Do keloid scars ever flatten?

Conclusion: Keloids never completely disappear to leave skin with normal texture, however they can resolve (flatten and soften) so they no longer burden patients in approximately one third of cases. Scars resolving spontaneously do so early in the disease. Those that don't may resolve after many years of treatment.

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How long does it take for a keloid to flatten?

If you have a smaller keloid, your doctor might try reducing its thickness by injecting it with cortisone or other steroids. You'll likely need monthly injections for up to six months before seeing the scar flatten.

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Can keloids be flattened?

Silicone gel sheets: Made from medical-grade silicone, these sheets may help to flatten a keloid. For this reason, silicone gel sheets may be applied to a new keloid or applied after an injury to prevent a keloid from developing.

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How do you make a keloid flat?

Silicone Sheets or Gels

Wearing silicone sheets or gels over a keloid scar can help flatten them in most patients. The silicone sheets have to be worn for 12 to 16 hours everyday for months together which may be a little uncomfortable.

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Are keloids permanent?

Do keloids go away? Unlike a hypertrophic scar, a keloid doesn't fade with time. To reduce the appearance of a keloid, you need to treat it. When it comes to treatment, no one treatment works best for all keloids.

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Doctor explains KELOID SCARS including causes, treatment and prevention

27 related questions found

What's inside a keloid?

It is a result of an overgrowth of granulation tissue (collagen type 3) at the site of a healed skin injury which is then slowly replaced by collagen type 1. Keloids are firm, rubbery lesions or shiny, fibrous nodules, and can vary from pink to the color of the person's skin or red to dark brown in color.

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Do keloids go down naturally?

Keloids rarely go away on their own, but they don't generally need to be treated unless they're causing discomfort or are affecting how you feel about your appearance. If they're surgically removed, they often grow back.

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How do you stop a keloid from expanding?

After the wound heals, apply silicone gel sheets or silicone gel. You can buy both of these products without a prescription. They can help prevent a keloid. To get the best results, you apply a new sheet or gel to the area every day.

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Does squeezing a keloid help?

It may be very tempting to squeeze an ear keloid. However, you can't pop an ear keloid. Ear keloids are a type of scar tissue, so there isn't any pus to squeeze out, like a pimple. Trying to pop a keloid on your ear can damage your skin and introduce bacteria, which can cause an infection.

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What does a bad keloid look like?

When a keloid first appears, it's often red, pink, or slightly darker than your natural skin tone. As it grows, it may darken. Some become lighter in the center and darker at the edges.

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How can you tell if a keloid is a hypertrophic scar?

Hypertrophic scars are contained within the site of injury and may regress over time, while keloids spread beyond the borders of the initial injury and do not regress. On histological examination, hypertrophic scars tend to have collagen in a wavy, regular pattern, whereas keloids have no distinct pattern of collagen.

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What can be mistaken for keloids?

Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans is an extremely rare condition that can be confused with keloid, especially if growing to the size of 50 mm or not healing anyway (1, 4, 5, 7). In such cases, a detailed investigation covers core biopsy and CT-imaging to achieve an exact tissue evaluation.

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Why are keloids hard to get rid of?

Once you have them, keloids are notoriously difficult to eliminate and have a very high chance of re-growing once they are surgically cut out. This is because the body is likely to respond in the same exaggerated way to this surgery as it did to the initial injury.

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What triggers keloid growth?

Keloid growth might be triggered by any sort of skin injury — an insect bite, acne, an injection, body piercing, burns, hair removal, and even minor scratches and bumps. Sometimes keloids form for no obvious reason. Keloids aren't contagious or cancerous. A keloid is different from a hypertrophic scar.

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Why is my keloid so big?

Researchers know that the body produces more collagen than its needs to heal the injured skin. That's why the keloid scar grows bigger than the wound that caused it.

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Can you grow out of keloid scarring?

You cannot get rid of a keloid scar, but there are treatments that can help improve how it looks and reduce irritation. Treatments may include: steroid injections or cream. silicone dressings or gels.

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How do you break down keloid scar tissue?

Dermatologists may inject a corticosteroid solution directly into a hypertrophic scar or keloid, which may help reduce its size. Steroids break the bonds between collagen fibers, which reduces the amount of scar tissue beneath the skin.

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Can keloid become cancerous?

Keloid is a skin disease characterized by exaggerated scar formation, excessive fibroblast proliferation, and excessive collagen deposition. Cancers commonly arise from a fibrotic microenvironment; e.g., hepatoma arises from liver cirrhosis, and oral cancers arise from submucosal fibrosis.

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What are the stages of keloids?

Keloids are a result of aberrant wound healing. Standard wound healing consists of three phases: (1) inflammatory, (2) fibroblastic, and (3) maturation.

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Should keloids be removed?

In some instances, a surgeon may recommend removing a large hypertrophic scar or keloid. Keloids that far exceed the margins of the original wound, for example, require removal to allow surgeons to reconstruct the surrounding skin and tissue and restore as much of the underlying structure as possible.

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Can you live with a keloid?

Keloids can be treated, so it is not a condition you have to continue living with. The treatment involves superficial radiation and is incredibly effective in removing keloid scars.

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Are keloids hard or squishy?

Some keloids feel soft and doughy. Others are hard and rubbery. Cause pain, itching, or tenderness. When they are growing, some keloids may be itchy, tender, or painful to the touch.

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How do I know if it's a keloid or a bump?

Piercing bumps and keloids are different skin conditions that can occur following a piercing. Piercing bumps tend to appear more quickly and do not grow in size, while keloids take time to form and can continue to grow over time. A doctor or dermatologist can advise on the best way to treat keloids.

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