
Keloids are a type of scars which are a result of excessive tissue repair. Find what causes keloids on ears and what are the treatment to get rid of it.
Keloids can appear on various parts of our body. One of the most common places where it can be found is the ear. They look like raised bumps which are red or brownish in color. Keloids can cause discomfort, pain and a lot of itching in the affected area. They keep on becoming bigger over a period of time. As wounds and ear infections are common after ear-piercing, ear lobes are particularly affected by keloids. These wounds lead to the formation of scars. When there is an overgrowth of these scar tissues over the wound that has healed, it forms keloid.
Causes
Mentioned below are the causes for keloids.
- Deficiencies of mature collagen and melanocyte hormone
- Ear-piercing
- Skin muscle tension
- Pimples, excessive scratching, and insect bites
- Surgeries such as otoplasty
- Passed on from generation to generation that is it is a hereditary disease
The paragraphs given below will discuss the treatments and the removal of keloids on ears.
Treatment
Keloids can be treated in the following ways.
- Application of a small amount of scar reducing ointments on the keloid ear will help in flattening of the bump. You can buy such ointments over the counter. However, choose the ones which contain allium cepa, for better results.
- Place scar reducing dressing, containing silicone gel, on the keloid ear. You will see a lot of difference in the size of the bump within a few days.
- Go to your dermatologist for proper treatment. Your dermatologist may give you a steroid injection or a series of injections. These injections help in reducing the swelling and the keloid.
- Steroids treatments help in reducing the inflammation as well as results in breaking up of the scar tissue which stops the keloid from spreading further. Consult your doctor for the steroid treatment.
- Another method for treating a keloid ear is the compression method. Pressure is applied to the keloid which results in flattening of the collagen in the keloid. This will reduce its size
- Radiation is another treatment that is considered to be useful to treat keloid ear. However, radiation can lead to malignancy, which is a side effect. Also, radiation is not prescribed for very young people.
- Keloids can be treated with the help of laser treatments too. Though the laser may not reduce the swelling, it will work on the keloid scar removal and make it less noticeable. Laser treatments are expensive, so it is better to ask your dermatologist before going in for the treatment.
If all the other treatments fail and show no results, doctor may advice surgery. However, there is an element of risk involved in surgery. Expert say that after a surgery, there are chances that bigger and worse keloids can form in its place. Also, scars are the byproducts of the surgery. Hence, keloid removal needs to be handled with extreme precaution. The doctor may give you monthly prescriptions of steroid injections. These injections soften the tissues of the keloid; this softening makes the keloid removal easier and less painful. Then the doctor will inject some anesthetic in your ear and remove the keloid. Then the process of healing begins, where the doctor gives some ointments that relieve the pain and help to quicken the healing process. If you do not get any scars and there is no keloid formation again, your surgery is said to be successful! Cryotherapy is another way in which keloids are removed. The keloids are flattened by using liquid nitrogen. The side effect of this therapy, however, is that the skin area becomes darker. Laser scar removal can be done to reduce this skin darkening.
Consult your dermatologist and your doctor before starting with any treatments and don’t get discouraged if one treatment doesn’t work. You can always go for the removal if no treatment works for you.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.