The Best Treatments for Keloids

All kinds of skin injuries — including acne, cuts, or scrapes — can leave a permanent mark on your skin. In some instances, that scar can grow excessively, becoming a large, lumpy growth, called a keloid, or a hypertrophic scar. This is more common in younger people, people whose families are predisposed to developing keloids, and in Asian and African-American people.

Keloids tend not to be painful, but large ones, especially on the face, can be disfiguring. In the past, there were few treatments available to remove keloids, but doctors have discovered new and more effective removal strategies. Here’s how to best treat keloids.

Preventing keloids and scars 
In most cases, keloids are unavoidable. But there are a few steps you can take to minimize the possibility of getting one.

• Avoid elective procedures. Even something as simple as ear piercing can produce keloids. If you know you have a tendency to develop hypertrophic scars, it’s best to avoid as many cuts and surgeries as you can.
• Keep it clean. Some studies have shown that wounds that become infected — or even cuts invaded by small particles — are more likely to form keloids. If you do get cuts or scrapes, be sure to wash them thoroughly and wear a bandage.

Home treatments for keloids
Most treatments for keloids require medical intervention, but there are a few things you can do to minimize keloids at home.

• Put pressure on it. Studies have found that applying silicone sheets to the keloid, or even a simple pressure dressing like an Ace bandage, can help to flatten it and make it appear less noticeable.
• Keep it covered. Keloids have a tendency to get darker than the rest of the surrounding skin, and even if they eventually flatten and disappear, the darkening can be permanent. Wear a bandage and/or sunscreen on the spot when you go outside to minimize the possibility of darkening.
• Apply topical treatments. Some studies have shown that onion extract, antioxidants like vitamin E, or hydrocortisone cream may help keloids shrink and fade. You may want to consult with your doctor before using hydrocortisone cream on a long-term basis.

Keloid removal techniques
Your doctor has more treatment options in his arsenal to help you minimize or remove your keloids:

• Corticosteroid injections. Cortisone shots are often used to help shrink keloids and reduce swelling. You will need to get several shots over the course of a few months to complete the treatment.
• Medications. Retinoids (like Retin-A) or imiquimod can be applied topically to keloids to help them shrink. Tamoxifen, a breast cancer treatment, has also shown promise, but its side effects are more severe than those of topical treatments.
• Surgical intervention. Surgery is often a last resort when it comes to treating keloids, as there’s a very real possibility that keloids removed this way will simply grow back. Many doctors have had better luck using lasers or liquid nitrogen to burn or freeze the keloid scar away.