Keloids

[Eastern]

I recently had surgery on my chin to get rid of excess skin.  The surgeon pulled my chin up, and made a few stiches around the ear.  I have developed 1 inch keloids around both ears and now have to use my hair to try to cover them.  The doctor has given me 2 steroid shots, but nothing much has happened.  I'm sick about this as my hair is thin & they are very noticeable.  HELP!  What can I do????  I'm wondering if there is a place in the US where I can have this taken care of, otherwise I'll always have to wear my hair this way and when the wind blows my hair the keloids are VERY noticable.

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

Keloids are an aggressive wound healing process of the body. It is not normal and is known to follow the Koebner phenomenon, according to which lesions like this tend to occur more at sites of repair. Hence and area which has faced some trauma actually is a possible site for keloids.

It is usually possible for a dermatologist to differentiate a keloid and an hypertrophic scar which heals much more easily.

Therapy includes steroid injection, some dressings  and creams and cryotherapy. Surgery may also be an option in some cases.

Since they occur at sites of trauma and any treatment may cause some trauma, there is a theoritical chance of getting a keloid at a treatment site.

Hope this helped. Let us know if you have any other queries.

Best regards

[Eastern]

If I have surgery to revise these scars do you know what the likelyhood of keloids returning?  Is there a 50%, 75%?  If revision is necessary, can anything be done to prevent, or lessen the chance of keloids reappearing?  These keloids are quite large, so I think I may need surgery.