“Keloids are raised scars which are prompted from an overgrowth of scar tissue and may be itchy, tender or painful,” says Dendy Engelman MD, FACMS, FAAD, a board-certified and award-winning dermatologist at Shafer Clinic in New York Metropolis. “They are often pink or pink in colour and are triggered by any kind of pores and skin harm that causes the physique to overproduce collagen, which is the protein utilized in wound therapeutic.”
So you may make an knowledgeable resolution about getting your ears pierced, we spoke to a few dermatologists to uncover every little thing it is advisable to learn about keloids.
What are keloids, and why do they happen after piercings?
You could already be accustomed to the time period keloid from the skin-care world, as a majority of these scars are sometimes related to pimples. When the pores and skin is injured (which occurs whenever you pop a pimple, or, on this case, whenever you pierce your pores and skin with a needle), collagen turns into broken. Your pores and skin cells and connective tissues begin to multiply in an try and restore that injury, which ends up in scarring.
“The physique doesn’t know {that a} piercing is an intentional harm, so the wound therapeutic course of kicks into impact and may trigger scar tissue to kind and continue to grow and growing, turning right into a keloid,” says Dr. Engelman.
Who tends to develop keloids and why?
“Though it’s not utterly identified why, keloids usually tend to happen in these with darker pores and skin, with research displaying that keloids are mostly seen in people of African and Asian descent, in addition to these of Hispanic and Mediterranean descent,” says Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, a number one board-certified dermatologist and assistant scientific professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical Middle. In different phrases, there’s a genetic part at play.
What are the remedy choices for keloids?
Keloids are tough to deal with, however there are a number of remedy choices obtainable to do away with them for good. The toughest half is guaranteeing that the vicious circle of eradicating them, inflicting harm to the pores and skin, and keloid formation doubtlessly re-occurring stops, as soon as and for all.
So, what decisions do you will have for remedy?
“Usually, keloids are mostly handled with using intralesional injections, utilizing intralesional triamcinolone, a kind of steroid,” says Dr. Garshick. “Different remedy choices embody intralesional injections of a kind of chemotherapy often called 5-fluorouracil, silicone gels similar to Biocorneum or Silagen, or silicone sheets similar to Scarguard.”
Radiation, cryotherapy, lasers, or surgical elimination are additionally choices, however Dr. Garshick is hesitant to suggest surgical procedure. “Surgical elimination is mostly not beneficial given the danger of the keloid coming again even bigger than earlier than, so if surgical procedure is deliberate, you will need to deal with with radiation or steroid injections instantly after surgical procedure to forestall keloid recurrence,” she says.
If a keloid does begin re-forming, it may be retreated with intralesional cortisone injections to scale back its measurement and signs, similar to ache and itching.
How can I forestall keloids within the first place?
A superb query that comes with a easy, if not so enjoyable, reply.
“If somebody is susceptible to keloids with a household historical past, it might be beneficial to keep away from any piercings, tattoos or elective procedures, particularly in cosmetically delicate areas. Frequent places for keloids to develop embody the ears, neck, arms, legs, higher again, shoulders and chest,” says Dr. Garshick.
Rebecca Marcus, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and founding father of skin-care model Maei MD agrees, revealing that correct wound care is necessary if you happen to do undergo a pores and skin harm.
“Be sure you correctly clear any wound, as an infection may doubtlessly elevate the danger of growing a keloid,” she says. “Attempt to scale back any stress and stress on the wound because it heals too; as avoiding extreme stretching, motion, or stress on the affected space can lower danger of keloid scar formation. Defend any therapeutic wounds from the solar as effectively.”
One last item. All the dermatologists we spoke to say how necessary it’s to hunt remedy sooner relatively than later if you happen to discover a keloid forming, as they’re much simpler to deal with in its preliminary early phases.
So if you happen to discover something that doesn’t look fairly proper after your piercing, don’t maintain again from making a dermatologist appointment, however in any other case, take pleasure in your stunning new piece of physique artwork.
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