Keloid Guide: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
What is a Keloid?
When skin is injured scar tissue forms over the wound to repair the skin and protect the injury. In some cases, scar tissue grows excessively. The exact cause of why this happens is not actually known. However, the body forms a smooth, hard growth called a keloid. The medical community believes that abnormalities in collagen production are to blame for these growths. Keloids can be much larger than the original wound. They’re most commonly found on the chest, shoulders, earlobes, and cheeks. However, keloids can affect any part of the body and are more prevalent in patients with dark skin tones.
Symptoms of a Keloid
Keloid scars tend to be larger than the original wound itself. Symptoms occur where there was a previous skin injury and can include:
- A raised “scar like” area of the skin that can be flesh colored, pink or red
- Itchy patch of skin
- Scar tissue that grows larger over time
Treatment for a Keloid
Keloid treatment is tricky because there is always a risk of another keloid developing after the treatment process for the removal of a keloid. Because the cause of a keloid is not fully understood there is a no certainty that the body will not produce another keloid.
However, what has been found most effective in the treatment of keloids is laser therapy, especially for the purpose of addressing some of the issues associated with keloids, including redness, thickening of the skin and discomfort.
Superficial radiation therapy has proven to have the highest cure rate of any available treatment modality. Superficial radiation therapy, or SRT treatment, is a non-surgical treatment for keloids. A great benefit to patients dealing with keloids is that SRT is painless. SRT treatment uses high energy x-ray beam to shrink or control the growth of a tumor or abnormal cells by either killing the cells directly or by disrupting the ability of the cells to grow.
Keloid treatment is only available in select treatment centers throughout the country. Skin Laser & Surgery Specialists of New York and New Jersey is a recognized international center for the performance of SRT treatment of keloids. Contact us for more information.. We serve clients in the communities of Hackensack, Hillsborough, Montclair, Manhattan, and Tenafly.