Last Updated on 03/12/2023 by Liz @ HealthTenfold
Bruises or injuries on your body leave behind scars that fade and disappear after some time. However, for 10% of the population, this is not necessarily the case because they develop keloid scars. So what are keloid scars? Well, stick around and find out!
What are Keloid Scars?
Keloid scars are overgrowths of scar tissue that appear where an injury or wound was on your skin. They usually grow to be much larger than the original injury and in some cases; they may continue to grow for years.
Keloid scars are usually raised, smooth, hard, and darker than the rest of the skin. They can grow anywhere on the body but they commonly form on the earlobes, chest, cheeks, shoulders.
Although they may be itchy, keloids are not a health concern but you may want to get rid of them because you find them unsightly and embarrassing.
What Causes Keloid Scars?
When you get injured, your cells repair the skin by forming a scar which also acts as protection that bars pathogens from entering the body. Keloid scars occur when scar tissue continues forming even after the wound has healed. Doctors are yet to discover why the skin may have such an exaggerated healing reaction.
The types of injuries that could result in keloid scars are burns, cuts, scratches, piercings, tattoos, vaccination sites, surgical scars, insect bites, chickenpox scars, and acne scars.
People with a tendency to develop keloid scars should avoid getting piercings, tattoos, or unnecessary surgeries.
How to Get Rid of Keloid Scars
Completely removing a keloid scar may be counterproductive because it’s the body’s way of healing injuries. Removing it will leave behind a surgical wound that the body will again attempt to cover with another keloid. The goal of treatment is to, therefore, reduce its size and make it less visible.
Keloid scars can be treated using at-home treatments or medical procedures:
Home Remedies for Keloid Scars
You can treat keloid scars using ingredients that are natural and chemical free. They are as follows:
H-Scars Formula
H-Scars Formula is a purely natural treatment for many types of scars such as keloid scars, facial scars, acne scars, and hypertrophic scars. It is specifically made to repair skin damage and restore it to its original state. It promotes the regeneration of skin cells and so reduces the appearance of both new and old scars
It’s made with specially-selected natural homeopathic ingredients that will give you healthy skin and are gentle on your skin at the same time. It’s also made with pure essential oils that are well-known for their numerous healing and nourishing benefits on the skin.
H-Scars Formula is powerful and deeply-penetrating so you only need to apply a few drops on the keloid scar. You can also apply to fresh wounds to prevent the formation of keloids. Expect to see positive results in 6-8 weeks for old scars and 4-8 weeks for newer ones after regular use.
Order yours today to begin your journey towards a keloid and scar-free skin!
Honey
Honey has anti-inflammatory effects so applying it on the keloid scars will stop them from growing too big and will also help in shrinking them. Honey also has rich moisturizing properties so it will help in getting the keloids soft.
To use honey as treatment, take the raw organic kind and apply it to the affected area. Allow it to sit for a while and rinse it off when the area gets sticky. Do this at least two times a day or as often as you need until you see positive results.
Garlic
Garlic has compounds that when applied on the keloid scar, will block specific enzymes that promote the build-up of scar tissue and pigment from entering the scar area. You will notice that your scars are lightening up after applying garlic for some time.
To use garlic on keloids, crush two or three cloves of garlic. Apply the paste on the keloid site and leave it on for 15 minutes. Rinse it off and moisturize the area. Note that if you experience an allergic reaction to garlic, stop using it immediately.
Aspirin
Aspirin works in a similar way on keloids as garlic. Applying it prevents the cells that are responsible for forming scars from getting to the keloid site. When this happens, the size of the keloid and pigmentation is reduced.
To use this treatment, take three or four tablets of aspirin and crush them. Add water to them until a paste forms. Apply the paste on the keloid scar and leave it on for 1 to 2 hours and then rinse it off. You can do this once a day until you get the results that you want.
Onion
Onions have the compounds flavonol and quercetin that make it very good at promoting the healing of scars. It does this by preventing fibroblasts, the cells responsible for producing scar tissue, from getting into the keloid scar area. It also reduces pigmentation and scar height.
To use onion as treatment, take whichever type of onion that you have and cut it into tiny pieces. Put the pieces in a clean cloth and squeeze them to get their juice. Apply the juice on the keloid scar and wait till it dries and rinse off. Repeat this 3 or 4 times daily until you get positive results.
Heavy Lotion or Cream
Applying skin products that have petrolatum and lanolin on scars improves their appearance and promotes healing. Creams that have vitamin E and onion extracts will also help reduce the appearance of keloid scars.
Medical Procedures
In order to receive effective treatment for a keloid scar, you have to get it attended to as soon as it appears. Some of the methods doctors use to treat keloids include:
Surgery
Surgical procedures are done to cut out keloids that are very large. However, the possibility of keloids recurring is very high so it has to be combined with other treatments.
Corticosteroid Injection
Corticosteroid medicines like triamcinolone acetonide are injected into a keloid to shrink its size and reduce irritation. The injection is uncomfortable and it is done after intervals of 4 to 6 weeks. This treatment is best done as a follow-up to surgery for the best results.
Cryosurgery
In this method, the keloid is frozen using liquid nitrogen so that it shrinks and gets softer. Cryosurgery is mostly done on small keloids and it’s done every 20-30 days until desired results are achieved.
Laser Therapy
This is an alternative method of treatment for conventional surgery. High beams of light are focused on the keloids to flatten, smoothen, and tone their color. Laser therapy can make the keloids appear better than they were but there’s also a chance that they’ll get worse. It often increases scarring and reddens your skin.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation is at times used to reduce the chance of a scar forming after surgery as the wound heals. However, the treatment is not widely accepted because it’s believed to raise the risk of developing cancer.
Interferons
Interferons are proteins that your immune system produces to fight disease-causing pathogens like bacteria and viruses. When injected into keloids, they help in reducing their size.
Retinoid Cream
Retinoid cream is derived from retinol or vitamin A and it can be used on keloid scars. It helps in reducing their appearance.
Silicone
You can put on a silicone gel sheet over the area with keloid scars to shrink them. It’s difficult to sustain this method because it has to be done continuously for a number of months. The advantage of using it is that it doesn’t have any side effects and it’s painless.
Read more: https://www.healthtenfold.com/best-oil-for-scars-after-surgery/
https://www.healthtenfold.com/calendula-for-scars/
https://www.healthtenfold.com/how-to-prevent-keloids/
https://www.healthtenfold.com/how-to-fade-burn-scars-naturally/
https://www.healthtenfold.com/keloid-scar-treatment-at-home/