What should you know about nodular keloid?

Keloid tissue forms when the skin produces excess collagen during healing. A nodular form may look like a rounded, solid bump rather than a flat line. It can follow acne, an injection, piercing, burn, cut, or surgery. The lump can be darker or lighter than nearby skin and may feel tight, itchy, sore, or sensitive when clothing rubs it. A skin lump is not automatically a keloid, so an examination helps distinguish it from an acne scar, infection, cyst, or another growth.

Arrange a dermatology assessment if a scar is expanding, uncomfortable, or affecting movement or sleep. Bring the date and cause of the original injury and mention earlier scar treatments. Options can include steroid injection into the skin, pressure or silicone-based care, laser treatment, freezing, or surgery. Treatment choice depends on the scar’s size, location, symptoms, skin type, and whether it has returned before. Keloids can recur after removal, so planned follow-up matters. Do not cut, squeeze, or repeatedly irritate the lump yourself.

Book a prompt appointment for a rapidly changing lump, persistent bleeding, an open area, pus, spreading redness, warmth, or worsening pain. Seek urgent care if fever or rapidly spreading swelling accompanies the lesion. These features can indicate infection or a different skin problem and should not be explained away as a scar without examination.

Ask whether the appearance fits a keloid, whether a biopsy is needed, which treatment suits its location, and how recurrence will be monitored. You can also ask how to protect the area after treatment and what changes should prompt an earlier review.