A scar develops when the skin is broken or injured in some manner. There are many different kinds of scars. Some remain relatively flat and stay within the boundaries of the injury, while other scars continue to grow and may become elevated and prominent. One kind of raised scar is called a keloid scar. Keloids are often very noticeable because they can get quite large over a period of months or years. They can also cause significant cosmetic problems or pain.
- What Are Keloids?
- What Causes Keloids?
- Ways to Remove Keloids
- Who Is a Candidate for Keloid Removal?
- Your Consultation for Keloid Removal
- How to Prepare for Keloid Removal
- The Keloid Removal Procedure
- Recovery After Keloid Removal
- Caring for the Skin After Scar Removal
- Frequently Asked Questions About Keloid Removal
What Are Keloids?
A keloid scar is a raised scar, or hypertrophic scar, that develops when scar tissue grows too quickly after an injury has been made. Some people are more likely to develop keloid scars than others. Keloids occur at higher rates among African Americans than among people of other ethnic groups. These scars usually appear in young adults between the ages of 10 and 30.
A defining feature of a keloid scar is that the tissues continue to grow even after the initial wound has healed. A keloid usually becomes visible several weeks after an injury has occurred and the scar tissue can keep growing for several years afterward.
A keloid scar is usually a different color than a patient’s normal tissue and may be red, purplish or pink. Usually, the edges of the scars are darker than the center. The scars themselves may be soft and rubbery or they may be hard to the touch. Sometimes, the scars itch or hurt.
What Causes Keloids?
Keloid scars can be caused by skin injuries that result in scarring and excess tissue starting to develop. Scar healing can be difficult to predict. It’s not clear why some people develop keloid scars and other people don’t. Some injuries that can cause keloids to form include:
- Ear and body piercings
- Tattoos
- Cuts
- Injections
- Surgical incisions
- Acne
- Chickenpox
- Insect bites
There are cases where you may even develop a keloid spontaneously, without any previous injury.
Ways to Remove Keloids
Keloid treatments can vary from steroid shots to laser treatments and from radiation to surgery. Some people may opt for using silicone sheets to cover their scars. There are some who see good outcomes after just one type of scar treatments. However, others see their best outcomes when they combine multiple types of scar treatments.
Who Is a Candidate for Keloid Removal?
If you have a past history of keloid scarring and your scars are causing you pain, then you may be a good fit for keloid treatments. There are several different types of keloid treatments, so you should consult with Dr. Salloum to see if any of them would be appropriate for you.
Your Consultation for Keloid Removal
During the initial consultation with Dr. Salloum in Miami Beach, the physician will review your medical history and discuss the type of keloids you have. He will then examine the keloids themselves and help you decide which treatment is right for you.
Feel free to ask everything about what to anticipate during the procedure, as well as what to do after the procedure to prevent the recurrence. Be ready for Dr. Salloum to ask you questions about your past scarring and your medical background.
How to Prepare for Keloid Removal
Before your keloids treatment, Dr. Salloum will instruct you on how to prepare yourself for the procedure. Because the procedure takes place in an office and doesn’t require any significant downtime afterward, you may not be required to make any changes to how you live or prepare your house before the procedure.
The Keloid Removal Procedure
At the Miami Center For Plastic Surgery, Keloid Removals are typically performed as an outpatient procedure consisting of two parts. Dr. Sallom performs surgery in his private practice. The entire treatment typically lasts between 1-2 hours.
During the first phase of the treatment, Dr. Salloum will remove the keloid scars by performing surgery. Depending on the size and location of the scars, he may use either local or general anesthesia for the procedure.
Surgical removal of keloids usually isn’t enough to prevent them from recurring. When surgery is performed alone, it’s very common to see the scars grow back. Because of that, Dr. Sallum usually recommends combining surgical removal with radiation treatment. Radiation treatment typically starts right away after surgery has been performed.
Radiation reduces the risk of keloid recurrences. Radiation therapy can be done alone, but usually works better when combined with another type of treatment. We use the latest, most advance technology at his clinic to prevent recurrences.
Recovery After Keloid Removal
After treatment, there is minimal downtime needed for removal of a keloid. Depending on the type of procedure you’ve had, how long you need to take off work and other activities will vary. Dr. Salloum can give you an idea of what to expect from your procedure and tell you exactly what to do to get the best result.
Caring for the Skin After Scar Removal
It may be difficult to predict whether a keloid will come back after surgery, but there are some things you should do to help prevent its reoccurrence. Sunscreen is important for protecting the skin after treatment. Use broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 to protect yourself from the damaging effects of the sun’s UV radiation.
Applying some sort of external compression to the skin where there has been a burn can help to keep scars from forming again. It is also recommended to cover the whole treatment area with petroleum jelly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Keloid Removal
A surgical excision of a keloid is an outpatient procedure that usually takes less then an hour. Radiotherapy after a surgical excision is usually brief, but some people may require multiple treatments.
When removing a keloid scar by surgery, we do use anesthesia. It might be local, in which only the treatment area is numbed, or it might be general anesthesia, which will render you completely asleep during the surgery.
There is a small chance of recurrence after keloid removal. However, when performed alone, surgical keloidectomy has the highest rate of recurrences. Therefore, surgery is often used in combination with other treatments, such as lasers or radiation therapies, to help prevent keloid recurrence.
While surgical excision is an effective way to remove keloids, it is not the sole method. Other methods include steroid injections, cryosurgery (freeze the skin), applying compression, and using silicon sheets.
Surgery to remove a keloid usually has few potential side effects and a relatively low complication rate. You may experience an increased risk of infection during the procedure. Your doctor will provide you with detailed instructions about how to reduce your chances of experiencing any problems.
Steroids can be used to treat keloids. They may also be used to prevent them from growing back. A person who receives steroid injections for a keloidal lesion should get an injection once every 3 to 4 weeks. Injections are typically given 3 times before the patient goes home. Keloids often return within a couple years months of stopping the injections.
No, keloidal growths are not a type of cancer. There is no possibility that a keloidal scar will turn into skin cancer. It’s important to note that in some instances, a keloidal scar may be mistaken for certain types of skin cancers or that cancer can be misdiagnosed as a keloidal scar. For that reason, it’s possible that a doctor might biopsies any keloidal growths that appear suspicious, to rule out any chances of cancer.
If you’re prone to keloidal scars or have had them in your past, there are things that you can do to try and prevent them from forming again. For example, you should avoid having unnecessary surgeries, and you shouldn’t get any piercing or tattooing done unless it’s really important to you. If you do need a surgical procedure, you can help minimize the chances of getting keloidal scars by applying a silicone bandage to cover the wound after the operation. You could also try taking part in a clinical trial where they give you steroids or other drugs to see if they’ll help prevent keloidal scars from forming.
At the Miami Center for Plastic Surgery, in Miami Beach, Fl., Dr. Gabriel Salloum combines the use of a state-of-the-art radiation machine with surgical excision to remove and reduce the recurrence of keloid scars. To learn more about the treatment and to discuss your options for getting rid of keloids or preventing them from returning, call 305-405-6910 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Salloum today.
If you live in Miami Beach, FL, or the surrounding areas, then the Miami Center For Plastic Surgery offers Keloid Removal procedures among its services, and is conveniently located at 4308 Alton Road #720 Miami Beach, FL 33140
