Keloids and Aldara cream

Hi

My brother is 18 years old and he has suffered from very severe acne on his face, chest and back. His acne got much better after treatment but unfortunately his skin produced keloids around his chest and back. He has tried the patches and steroid injections but nothing really worked. He recently surgically removed 2 keloids on his chest and our dermatologist gave him ALDARA cream to be used about 3 times a week on the wounds.

I really want to know if he is doing the right thing. What chance is there that these keloids will re appear? and if they do will they be worse than before? what is your best advice?

According to our dermatologist (who is known to be one of the best in our country) there is only a 10% chance that they will re-appear using ALDARA cream.

Thanks

Sarah

[Healthadvisory]

Keloids can be considered to be "scars that don't know when to stop." A keloid, sometimes referred to as a keloid scar, is a tough heaped-up scar that rises quite abruptly above the rest of the skin. It usually has a smooth top and a pink or purple color. Keloids are irregularly shaped and tend to enlarge progressively. Unlike scars, keloids do not subside over time.

Buy silastic gel and apply it to the keloid. These come in gel sheets, which you can cut to fit the size of the keloid and hold them in place with a tape that adheres to skin. This must be used regularly every day for several weeks or months and works to get rid of the keloids by flattening the raised skin.