What should you know about keloid therapy?

A keloid forms when scar tissue continues to build after skin injury and extends beyond the original wound. It may be firm, shiny, darker than nearby skin, itchy, tender, or tight. Therapy can target different concerns: injections may soften the tissue, lasers may help colour or surface changes, and freezing may reduce selected lesions. Excision removes visible tissue but can itself create a new scar, so recurrence prevention is part of the discussion. The best plan depends on the scar's location, size, age, symptoms, and your previous response.

Book a dermatology assessment rather than treating a keloid with household chemicals or by cutting it. Bring details of prior procedures and scars that grew after minor injuries or piercings. Ask what improvement is realistic, how many appointments may be needed, and how the skin will be protected afterwards. Use prescribed dressings or pressure measures exactly as directed, avoid picking, and protect the area from friction and sun. Combining approaches may be considered when one treatment does not address both thickness and colour.

Arrange review for a keloid that grows, becomes painful, restricts movement, or repeatedly catches on clothing. Seek prompt help for spreading redness, heat, marked swelling, pus, repeated bleeding, wound separation, or fever. A rapidly changing lump should be examined instead of assumed to be a keloid.

Ask which part of the scar the treatment targets, what side effects to watch for, how recurrence will be managed, and what aftercare is needed. Ask whether the diagnosis needs confirmation before treatment.