i am an african american, male, 39 yrs old that wants to get rid of a keloid that appears on my ear lobe. my family dr said i need steroid injections. but is that the safest keloid treatment? what other options are there?
Answer: Keloid Treatments Keloids can be very resistant to treatment. Treatment options can involve any of the following (and also involve combinations of the therapies listed below). 1. Steroid treatment - this usually requires multiple treatments. If the keloid is large enough this can leave excess skin after successful treatment. Steroid treatment can cause tissue atrophy and for african american skin or other darker skin types can also cause hypopigmentation. 2. Excision - While the mechanism for steroid formation is not fully understood wounds that have issues with contamination or infection may be at higher risk for keloid formation. Excising the keloid with a meticulous closure can effectively treat even keloids that have recurred. 3. Radiation - For extremely resistant or disfiguring keloids radiation therapy can be an effective mechanism to reduce recurrency rates in combination with surgical excision. I hope this helps.
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Answer: Keloid Treatments Keloids can be very resistant to treatment. Treatment options can involve any of the following (and also involve combinations of the therapies listed below). 1. Steroid treatment - this usually requires multiple treatments. If the keloid is large enough this can leave excess skin after successful treatment. Steroid treatment can cause tissue atrophy and for african american skin or other darker skin types can also cause hypopigmentation. 2. Excision - While the mechanism for steroid formation is not fully understood wounds that have issues with contamination or infection may be at higher risk for keloid formation. Excising the keloid with a meticulous closure can effectively treat even keloids that have recurred. 3. Radiation - For extremely resistant or disfiguring keloids radiation therapy can be an effective mechanism to reduce recurrency rates in combination with surgical excision. I hope this helps.
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Answer: Keloid Scar Treatment -- 5fu/Steroid, Vascular Lasers (Yellow, excel V, VBeam), Microneedling/PRP, Cosmelan, Surgery, Radiation These need a series of treatments including lasers, injections and sometimes surgery/radiation. Please see an expert. Best, Dr. Emer.
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Answer: Keloid Scar Treatment -- 5fu/Steroid, Vascular Lasers (Yellow, excel V, VBeam), Microneedling/PRP, Cosmelan, Surgery, Radiation These need a series of treatments including lasers, injections and sometimes surgery/radiation. Please see an expert. Best, Dr. Emer.
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January 17, 2018
Answer: Difficult to treat Thank you for your question and I am sorry that you have this concern. Keloid scars are a difficult condition to treat. Did you develop the keloid following a piercing or was it some other form of trauma? The options are based on a conservative approach initially and increasing the extent of intervention of the keloid depending on the result achieved. I break down the treatment options as follows: In the first instance steroid injections are used. The theory behind steroid treatment is that it interacts in the wound healing pathway and interferes in collagen synthesis which is what is laid down to in healing wounds. An overgrowth of the scar results in a keloid scar forming. For small keloids, this can be quite effective. The injections are given into the keloid and you are seen at 8 weeks after injection. At this time, you might require further treatments. Most patients need atleast 3-4 injections for ear-lobe keloid scars. IN addition, the use of silicone tape/ creams can help to reduce the scar. This needs to be worn/ applied for 23/ 24 hours of the day and treatment here is for a minimum of 9 months. If they are resistant, then removal of the keloid and steroid injection is the next stage of treatment. The steroid can be given at the time of surgery or after the wound has healed. This again would require further steroid injections at regular intervals. Compression dressings are very useful and tend to work well on ear-lobe keloids. These are placed wither after steroid injections or the surgery. Cryptherapy has recently began to show some effective results in the treatment of keloids. This involves injection of the cryo into the keloid to aid intralesional injection. There are studies showing its effectiveness but it is still quite new in the treatment spectrum to know wha thte long term results would be. If despite this, the keloid still persists, or is increasing in size, then radiotherapy is a final option to try and reduce the scarring effect. I hope this is helpful for you Kind regards Rohit Seth
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January 17, 2018
Answer: Difficult to treat Thank you for your question and I am sorry that you have this concern. Keloid scars are a difficult condition to treat. Did you develop the keloid following a piercing or was it some other form of trauma? The options are based on a conservative approach initially and increasing the extent of intervention of the keloid depending on the result achieved. I break down the treatment options as follows: In the first instance steroid injections are used. The theory behind steroid treatment is that it interacts in the wound healing pathway and interferes in collagen synthesis which is what is laid down to in healing wounds. An overgrowth of the scar results in a keloid scar forming. For small keloids, this can be quite effective. The injections are given into the keloid and you are seen at 8 weeks after injection. At this time, you might require further treatments. Most patients need atleast 3-4 injections for ear-lobe keloid scars. IN addition, the use of silicone tape/ creams can help to reduce the scar. This needs to be worn/ applied for 23/ 24 hours of the day and treatment here is for a minimum of 9 months. If they are resistant, then removal of the keloid and steroid injection is the next stage of treatment. The steroid can be given at the time of surgery or after the wound has healed. This again would require further steroid injections at regular intervals. Compression dressings are very useful and tend to work well on ear-lobe keloids. These are placed wither after steroid injections or the surgery. Cryptherapy has recently began to show some effective results in the treatment of keloids. This involves injection of the cryo into the keloid to aid intralesional injection. There are studies showing its effectiveness but it is still quite new in the treatment spectrum to know wha thte long term results would be. If despite this, the keloid still persists, or is increasing in size, then radiotherapy is a final option to try and reduce the scarring effect. I hope this is helpful for you Kind regards Rohit Seth
Helpful
May 28, 2018
Answer: Options for ear keloid treatment Treatment of ear keloids can be a challenging problem, but can also be quite gratifying for the patient and surgeon when successful. Each patient is different, and for this reason, a visit with an experienced surgeon is recommended for an examination and personalized treatment plan. In general, steroid injections can be very helpful for the treatment of keloids, both as a stand-alone treatment or as an adjunct to surgery. Steroid injections can be used pre-operatively to shrink the keloid and decrease the overall inflammatory pathway. They can also be used post-operatively to prevent the recurrence of the keloid. Ultimately, many ear keloids do require surgical excision, which can often be performed under local anesthesia. In addition to steroid injections, pressure earrings can be helpful post-operatively to prevent recurrence. There are other medications that can be injected into the area as well, but are not used as commonly as steroids. Finally, in refractory cases, radiation therapy to the area can be effective, but this is generally reserved for patients with very extensive or recurrent keloids despite the treatments mentioned above.
Helpful
May 28, 2018
Answer: Options for ear keloid treatment Treatment of ear keloids can be a challenging problem, but can also be quite gratifying for the patient and surgeon when successful. Each patient is different, and for this reason, a visit with an experienced surgeon is recommended for an examination and personalized treatment plan. In general, steroid injections can be very helpful for the treatment of keloids, both as a stand-alone treatment or as an adjunct to surgery. Steroid injections can be used pre-operatively to shrink the keloid and decrease the overall inflammatory pathway. They can also be used post-operatively to prevent the recurrence of the keloid. Ultimately, many ear keloids do require surgical excision, which can often be performed under local anesthesia. In addition to steroid injections, pressure earrings can be helpful post-operatively to prevent recurrence. There are other medications that can be injected into the area as well, but are not used as commonly as steroids. Finally, in refractory cases, radiation therapy to the area can be effective, but this is generally reserved for patients with very extensive or recurrent keloids despite the treatments mentioned above.
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December 26, 2016
Answer: Keloids on earlobes can be treated with injections or laser or excisional surgery some keloids respond well to corticosteroid injections, but others get too white in color. Some need excision and then corticosteroid injections and others can be frozen. There's no guarantee the keloid won't recur after treatment.
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December 26, 2016
Answer: Keloids on earlobes can be treated with injections or laser or excisional surgery some keloids respond well to corticosteroid injections, but others get too white in color. Some need excision and then corticosteroid injections and others can be frozen. There's no guarantee the keloid won't recur after treatment.
Helpful
October 18, 2016
Answer: The best keloid treatment depends on the keloid There are many treatments for keloids but the best treatment really depends on the patient and their specific scar. Most keloids are first treated by injecting a steroid to reduce their substance and size. Once they are smaller and softer, scar excision or revision are options. In addition, radiation of the keloid in combination with surgery may offer very good results in select cases. In lighter skins types one can also consider intra-lesional cryotherapy. Your local board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon should be able to review your specific needs and make a plan of care that works best for you.
Helpful
October 18, 2016
Answer: The best keloid treatment depends on the keloid There are many treatments for keloids but the best treatment really depends on the patient and their specific scar. Most keloids are first treated by injecting a steroid to reduce their substance and size. Once they are smaller and softer, scar excision or revision are options. In addition, radiation of the keloid in combination with surgery may offer very good results in select cases. In lighter skins types one can also consider intra-lesional cryotherapy. Your local board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon should be able to review your specific needs and make a plan of care that works best for you.
Helpful