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Two Methods:Prevent Keloid Scars From FormingHeal a Keloid

A keloid[1] (keloid scar) is one of the several different types of scars a person can have. It is an excessive growth of abnormal flesh-colored, red or pink scar tissue. Keloids are generally thick, irregular in shape, shiny, lumpy and raised scars that extend beyond the original injury. Keloids can be ugly, and they may even grow. However, a doctor or dermatologist can use several methods to heal a keloid or improve its appearance.

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Method 1 of 2: Prevent Keloid Scars From Forming

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    Avoid trauma to your skin, especially when keloid formation is prominent in your family. If you have a history of keloids, you may want to avoid getting tattoos or piercings.
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    Apply direct pressure or silicone gel pads when you sustain an injury or are recovering from a surgical incision. This may assist with the healing process.
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    Wear loose fitting clothes to avoid irritation or friction from clothing rubbing against the injury.
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    Take care of cuts, burns, acne and other injuries to the skin immediately to avoid scarring.
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    Promote faster tissue repair by eating and drinking foods that are rich in collagen. Some foods you can add to your diet include cheese, red peppers, soymilk and tomatoes.
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    Use a safe, effective over-the-counter ointment for keloid scar healing. The best treatments for these scars are products that use silicone as the main active ingredient.

Method 2 of 2: Heal a Keloid

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    1
    Rub vitamin E oil or cream over the keloid scar. This may help stop the itching during the healing process and diminish the appearance of the scar.
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    Talk to your doctor about using a steroid or cortisone injection treatment. These injections go directly into the keloid at 4- to 6-week intervals. It generally takes a few treatments, but the treatment result is a smoother, flatter scar.
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    Speak with your physician about pulsed dye laser treatments. This treatment targets the blood vessel inside the scar, making the keloid flatter and less noticeable.
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    Discuss using cryotherapy for treatment of abnormal skin cells with your dermatologist. This is a freezing therapy used with liquid nitrogen. It is effective for healing small keloids.
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    Consider removing the keloid scar surgically. This should be a last resort, as the surgery may create a new scar that may develop into another keloid.
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    Ask your physician about radiation treatment as an option to heal a keloid scar.
    • External radiation will follow the removal of the keloid within 24 to 72 hours. Doctors often combine this procedure with other therapies because keloid recurrence rates are less than 10 percent when combining therapies.
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Tips

  • You can get the best results by starting treatment soon after the keloid appears.
  • Keeping a wound clean and properly dresses is 1 of the best ways to prevent keloid scars from forming.

Things You'll Need

  • Silicone gel pads
  • Loose fitting clothes
  • Cheese
  • Red peppers
  • Soymilk
  • Tomatoes
  • Over-the-counter ointment for keloid scars
  • Vitamin E oil or cream
  • Steroid or cortisone injections
  • Pulsed dye laser treatments
  • Cryotherapy

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keloid

Article Info

Categories: Scars

In other languages:

Español: Cómo curar los queloides, Italiano: Come Curare un Cheloide, Português: Como Tratar um Quelóide, Русский: лечить келоид, Deutsch: Eine Wulstnarbe heilen

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