The appearance of thick, wide and raised scars could possibly happen on your incision area months after surgery. These scars are either Kelloids or Hypertrophic Scars.
There are many factors that could lead to the appearance of these kinds of scars. One must understand that factors like genetics, skin type and previous history of formation of Hypertrophic scars and Keloids are natural and unmodifiable.
Keloids usually develops after the healing of incision or skin injury. It is the result of overgrowth of scar tissues. It is characterized by raised scar that grows much larger than the original would or incision. The color could go from white, red to the color of your skin.
Hypertrophic scar is the most common among the two. It is not harmful to one’s health but it can be bothersome. People receive treatments mostly for cosmetic reasons. It is characterized by thick and raised scar that does not go beyond the original scar.
Check the images below to see the difference between Hypertropic Scar and Keloid.
Hypertropic scars usually heal on its own overtime. Keloids, on the other hand, can continue to grow. More often than not, keloids need treatment to effectively shrunk it or remove it.
Here are the ways to manage these types of scars:
1.Steroid Injection
This is the first line of treatment for keloids and hypertrophic scars. This is done once every 3 weeks. This treatment would often respond immediately to hypertropic scars. For keloids, it would require a repeat treatment but still with high rate of recurrence.
Silicone Sheet and Gel
Silicone sheets are soft, self-adhesive sheet that can be applied on the scar. It can help reduce the thickness of the scar and scar color. It should be worn at least 12 Hours a day. This will reduce collagen production resulting to flatter scar. Applying silicone sheets can also prevent the area from bacterial invasion that can induce excessive production of collagen. And this serves very useful in reducing the itchiness and discomfort associated with the scar.
Silicone gel is a recent treatment and serves as a more effective alternative to Silicone sheets. It works 24hours a day and dries easily after 4-5minutes. The advantage of using this treatment is that it is easy to use and it proves to be effective even for children and with persons who has sensitive skin. This is especially convenient for bigger and regular scars that don’t fit on sheets.
Medication
The following are prescribed to help treat Keloids and Hypertropic scars:
- Rizaben Capsule
- Accolate Tab
- Sinech Capsule
Radiation Therapy and Surgical Removal
These procedures are considered the last treatment and most effective plan for reducing resistant keloids. It can greatly improve the appearance of the scar but it will not entirely remove it. The rate of recurrence is still high especially for keloid-prone patients.
The procedure will only take 10-30minutes depending on the size. This is done through Local Anesthesia.