Keloid Scars: Understand Your Skin, Explore Your Options
Clear, evidence-based information about keloid scars, their causes, prevention, and current treatment options.
Explore Keloid Treatments
Learn about the most commonly used treatment options, how they work, and what current evidence says about their effectiveness.
Steroid Injections
Learn how corticosteroid injections are used to flatten keloids, what results to expect, and the potential side effects.
Cryotherapy
Learn how freezing techniques are used to reduce keloid tissue, including effectiveness, risks, and what to expect.
Laser Treatment
Explore how different laser treatments are used for keloid scars, their potential benefits, limitations, and risks.
Silicone Gel & Sheets
Learn how silicone gels and sheets are used in keloid care, what the evidence shows, and how they are typically used.
Keloid Removal
Explore surgical and multimodal approaches to keloid removal, including recurrence risk and combination treatment strategies.
Explore All Treatments
See all keloid treatment options, how they compare, and what current evidence says about each approach.
A few helpful answers
Frequently Asked Questions
10 common questions about keloids, scar healing and treatment. Select a question to read the answer.
How is a keloid different from a hypertrophic scar?
A keloid grows beyond the edges of the original injury, while a hypertrophic scar stays within them. Both can be raised, firm, itchy, or painful. Hypertrophic scars may gradually soften and flatten; keloids usually persist. Because symptoms overlap, a clinician should confirm the scar type before you choose a treatment.
Why is my scar getting bigger, even months later?
Healing continues beneath the skin after a wound closes. A scar may widen under tension, become thicker within the wound, or develop into a keloid that extends beyond it. Aging alone does not mean a scar is growing: older acne scars can simply look more noticeable as surrounding skin loses firmness. Ongoing enlargement, new thickening, or restricted movement deserves assessment.
Will my scar fade, and how long can redness last?
Many scars gradually become softer and less noticeable over months or years; changes can continue for two years or longer. This is a broad guide, not a deadline. A closed scar can stay pink or red while it matures, without necessarily being a keloid. True keloids usually do not flatten on their own. Increasing thickness, pain, or spreading redness should be checked rather than simply watched.
Why does a keloid itch or hurt, and when should I seek help?
Inflammatory activity and altered nerve sensitivity may contribute to itching, tenderness, or pain. Itching can occur during growth, but it does not prove that the scar is getting bigger. Arrange a review if symptoms disturb sleep, daily activities, or movement. Seek prompt medical advice for suddenly worsening pain, warmth, spreading redness, swelling, or discharge, which may indicate infection or another complication.
Can a keloid turn into cancer?
A typical keloid is benign and is not normally expected to become cancerous. Rare reports of cancer in scarred tissue do not establish that ordinary keloids commonly transform into cancer, and some other skin growths can resemble keloids. A persistent open sore, repeated unexplained bleeding, or an unusual change needs prompt assessment. A dermatologist may recommend a biopsy when the diagnosis is uncertain.
Which keloid treatment is best for me?
There is no single best treatment for every keloid. The plan depends on the diagnosis, size, location, skin tone, symptoms, previous treatment, and your goals. Options include injections, silicone-based care, cryotherapy, lasers, and selected surgery with additional treatment. The aim may be less itching, a flatter scar, or easier movement rather than complete disappearance. Several appointments and follow-up may be needed, including for newly formed scars.
Can silicone gel or sheets remove an old keloid?
Silicone helps retain moisture over healed skin and may be included in scar care, but it cannot reliably erase an established keloid. Research on silicone sheets for existing keloids is of very low certainty. Start only once the skin has fully healed, never over an open wound or scab. Follow the product instructions and your clinician’s advice about duration, irritation, and when to review progress.
How do steroid injections work, and how many will I need?
Corticosteroid medicine is injected directly into the scar to reduce inflammation and excessive scar activity. It may soften or flatten the tissue and ease itching or pain. Multiple sessions are often needed, usually several weeks apart, with the schedule adjusted to your response. Possible side effects include injection pain, skin thinning, visible small blood vessels, and pigment changes. Improvement does not rule out later regrowth.
Why can a keloid return after surgical removal?
Surgery removes existing tissue but creates a new wound in skin already prone to excessive scarring. The keloid can return, sometimes larger than before, so surgery alone should not be presented as a permanent cure. Depending on the scar, follow-up treatment may include injections, fitted pressure devices, or specialist-selected radiotherapy. Discuss the timing, risks, and recurrence plan before surgery; additional treatment also cannot guarantee that regrowth will never occur.
Can creams, massage, or home remedies flatten a keloid?
There is insufficient reliable evidence that household remedies, vitamin E, onion-extract creams, or massage permanently remove an established keloid. A plain moisturizer may help dry, healed skin feel more comfortable, but comfort is different from flattening scar tissue. Avoid aggressive rubbing and products that burn or irritate. Sun protection supports healed skin care; it does not remove a keloid. Keep any treatment plan appropriate to whether the skin has fully healed.