ABOUT THE DISEASE
Post an injury, generally a scar gets formed. In some people, the scar tissue keeps forming due to uncontrolled synthesis and deposition of dermal collagen, long after the wound heals. This extra scar tissue causes a red, raised area on the skin, called as Keloid. It may feel itchy or sensitive to the touch.
CAUSES
Can be caused due to skin injuries related to:
- Burns
- Injury
- Surgery
- Body piercing
- Chickenpox
- Acne
SYMPTOMS
- Flesh-colored, red, or pink raised area, often extending beyond the original wound
- Nodular or ridged in appearance
- Tender and itchy, sometimes painful
- Most common sites are shoulder, sternum, earlobe and cheeks
DIAGNOSIS
- Physical examination
- Skin biopsy, in some cases to rule out other skin tumors.
TREATMENT METHODS
Keloids are difficult to treat. The options are:
- Corticosteroid injections
- Freezing (cryotherapy)
- Laser treatments
- Radiation
- Surgical removal
- Silicone gel or patches
You may also like to learn about:
Vitiligo/leucoderma
Psoriasis
Skin cancer
Scars
Acne
Fungal infections-skin