What to expect from steroid injection into the skin for acne keloidalis nuchae

A clinician injects corticosteroid into selected bumps or thickened scars at the back of the scalp or neck. The medicine is intended to reduce inflammation and help soften raised tissue. The area may feel tender, look red, or swell briefly afterwards. Improvement is assessed over follow-up visits, and more than one treatment may be considered depending on the response.

Possible local changes include lighter or thinner skin, a small indentation, visible tiny blood vessels, or temporary discomfort. Injection treats inflammation and raised tissue but does not remove the triggers that can keep new bumps forming.

Keep the area clean and avoid rubbing, scratching, tight collars, and close shaving until the tenderness settles. Follow the clinician's advice about washing and hair care. Reduce friction from helmets, hats, or equipment when possible, and discuss hairstyles that pull on the back of the scalp.

Do not squeeze draining bumps or apply strong acne products to freshly injected skin unless advised. Attend follow-up so active inflammation, scarring, and new lesions can be managed together.

Call the clinic for increasing warmth, spreading redness, pus, fever, severe pain, or swelling that continues to worsen. Report a new depression, marked colour change, or skin thinning at an injection site. Urgent assessment is needed for rapidly spreading swelling, facial symptoms, or breathing difficulty after the procedure.

Ask which bumps will be injected, how soon improvement will be assessed, how to prevent new lesions, and what alternatives exist if scarring remains. Discuss the risk of pigment or thickness changes in your skin and whether shaving, clothing, or equipment is contributing to repeated irritation.