Prevention and Treating Keloid Scars

Severe Keloid Formation

According to American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, a keloid is scar tissue protruding from the skin at the site of an injury. It is caused by fibroblasts (connective tissues) being overactive in the healing process and producing extra tissue. Some people are genetically prone to keloid formation and people with dark skin types are often more at risk, notes the NHS website. For these people, skin damage as small as a pimple or piercing can cause keloid formation.

Step 1
Apply steroid-impregnated tape to the injury site. If you are at risk of developing keloids, preempt their development by applying a dressing doused in a natural steroid like cortisone to the wound for 12 hours a day, notes the NHS website. Alternatively, AOCD notes, use a pressure dressing pad or tape containing silicone gel and where for 24 a day. This also can stop the development of keloids.
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Step 2
Schedule an appointment with your dermatologist to discuss laser treatment for the keloid scar. A heated laser can help reduce skin redness and improve texture of the skin, according to AOCD, but it will not help flatten out the keloid in any way.
Step 3
Consult your dermatologist about a method called cryosurgery to help reduce the keloid. This involves freezing the scar with liquid nitrogen and subsequently stopping the swelling. It can be applied via cotton ball and sprayer. It is good for use on new and small keloids as it can prevent them growing further, notes AOCD. As Acne.org notes, the liquid nitrogen can also cause the scar tissue to die completely, allowing for removal.
Step 4
Get cortisone injection treatment for your keloid scars. This natural steroid is a corticosteroid produced in the adrenal glands of the body and is said to help reduce swelling and inflammation, notes Acne.org. AOCD advises to inject the cortisone directly into the keloid once a month. A noticeable flattening of the scar may begin to occur within three to six months.
Step 5
Attempt to remove the keloid via surgery. In the most extreme cases, the keloid can be sloughed off, then the site exposed to electron beam and orthovoltage radiations to prevent any regrowth. AOCD states that exposing the wound to X-rays has stopped regrowth in 85 percent of cases.

Treating Scarring from Ingrown Hairs

How To Avoid Scarring from Ingrown Hairs

In grown hairs can leave scarring. This scarring for some people can become troublesome and become more severe overtime. Areas frequently shaved are more susceptible to ingrown hair though they can occur any place where hair grows on the body. Place where hair has been shaved and there is friction from skin rubbing or at times clothes can be more vulnerable to the nuisance and at worse scarring from ingrown hairs.

Shaving, waxing, tweezing, electrolysis, and other hair removal methods can often irritate the hair follicle to the point of causing pain, heat, redness, swelling and eruption like skin reactions. These reactions appear as irritating red bumps which at the very least are an embarrassing sight if not a stinging reminder lasting many hours or days. Coarse, curly or wiry hair has a greater tendency to become ingrown because of the curl pattern.

Men often experience ingrown hairs on the face, back, chest, legs and arms. Women tend to get ingrown hairs on the bikini area, legs and armpits. At times the epidermis surrounding the ingrown hair can become swollen and form puss as part of the bodies healing process. People often pick or squeeze ingrown hairs, this activity repeated over time may damage the skin permanently. Scars from ingrown hairs are common. There are a number of good grooming practices that can reduce the appearance of ingrown hair scars and mitigate the reoccurrence and further scarring.

Grooming Preventions for In Grown Hairs

1. Exfoliate the area, Exfoliation removes dead skin cells and nurtures new skin cell production. Less damaged skin cells will be more apparent sooner when you exfoliate regularly. Over a period of months scars often lessen and in some cases become unapparent to the naked eye.

2. Wear sunscreen on the scarred area. Wear sunscreen period. Let’s not worry about environmental controversy and the ozone layers. Many cosmetic companies produce good skin moisturizers with sunscreen so that’s a two for one. The sun can often worsen the appearance of ingrown hair scars. The higher SPF rating is preferable to prevent further damage from harmful sun rays.

3. Cocoa butter has been shown to fade scars and encourage healthy skin. You could find a moisturizer with cocoa butter and sunscreen on the open market.

Professional Medical Treatment

1. See a dermatologist. Some may recommend apply a bleaching cream to the scars. Ingrown hair scars usually have darker pigmentation than surrounding skin. A bleaching cream will lighten the scars, helping them to blend in with the rest of your skin. You’ll need to apply most over-the-counter bleaching creams need to be applied twice a day for several weeks before you see results.

2. A dermatologist may recommend getting laser treatment on the ingrown hair scars. Laser light will target the hyperpigmentation in the scars, thereby lightening the area. Laser treatments also advance collagen production so your skin will look healthier. This is a more costly alternative that generally requires multiple sessions to achieve satisfactory results.

3. Another alternative a dermatologist can suggest is a chemical peels to lighten the ingrown hair scars. Depending on the severity of the scars, you can opt for light, medium or deep chemical peels. Your skin will be burned by the chemicals, but after it heals, younger skin will be revealed. If you opt for a series of peels, you’ll generally have better results.

4. Consider microdermabrasion on the scarred area. The top layers of your skin will be buffed away by a mini sandblaster-type device. The skin below will be younger and less damaged so the scars will not be as apparent.