Keloid Scar Removal

[Dynamojo]

I have a medium-large sized Keloid scar on my shoulder. I have been using the cica care gel sheets which have helped somewhat, and i will continue to use them but I realise the scar will probably not become completely flat.

I noticed the other day that if i run my electric shaver gently over the keloid, very thin layers of the callogen i think they call it, or keloid matter, strips away.

My question is...could I possibly shave away the keloid, gradually over maybe a 4 week period, avoiding any bleeding and infection. From research ive done, there is apparently a shaving reduction technique adopted by proffesionals for scars. They follow it up with cryosurgery. I'm a college student and simply cant afford surgery. I was thinking that i could try shaving the keloid growth back, then getting the base layer frozen in cryosurgery because I believe thats not expensive...and then keep pressure on the flat scar to avoid regrowth.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Thanks

[Rowena Santos, MD]

Hi,
How are you?  Unfortunately, the shaving used by doctors is not the same as regular shaving. There is the risk of infection and further keloid formation. Other treatments you can consider include cortisone injection or  laser treatment. Cryotherapy or freezing keloids with liquid nitrogen may flatten them but often darkens the site of treatment. This method must also be done by an expert to prevent further harm. Talk to your doctor about these options and if resources are limited, just leave the keloid for the time being and avoid doing any procedure that may trigger further keloid formation. Take care and best regards.