Keloids are often considered disturbing appearance. To overcome this, there are several ways to remove keloids, ranging from surgery, injection of drugs, to radiation therapy. Each of these methods can give different results on keloids.
Keloids are scars that grow wide and protrude from the surface of the skin. These scars can grow anywhere on the body, but are most common on the chest, shoulders, earlobes, and cheeks.
People aged between 10-30 years are considered more at risk of developing keloids on their bodies. However, keloids are also believed to be passed down genetically in families.
Causes of Keloids
Normally, when you have an injury, scar or fibrous tissue will form over the injured skin to protect and repair the damaged skin tissue.
However, in keloid wounds, the tissue continues to grow until it thickens and is larger than the wound itself. Various scars can cause keloid growth, such as:
- Burns
- Piercing wounds
- Surgical scars, including dimple surgery, Caesarean section, or other surgeries.
- Scratched or scratched wounds
- Chickenpox scars
In some people, keloids even appear on small wounds, such as broken pimples and vaccination injection marks.
How to get rid of keloids
Keloids are not cancerous or contagious. Although harmless, you will experience symptoms such as itching, burning, and irritation, especially if the keloid rubs against clothing.
If you feel uncomfortable or the presence of keloids is starting to bother you, there are several ways to get rid of keloids that can be done, including:
1. Keloid cutting surgery
This method is done by cutting and removing the keloid that appears. However, this surgical procedure carries the risk of causing other keloids that are larger than the wound after surgery.
To minimize this risk, the doctor will combine surgery with other measures, such as radiation therapy or administering steroid injections to the scar.
2. Corticosteroid injections
Corticosteroid injections are safe for removing keloids, but they can be quite painful. This injection will be given regularly in the keloid area, at least 1-2 times every month until the keloid looks deflated.
However, corticosteroid injections can make the flattened keloid red. In addition, the scars will still be visible, even though they have achieved the best results.
3. Cryotherapy
This method of removing keloids is done by freezing the keloids using liquid nitrogen. Cryotherapy can shrink keloids, but they usually leave dark scars on the skin's surface.
4. Lasers pulsed-dye
Laser technique pulsed-dye proven effective in shrinking keloids and not leaving too much redness in the keloid scars. This technique is also considered safer and less painful. However, the laser method pulsed-dye relatively expensive and it takes several sessions to achieve the desired results.
5. Gel or silicone sheet
This method uses a gel or silicone sheet wrapped around the skin where the keloid grows. The gel technique can be performed as soon as the skin heals from the wound. Results may vary from person to person and use should be done for several months.
6. Injections fluorouracil
Injection fluoroucacil is a type of anticancer injection. This injection is quite often used to treat keloids, because it has milder side effects. Fluorouracil It can be injected with or without steroids.
7. Interferon injection
Interferons are proteins that are naturally produced by the immune system to fight bacteria or viruses. This injection has been proven to be able to shrink keloids, but it is still not certain whether the results can last long or not.
8. Radiation therapy
How to remove keloids with radiation is only done in extreme cases. This is because people who undergo radiation therapy to remove keloids are at risk of developing some skin complications, such as erythema. In addition, radiation therapy is also feared to trigger cancer.
The various ways to get rid of keloids above can be your choice to improve the appearance of the skin. Consult a doctor to determine the appropriate method for your condition, as well as to find out the side effects of each procedure and the expected end result.