cosmetic dermatologist. Get expert help in effectively treating keloids and hypertrophic scars for good!

Dr. Alejandro Quiroz

Dr. Quiroz is our board-certified Chief Plastic Surgeon at VIDA Clinic in Tijuana. He specializes in Facial Rejuvenation, Neck lift, Buttock Augmentation, Breast Augmentation, Body Contouring and more. He is member of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, San Diego Plastic Surgery Society, the Mexican Society of Aesthetic & Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and the Mexican Council of Aesthetic & Reconstructive Plastic Surgery, to mention a few.