Cheloid scar: what treatments are available?
Do you have a keloid scar whose appearance or location bothers you? While most scars have a favorable evolution and fade with time, some present a very pronounced raised appearance, due to an anomaly in the healing process. Clinique du Lac's doctors and surgeons are available to examine your keloid scar(s). Depending on your case, they may recommend laser treatment of your scar or another treatment option.
How do you recognize a keloid scar?
A keloid scar is a benign fibrous tumor of the skin. Keloids develop on a skin lesion following trauma, surgery, cuts, burns or acne pimples. They form during abnormal wound healing. They can continue to evolve and develop for several years.
Keloids are raised scars, firm to the touch and shiny in appearance. Their color varies according to the patient's skin tone, from blush pink to dark brown, red and purple. They extend beyond the boundaries of the original lesion, sometimes for several centimetres. There is usually little or no pain, but scars can be itchy.
A keloid scar is most frequently found on the upper part of the body, and often involves the ears, neck, shoulders... It particularly affects children, teenagers and young adults, as well as people with a strong allergic background or pigmented skin.
Keloid scars can be confused with hypertrophic scars, which are also abnormally thick. Hypertrophic scars regress after several months, whereas keloids do not. Through a clinical examination, your doctor can help you distinguish between the two and recommend the best treatment, depending on the type of scar you have.
How do keloid scars form?
During the healing phase, fibroblasts, the skin's own cells, produce collagen to enable the skin to gradually reconstitute itself at the site of injury. If too much collagen is synthesized, the result is a fibrous bulge in the scar, which thickens and extends beyond the scar zone. This outgrowth of abnormal skin tissue proliferation presents no health risk, but it can be unsightly and unwelcome.
If you're prone to keloid scars, avoid piercings and tell your surgeon before any procedure, whether medical or cosmetic.
What treatment should I use for my keloid scar?
In the past, surgical removal of keloid scars was systematically recommended. Unfortunately, the risk of recurrence is high, and some patients see their scars reappear, sometimes even more prominent. However, intracicatricial excision remains the best solution in the case of very large or extensive keloid scars.
More and more often, laser treatments are used in combination or not with other therapeutic options, such as corticosteroid injections, radiotherapy, cryotherapy or even certain medications... Whatever solution is chosen, it only improves the appearance of the scar, but does not make it disappear completely.
How is a keloid scar treated with laser?
The laser principle involves projecting a beam of light onto the scar to reduce excess skin tissue. On contact with the skin, this light is transformed into energy and destroys localized vascular proliferation. This technique reduces the size and volume of the scar and makes it more uniform.
A laser session takes place in the office, and does not require you to leave your social environment. You can resume your daily activities after the session. Your skin will be slightly swollen and red for a few days, so remember to keep well hydrated. Several sessions are required to achieve visible results.
Make an appointment with the doctors at Clinique du Lac to determine which techniques to use to manage your keloid scar and dramatically reduce its appearance.