What should you know about Nd:YAG laser for keloid?

A keloid is a raised scar that extends beyond the original injury. A long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser delivers energy into selected tissue and may target redness, visible blood vessels, or scar bulk. The aim is usually improvement in firmness, colour, thickness, or symptoms rather than removal of every trace of the scar.

Keloids can return after treatment, so the plan may include injections, silicone care, pressure, or another scar treatment. The right approach depends on the scar’s location, age, thickness, symptoms, and your tendency to form keloids.

Arrange an assessment with a dermatologist or appropriately trained laser clinician before booking treatment. Bring the date and cause of the original wound, previous scar treatments, and a list of medicines. Tell the clinician about active skin infection, recent tanning, pigment changes, poor wound healing, or a history of troublesome scars.

After a session, follow the clinic’s cleansing and sun-protection instructions. Do not pick at crusting or rub the treated area. Ask how many visits may be considered, what improvement is realistic, and whether another treatment will be needed to reduce recurrence.

Contact the treating clinic promptly if pain, swelling, blistering, warmth, drainage, or redness is worsening rather than settling. Seek urgent medical care for rapidly spreading redness, fever, severe pain, or swelling near the eye or airway. A keloid that begins growing quickly, bleeding, or changing in an unusual way also needs clinical review.

Ask whether the scar is definitely a keloid, what the laser is intended to change, how your skin tone affects settings, and which combination treatments could lower the chance of regrowth. Ask about expected aftercare, warning signs, and alternatives if laser treatment is unsuitable.