Keloid Treatment

Many patients inherit their tendency to form keloids. While normal scarification involves collagen fibers laying in parallel to one another, keloidal scarring is observed when collagen fibers lay at right angles to each other (instead of neatly stacking). Think of a straw hay stacked on top of itself in parallel rows versus at right angles. This right angle orientation leads to thickened and sometimes painful scars, most commonly found on the chest, ears, and nape of the neck.

Keloid Therapy

There are 2 primary methods we treat keloids: 1) Inject raised areas with cortisone to shrink their volume and 2) Employ our pulse dye laser to beat back the capillaries within that allow them to grow. Between these 2 methods, we’re able to shrink and substantially lighten keloids. We’ll also give patients medicated bandages to use at home in order to further the gains achieved while in the office.  For extreme, disfiguring keloids, we’ll team up with our plastic surgery colleagues to excise and re-sew affected skin.