Can the chest keloid be treated with dry ice effectively and safety? (Photo)

Question

I heard that dry ice can be used to apply directly on keloid, similar to liquid nitrogen.I have one small keloid on chest, it just sometime made me feel pain and itchy before.Then I had 4 sessions treated by liquid nitrogen but it has grown back after that, even it turns be worse, it's larger (x3), more and more painful and itchy.It makes me lose all confidence.How can i do with dry ice?Is this safe to do by myself? If so how large can I apply it on my scar?A part or whole?Please help me.Thanks!

Ryan A. Stanton, MD · Answer

Technically, what you have is a hypertrophic scar not a keloid scar.  The gold
standard for hypertrophic scar therapy is pressure and time - occasionally a
year or more.  If this fails then scar revision surgery may be considered. Although the results of scar therapy vary from person
to person and scar to scar, the results are considered permanent. Not infrequently
potential patients avoid surgery because fear of an unsightly scar. To remedy
this, I now utilize and formulate compounded topical creams to treat, relieve
and minimize scars for each of my patients:• new scars• old scars• surgical scars• keloid scars• stretch marks• hypertrophic scars• hyperpigmented (dark)
scars• various acne scars, and
more...These scar removal creams
contain prescription strength medications each individually known to reduce
and/or reverse the scarring process but never before compounded together into
one high potency formulation. These medications are added to a base of
anhydrous silicone (the most common ingredient in everyday topical scar
therapy) and Pracaxi oil, found in the Amazon rainforest and known for its
anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Many
health insurance plans actually cover the cost of the creams and they can be
delivered directly to the patients door step. In other words, no need for
multiple trips to the doctor for expensive and painful laser treatments, or wasted
money on minimally effective over-the-counter topical scar therapy gels or
silicone sheets that are unsightly and/or fail to stay on. Instead, with just
two applications a day my patients now perform scar therapy in the comfort of
their own home.  Glad to help.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Our office specializes in keloid therapy. We do not currently advise patients to undergo cryo treatment because of the long term risk of depigmentation.  Other, less invasive treatments exist. Raffy Karamanoukian MD FACS

Susan Goodlerner, MD (retired) · Answer

The standard treatment of a keloid would be injection of cortisone in a series of 2 or 3 treatments. Silicone gel scar products are also helpful. If the keloid does not improve, pulsed dye laser may be an option. I do not usually recommend cryosurgery

Can the chest keloid be treated with dry ice effectively and safety? (Photo)

Answers (3)