Beauty & Health Suggestions

Each type of scar will require a different type of treatment. For the most part, they can all be treated with surgery and laser therapy, however, if you're trying to treat keloid scars then it's a bit more complicated than that. Keloid scars tend to grow indefinitely and recur after surgical excision.

Fortunately, there are other forms of keloid removal that have proven to be successful and less invasive than surgery. You can either use one of these procedure or a combination of them depending on the size and location of the keloid. Here are some alternatives you can look into.

Usually the first option any doctor will offer to treat keloids are steroid injections. These injections are used to help flatten scar tissue and make keloid scars less noticeable, however, the flattened keloid will often feel different than the regular skin.

Steroid injections can be used before, during and after surgery as well. Injections are used in this manner during keloid scar removal, to hinder the development of new keloid scars. The doctor will evaluate your situation and then determine the best course of action.

Another alternative for keloid treatment, i.e. compression therapy, can be used on burn scars and any type of raised scars. Compression therapy is one of the oldest forms of scar treatment. The compression devices and garments used are usually custom fitted and have to be worn for 24 hours a day and sometimes up to a year or more.

Silicone sheets are also used to help flatten keloids and other hypertrophic scars. In fact, they can be used on all types of scars, not just keloids. The treatment includes wearing these sheets for a few hours a day for several weeks.

These sheets can often be found at your drugstore. They are very effective and a good alternative for keloid treatment. In fact, usage is quite simple. All you need to do is cut the sheet down to size so that it will fit the affected area.

Laser therapy can also be an effective keloid scar treatment procedure. In this case, pulsed dye lasers are used to flatten keloids. Laser therapy has also been known to help reduce redness that is common with most keloid scars.

Smaller keloids, especially those caused by piercings, can be treated with cryotherapy. This form of treatment uses liquid nitrogen to flatten the keloids. Although it has proven very effective in treating keloids, cryotherapy can also darken the skin surrounding the scar.

Remember to consult your doctor about all your possibilities. If surgery is an option, it is quite possible that it will be combined with one or more of the previously mentioned alternatives. However, if you're not too sure what treatment option is right for you, rest assured that there is a viable treatment out there.