Articles

Keloid scars are difficult to treat through surgery because surgical keloid removal can also lead to the formation of scar tissue and recurrence is very high. For this reason, it may be a good idea to look for non surgical options to treat this type of scar tissue.

Fortunately, there are several non surgical procedures that you can undergo to help treat keloid scars. Any one of those procedures can be used on its own or in combination with each other as well as with surgery. In case you're wondering, non surgical alternatives include:

*Corticosteroid injections, also known as steroid injections

*Silicone Sheets

*Compression Therapy and Compression Devices

*Laser Therapy

*Cryotherapy

Corticosteriods are the most common treatment for keloids. This type of treatment helps flatten keloids so that they are less apparent even though the scar tissue may still feel different than the surrounding skin.

This type of treatment is most often used before and after keloid scar removal to hinder the appearance of a new keloid scar. However, if necessary a doctor will also use it during surgery or treatment. Essentially, this type of treatment is strictly related to the person's predisposition to developing keloid scars.

Silicone sheets are also used frequently to flatten all types of scars, not just keloids. These sheets are worn for a few hours a day and have been quite successful in keeping keloids from forming again.

Silicone sheets are sold over the counter and can be cut to fit the size of the scar. Despite their success rate, they are slightly less effective than compression therapy, which is an older type of treatment that is still used to deal with keloid scars.

Compression therapy has been used for decades to treat keloids and hypertrophic or raised scars. When scars are treated with this type of treatment the compression devices used are usually custom fitted and worn anywhere from 24 hours to a year.

Laser therapy is another effective keloid scar treatment. A pulsed dye laser is used to flatten the scar. This procedure can also be used to help eliminate the redness that is common with keloid scars.

Carbon dioxide lasers are highly successful and can also help reduce the recurrence of keloid formation. Consult with your doctor about the right type of laser therapy for you.

Finally, cryotherapy is another option that can be used to treat smaller scars and scars that are in areas that are difficult to compress. With this type of treatment liquid nitrogen is used to flatten the affected tissue, but be wary because it can make the treated area look darker than the surrounding tissue.