What is a keloid?
Sometimes nature grows too much scar tissue and produces a raised welt-like overgrowth called a keloid. They are usually wider, firmer, thicker, and redder than normal scars and may remain raised and red during the patient’s lifetime or even grow larger over a period of years. Not all heavy scars are keloid, though they are frequently diagnosed as such. The so-called hypertrophic scar enlarges during the first few months after injury or surgery, but unlike the keloid, slowly softens over the following months. Treatment of the true keloid is difficult and unpredictable. X-ray and injections of cortisone drugs have been used in some cases, but more recently, the beneficial effects of prolonged pressure with specially designed garments and devices have been recognized. Sometimes a combination of surgery, cortisone drugs, and pressure may prove effective. X-ray is rarely used today.
