A keloid scar is a thick, raised scar that can occur anywhere on the body but most commonly appears on the ears, chest, shoulders, chin and lower legs. Although we don’t completely understand why these occur, we do know that they usually occur in darker skin people and are usually triggered as a response to some kind of skin trauma, such as body piercings, injection sites, acne, burns and surgical scars. It is most likely that there is a dysfunction of the wound healing process that results in overproduction of collagen causing the scar to grow beyond the original wound. Some patients may have a genetic predisposition to developing keloids and this can run in families.

Treatment:

There are a number of different treatments including:

● Compression dressings

● Steroid creams to relieve the itching and discomfort

● Silicone dressings or gels

● Cryotherapy

● Laser

● Radiotherapy (in specialist centres only)

Some of these treatments have a low success rate and are subject to high risk of recurrence.

However, in many cases the most successful treatment involves a surgical procedure to remove the keloid followed by cortisone injections. This is a highly skilled procedure and should only be done by a doctor with the necessary skills and knowledge.

At Aesthetics HQ London Dr Naem has over 25 years of experience dealing with keloid scars and performing the complex surgery required under local anaesthesia. It is particularly effective for earlobe keloid scars.

If you are interested and required further information on diagnosis and treatment for keloids, please book a consultation at Aesthetics HQ London.