Steroid Injection: The injection of steroids can inhibit the growth of fibroblasts, causing the keloids to shrink. Results from patients vary and the success rate is only 50%, Long-term injections, usually once a month, are needed to be effective. Some patients need continuous injection, from few months to one year, in order to be effective. However, Long-term steroid injections will cause the skin to atrophy and sink in, and injection process also leads to pain in patients.
Surgical Removal: Keloid treatment by surgical removal method seems to a relatively simple method, its drawback is high recurrence rate of 80 to 100%. Since new wounds will be developed, it may stimulate keloid to grow back, and may even develop into a bigger keloid.
According to literature reviews, regular steroid injections after surgery can prevent the formation of keloid, but the recurrence rate can reach 50 to 80%, while postoperative radiotherapy can reduce the recurrence rate to 20 to 30%. Since radiotherapy is originally applied to treat cancer, if it is used to treat keloid that is grown in the neck and chest, thyroid cancer or breast cancer may be induced, thus radiotherapy is only limited to the area of hands, feet and ears.
Silicone Gel Sheet: It is regarded as preventive treatment, which is applied to new wounds after two weeks, and is associated with anti-scar ointment to reduce the growth of keloid and scars.
Interferons or anti-cancer drug: Research on their effects are still processing. Application of interferons or anti-cancer drug on eliminating keloid cannot sustain for a long time and may also cause side effects to the body.
Reference information: http://keloid.com.hk/hypertrophic-scar-treatment.html
The information aims to provide educational purpose only. Anyone reading it should consult Surgery Specialist before considering treatment and should not rely on the information above
