OUR CARIBBEAN SKIN SERIES / Keloids

Have you ever had a cut, which – after it has healed – feels bumpy or raised and often looks worse than the injury itself? That’s a keloid. Caused by scar tissue that keeps building up long after it’s necessary, keloids are about 20% more common in skin of colour.

They can happen around any type of laceration – acne, burns, cuts, viral infections like chicken pox, surgical incisions, even piercings or tattoos. Though benign, they can be uncomfortable or sensitive to the touch and, depending on their location, may cause some people to be self-conscious. Keloids typically occur on the earlobes, arms and torso and while many show up directly after an injury, some grow slowly but steadily over the course of months or even years. 

What are your options?

Surgery can remove keloids instantaneously, but they will likely recur at the incision site. With some patients, applying pressure to the area reduces blood flow and increases the chances of keeping keloids flat.

Steroid injections can help reduce keloids’ size and sensitivity, and cryotherapy, in which we freeze the area, is also effective, particularly with smaller scars.

Finally, laser treatments not only flatten keloids, they reduce associated hyperpigmentation.

Despite all these viable options, keloids can be tenacious. A good first step is for us to treat any underlying skin conditions in order to reduce the likelihood of recurrence, so if your keloids are really irritating you – aesthetically or otherwise – come in and see us. We’ll help determine which treatment may offer you the best shot at conquering your keloids.