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Keloid scars are the most difficult types of scar tissue to treat because they tend to recur even after having undergone surgical keloid removal. For this reason, the doctor will always suggest that you exhaust all non-surgical options before trying surgery.

Fortunately, there are several non surgical procedures that you can undergo to help treat keloid scars. Any one of these can be used on their own or in combination with each other as well as with surgery. Non surgical alternatives include:

*Corticosteroid injections, also known as cortisone or steroid injections

*Compression Devices or Compression Therapy

*Silicone Sheets

*Laser Therapy

*Cryotherapy

Corticosteroid injects are one of the most common forms of keloid treatment. These injections can help flatten out the scar tissue, however, even though keloids do become less apparent they will still feel different from the surrounding tissue.

Steroid injections can be used before, during and after surgery as well. When injections are used this way in keloid scar removal surgery, it can hinder the development of new keloids. The doctor will evaluate the situation and determine the best course of action.

Compression therapy can be used on burn scars and any type of raised scars. This form of treatment has been around for decades. Compression garments or devices are often custom fitted and should be worn for 24 hours a day and up to a year or more.

Silicone sheets are another alternative used to help flatten all types of scars, including most keloid scars and hypertrophic scars. The treatment includes wearing these sheets for a few hours a day for several weeks.

Silicone sheets are sold OTC and can be cut down to size so that they fit the size of the scar being treated. 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.

Laser therapy can also be an effective keloid scar treatment procedure. Pulsed dye lasers are used to flatten keloids. Laser therapy has also been known to help reduce redness that is common with most keloid scars.

Carbon dioxide lasers are highly successful and can also help reduce the recurrence of keloid formation. If you feel uncertain about which type of treatment you need, consult with your doctor.

Finally, cryotherapy can be used to treat smaller scars and scars that are in areas that are difficult to compress. In this case liquid nitrogen is used to flatten the affected tissue but not without side effects such as a darkening of the treated area.