Very few people welcome the development of a scar on their skin. While scars are a result of your body trying to heal itself, they can also be an easy threat to your appearance, a source of embarrassment or a constant reminder of a traumatic event. Scars can appear anywhere on the skin, and they can be categorized into various types. One of the most unsightly and stubborn scars to treat is the keloid scar.
What is a Keloid?
Keloid scars are hard, elevated, thick and rubbery lesions that develop over an area of injury to the skin. In many cases, keloids end up bigger than the actual injury. These scars, which vary in size and shape, most often form on the shoulders, chest, earlobes and cheeks. While keloids are not a threat to your physical heath, they can bring significant emotional insecurities and cosmetic concerns.
How Do Keloid Scars Develop?
When your skin gets injured, either involving an accidental wound or surgical incision, the skin will grow fibrous scar tissue over the injury to repair and protect the skin. In the development of a keloid scar, however, the scar tissue grows at an excessive rate. Keloids can include hard growths of scar tissue over chickenpox, ear piercings, cuts, burns and even acne. There is no way to fully predict whether you will form a keloid scar. However, according to American Family Physicians, “patients at high risk of keloids are usually younger than 30 years and have darker skin.”
Injections Can Treat Keloids
Treating your keloid scar may not result in the scar going away completely. However, a dermatologist can often present methods to reduce the appearance of a keloid or lessen its noticeability. A leading treatment for raised scars like keloids is steroid injections. In some cases, these injections are used in conjunction with other treatment options like topical creams for an effective, non-invasive solution. Unfortunately, keloids have a high recurrence rate, so patients must understand and be patient with the treatment process.
At Olansky Associates in Atlanta, we proudly treat keloid scars. We utilize the best that modern medicine and technology can offer so that every patient can feel confident in his or her skin- despite the scars of the past.
