Piercing Area 'Keloid'... When Treatment Is Needed [Taking Care of Health for MZ Generation]

Abnormal Collagen Overgrowth
High Occurrence in Ear, BCG Vaccination Site, Chest, and Jaw

[Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] 'Keloid,' a condition where scars progressively enlarge, forms scars that extend beyond the original wound area. The skin turns (dark) reddish and protrudes like a lump. The scar surface is glossy and irregularly shaped. A similar condition is hypertrophic scar, which resembles keloid symptoms but usually does not extend beyond the original wound boundary.

Keloids develop between 1 month at the earliest and 3 to 6 months at the latest after the wound has healed. If the scar protrudes accompanied by pain and itching, keloid can be suspected. It mainly occurs in younger age groups, such as teenagers to people in their 30s, and is rare in those under 10 or over 60 years old.

The exact cause of keloids is currently unknown. It is known to occur due to abnormal excessive collagen proliferation during the wound healing process. The likelihood of occurrence is higher due to individual constitutional factors rather than external causes. In other words, people prone to keloids tend to develop them frequently and have a high chance of recurrence.

Besides these constitutional traits, the probability of occurrence increases if wounds are frequent, if the wound healing involves severe inflammatory reactions, if there is significant tension on the wound, or if wound healing is delayed due to other causes. For example, even without a predisposition to keloids, keloids can develop from ear inflammation caused by piercing in an unhygienic environment.

Professor Kim Choong-hyun of the Department of Plastic Surgery at Ilsan Paik Hospital said, "Patients who have developed keloids once have a high risk of recurrence after treatment and a high possibility of occurrence in other wound areas, so wounds should be carefully monitored." He added, "For mature normal scars several months after the wound has formed, the likelihood of them turning into keloid scars is very low if the area is not subjected to further irritation or trauma."

Keloid Treatment: 'When to Do It'

Keloid treatment should be done first if there are uncomfortable symptoms. If the skin is severely tight causing pain or if itching is severe enough to interfere with daily life, treatment is recommended.

Secondly, treatment is advisable if severe stress arises due to the appearance. Keloids commonly form on the ears, BCG vaccination sites, chest, and jaw. If keloids appear on exposed areas such as the face or when wearing short sleeves, causing psychological stress, treatment can help improve the condition.

Thirdly, it is easier to treat when the keloid is small. Keloids often grow larger over time. For example, a small millet-sized scar formed after chest acne can grow to the size of a thumbnail over time. Larger sizes may require surgical treatment, so managing keloids while they are small is advantageous.

The fundamental treatment for keloids is scar plastic surgery combined with low-dose radiation therapy. Surgery is performed considering the size and shape of the keloid and the existing skin tissue. Applying low-dose radiation therapy to the surgical site afterward results in the lowest recurrence rate. Radiation therapy helps reduce excessive collagen proliferation during the wound healing process.

If the keloid is small or symptoms are mild, steroids may be directly injected into the scar. Recently, treatments inducing keloid cell destruction by injecting anticancer drugs such as 5-FU into the scar have also been used.

To prevent keloids, the best approach is to avoid wounds. If wounds are unavoidable, using ointments containing growth factors or appropriate dressing products can be helpful. Professor Kim Choong-hyun advised, "If the wound healing period is shortened as much as possible, keloids may not develop even in those predisposed to them." He added, "Afterward, depending on the area, applying pressure with silicone gel sheets or managing with silicone-based scar ointments while monitoring the site is recommended."