Keloid Scars: How to Get Rid of Them and What They Look Like (With Images)

Keloids have been distressing people for millennia. In fact, they were first described by people in ancient Egypt. Well into the 19th century, healthcare professionals confessed to feeling helpless when trying to treat them. But nowadays, there are many options to help minimize keloid size and appearance.

What are keloids?

Keloids are growths of skin tissue that can naturally happen when the skin heals from a wound. In other words, they’re a type of scar. They’re not dangerous. But the look of keloids can be upsetting for some, especially if they’re very large or in a delicate area like the face or the ears. 

Depending on where your keloid is, it may disturb how your skin moves, making it hard to do things like stretch or bend. Keloids can also be painful and itchy. 

Keloids can occur anywhere on the body, but they’re more likely to form on the:

• Arms

• Chest

• Shoulders

• Head

• Ear lobes

Keloids don’t usually form on the palms, soles, eyelids, or genitals. If you have an unusual scar in one of these areas, visit a dermatologist or another healthcare professional.

What do keloids look like?

Unlike other scars, keloids go beyond the borders of the original injury. This means that they can grow quite large. Keloids may change over time as they grow. But here are some general features of what keloids look and feel like:

• Raised above the level of the skin

• Have a smooth surface

• Can be round if they’re on the earlobe

• Firm and rubbery, or soft and doughy to the touch

• Red, pink, or purple in color, and can darken over time

• Sometimes itchy and painful

Keloid pictures 

Here are some pictures of keloids in different skin tones to help you see what they look like. 

A large keloid from an ear piercing.

A small keloid from an ear piercing.

Keloids on the face from acne.

Keloid developing from a surgical scar.

What causes keloids?

Keloids most often form on scars from surgery. But keloids can also form as skin heals from:

• Burns 

• Acne 

• Insect bites 

• Certain types of injuries

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• Treatments for scars: Keloids can form from even minor injuries. Learn more about how to prevent and treat scars. 

• Acne scars: Acne can lead to lasting changes to your skin. Read about the different types of acne scars and treatments.

• How wounds heal: You can take care of many cuts and scrapes at home. But how do you know if your wound is healing OK or is infected? Here’s what to look for.

A keloid forms slowly and can grow over a period of months or years as a wound heals. But most keloids will start to show up within a year. If a regular scar has already developed, it won’t turn into a keloid.

Why do keloids form?

Scientists aren’t exactly sure why keloids form. As a wound heals, the body normally makes a scar by laying down collagen and new skin tissue. 

Experts believe that, in some people, tiny substances normally made inside a wound to direct the healing process get overactivated. This leads to the production of too much collagen and tissue, which forms a keloid. 

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Some people are more likely to form keloids than others, especially those who:

• Already have keloids

• Have family members who form keloids

• Have darker skin

Younger people are more likely to form keloids, but keloids can affect people of all ages.

Do keloids go away on their own?

Keloids rarely disappear on their own. They may flatten and soften over time, but they don’t usually go away completely. For some people, these natural changes are enough to make keloids look less noticeable. But the skin never looks the same as before. 

How do you get rid of keloids?

There are a handful of different ways to treat keloids, including:

• Surgery

• Medications

• Silicone dressing sheets 

• Laser therapy, as well as surgery 

Treatments might not remove the keloid completely, but they can make the keloid smaller and less noticeable. Studies show that using a combination of these options works better than using just one. Success rates vary from study to study, so there’s no set recipe for success. You can work with a dermatologist or another healthcare professional to figure out which options will be best for you. 

Keloid removal surgery 

A dermatologist can remove a keloid with a surgical procedure. But many times the keloid will grow back unless you use additional therapy. Therapies that can help prevent a keloid from growing back after surgery include medication injections, silicone gel sheeting, and other medical procedures (see below).

Medical procedures

Medical procedures to treat keloids include: 

• Cryotherapy (freezing): A healthcare professional applies a liquid nitrogen spray to freeze the keloid scar. This can lessen the size of the keloid and make it softer. Usually, multiple cryotherapy treatments are needed to get the best results.

• Laser therapy: A specialized beam of light can help lessen the height and color of a keloid. 

• Radiation therapy: Treatments with radiation used to be very common for keloids. But it can damage your skin, leading to peeling, itchiness, and unwanted changes in skin color. Superficial radiation therapy is a newer approach that reduces some of the risks of excess radiation.

These therapies are combined either with surgery, medication, or silicone gel sheeting. 

If you have a wound from a burn or surgery, a healthcare professional can apply a dressing made of silicone gel — a process called “silicone gel sheeting.” This might not keep a keloid from forming, but it can decrease the size of it. The dressing helps by keeping the wound moist and limiting skin stretching. 

Keloid medications, including injections and creams

There are several medications that can be used to treat keloids. These medications are either injected into keloids to shrink them or applied directly on the keloid. 

Common medications for keloids include:

• Steroids, like triamcinolone 

• 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)

• Bleomycin

• Retinoic acid

• Verapamil

These medications can be used alone or combined with other options to treat keloids.

Can you prevent a keloid from developing?

The only way to truly prevent a keloid is to keep from being injured, and that’s just not possible in daily life. But there are some things you can do to lower your risk of developing keloids. Properly caring for a cut, burn, or skin injury can go a long way. 

Here are some tips to care for minor skin injuries:

• Wash your hands. Make sure to wash your hands before you touch the injury. This helps prevent germs from getting into the wound when you clean it. 

• Clean the wound. Use cool or barely warm water to gently clean the injured area. But avoid scrubbing, as this can lead to more damage and scarring.

• Bandage the wound, and keep it moist. Moisture will help your wound heal faster. So combining a sterile bandage with petroleum jelly will help healing. Keep the wound clean, and change the dressing at least every day. 

• Use sun protection. After the wound has healed, do your best to protect the injured area from the sun. You can cover it with clothing or apply daily sunscreen. 

You can’t avoid all injuries. But you might want to avoid anything that can pierce the skin, like:

• Elective or cosmetic surgeries

• Tattoos

• Piercings

And if you do get a tattoo, piercing, or surgery, make sure to follow the instructions to care for your skin after the procedure. 

Are there home remedies or natural ways to treat keloids?

There aren’t many natural remedies for keloids that have been proven to work. An over-the-counter (OTC) medicine made of onion extract called Allium cepa works well for some people. Like other treatments for keloids, it works best when used with other therapies.

Castor oil for keloids is another popular natural method to try. Although no studies show that it works, it’s a low-risk treatment to try. 

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Written by:

Ronald W. Dworkin, MD, PhD

Ronald W. Dworkin, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist who has been practicing anesthesiology in a community hospital for 30 years. He has taught in the honors program at George Washington University for over 10 years and works as a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.

Edited by:

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN

Alex Eastman, PhD, RN, is a California-based registered nurse and staff medical editor at GoodRx, where he focuses on clinical updates and Latino health.

Reviewed by:

Maria Robinson, MD, MBA

Maria Robinson, MD, MBA, is a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist who has practiced dermatology and dermatopathology for over 10 years across private practice, academic, and telehealth settings. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society of Dermatopathology.

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