What should you know about keloid forming?

During normal healing, collagen helps close and strengthen damaged skin. With keloid formation, scar tissue continues building after the wound has closed and may spread outside the original injury. A keloid can follow a piercing, cut, burn, acne spot, injection, or operation, and may become firm, itchy, tender, shiny, or darker than nearby skin.

A raised mark is not automatically a keloid. Hypertrophic scars, inflamed spots, and other lumps can look similar, so a clinician should examine a new or changing lesion. General information about lumps is available under [Skin Lumps](/symptoms/skin-lumps/).

Tell your dermatologist or surgeon if you have formed keloids before, especially before an elective piercing or procedure. Follow wound-care instructions, avoid picking and unnecessary tension, and protect healing skin from friction. If a keloid is already present, treatment may include injections, pressure care, laser, freezing, or surgery, selected according to its position and behaviour.

A clinician may discuss [Steroid Injection Into The Skin](/treatments/injectables/intralesional-steroid-injection/) or [Keloid Removal Surgery](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/keloid-excision/). Surgical planning often includes a strategy to reduce renewed scar growth.

Arrange an assessment when a scar begins growing beyond the wound, becomes itchy or painful, or interferes with clothing, movement, or sleep. Seek prompt care for warmth, spreading redness, pus, sudden swelling, or fever, because these symptoms can indicate infection rather than ordinary scar growth.

Ask whether your history suggests keloid formation, which procedures may carry extra concern, how a wound should be protected, and what early treatment signs should prompt a review.