Get to know about keloids and various therapy options

Hello friend Hermina, Keloids are abnormal wound healing characterized by excessive growth of connective tissue beyond the size of the wound. The appearance of a keloid is a hard lump on the skin, irregular in shape, red, purplish to brown in color. Complaints often include itching, pain and a feeling of pulling on the skin. Areas on the body where keloids often occur include the cheeks, earlobes, chest, shoulders, upper arms and shoulders.
The risk factors for keloids in a person are mainly due to genetic factors. Other factors include infected wounds that are not treated promptly, suturing wounds with high stretches of the skin and using the wrong type of thread. Keloids appear 3-12 months after injuries such as acne scars, chicken pox, tattoo or piercing scars, and surgical scars.

Keloids are generally not dangerous, but they affect your appearance and reduce your self-confidence. As science and technology develop, keloid therapy also develops and provides satisfactory results. The recurrence rate of keloids in some cases is also high, so a combination of therapy and repeat therapy are often required.

 

Some therapy options for keloids include:

1. Compression therapy is by pressing the keloid using a silicone gel sheet, which is usually attached to the keloid for 12-24 hours a day.

2. Topical therapy in the form of topical medication containing mitomycin C or 5 fluorouracil (5FU) for keloids.

3. Intralesional corticosteroid injections or injections are the most frequently used therapy and provide quite satisfactory results. Some side effects that are often found include changes in skin color around the keloid. This injection is routinely repeated every 2-3 weeks until the keloid is deflated. Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injection is the newest therapy aimed at reducing tension in the muscles, so it is useful for reducing pain, redness and itching. This injection is usually repeated every 2-3 months. Stem cell injection has also been carried out in several keloid cases and has given satisfactory results.

4. Surgical Therapy
Excision surgery is usually performed on large keloids, all keloid tissue is removed and then sutured. After the keloid is excised, additional therapy is needed to prevent recurrence, such as using silicone gel or a combination of injection therapy.
Frozen surgery or cryotherapy using temperatures of -4 to -7 degrees Celsius aims to destroy keloid tissue.

5. Lasers
Laser is useful for reducing the size of keloids and has the advantage of repairing tissue and pigmentation on the skin, so it can disguise scars. Several types of lasers that are often used in keloid therapy include NdYag Laser, Fractional CO2 Laser, and Pulse Dye Laser (PDL). This laser procedure also requires repetition to get maximum results.

If Hermina's friend has keloids, consult your friend so they can immediately get the right therapy.