“Keloids are raised scars which can be brought on from an overgrowth of scar tissue and will be itchy, tender or painful,” says Dendy Engelman MD, FACMS, FAAD, a board-certified and award-winning dermatologist at Shafer Clinic in New York Metropolis. “They are often pink or crimson in coloration and are triggered by any sort of pores and skin damage that causes the physique to overproduce collagen, which is the protein utilized in wound therapeutic.”
So you can also make an knowledgeable determination about getting your ears pierced, we spoke to 3 dermatologists to uncover the whole lot it’s worthwhile to learn about keloids.
What are keloids, and why do they happen after piercings?
It’s possible you’ll already be accustomed to the time period keloid from the skin-care world, as a lot of these scars are sometimes related to zits. When the pores and skin is injured (which occurs while you pop a pimple, or, on this case, while you pierce your pores and skin with a needle), collagen turns into broken. Your pores and skin cells and connective tissues begin to multiply in an try to restore that harm, which results in scarring.
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“The physique doesn’t know {that a} piercing is an intentional damage, so the wound therapeutic course of kicks into impact and may trigger scar tissue to kind and continue to grow and growing, turning right into a keloid,” says Dr. Engelman.
Who tends to develop keloids and why?
“Though it’s not utterly identified why, keloids usually tend to happen in these with darker pores and skin, with research exhibiting that keloids are mostly seen in people of African and Asian descent, in addition to these of Hispanic and Mediterranean descent,” says Marisa Garshick, MD, FAAD, a number one board-certified dermatologist and assistant scientific professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical Middle. In different phrases, there’s a genetic part at play.
What are the therapy choices for keloids?
Keloids are tough to deal with, however there are a number of therapy choices obtainable to do away with them for good. The toughest half is guaranteeing that the vicious circle of eradicating them, inflicting damage to the pores and skin, and keloid formation doubtlessly re-occurring stops, as soon as and for all.
So, what decisions do you have got for therapy?
“Generally, keloids are mostly handled with using intralesional injections, utilizing intralesional triamcinolone, a kind of steroid,” says Dr. Garshick. “Different therapy choices embody intralesional injections of a kind of chemotherapy referred to as 5-fluorouracil, silicone gels reminiscent of Biocorneum or Silagen, or silicone sheets reminiscent of Scarguard.”
Radiation, cryotherapy, lasers, or surgical elimination are additionally choices, however Dr. Garshick is hesitant to advocate surgical procedure. “Surgical elimination is usually not beneficial given the chance of the keloid coming again even bigger than earlier than, so if surgical procedure is deliberate, you will need to deal with with radiation or steroid injections instantly after surgical procedure to forestall keloid recurrence,” she says.
If a keloid does begin re-forming, it may be retreated with intralesional cortisone injections to cut back its measurement and signs, reminiscent of ache and itching.
How can I forestall keloids within the first place?
An excellent query that comes with a easy, if not so enjoyable, reply.
“If somebody is susceptible to keloids with a household historical past, it might be beneficial to keep away from any piercings, tattoos or elective procedures, particularly in cosmetically delicate areas. Widespread places for keloids to develop embody the ears, neck, arms, legs, higher again, shoulders and chest,” says Dr. Garshick.
Rebecca Marcus, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist and founding father of skin-care model Maei MD agrees, revealing that correct wound care is vital for those who do endure a pores and skin damage.
“Be sure to correctly clear any wound, as an infection might doubtlessly increase the chance of growing a keloid,” she says. “Attempt to cut back any rigidity and stress on the wound because it heals too; as avoiding extreme stretching, motion, or strain on the affected space can lower danger of keloid scar formation. Shield any therapeutic wounds from the solar as properly.”
One very last thing. The entire dermatologists we spoke to say how vital it’s to hunt therapy sooner moderately than later for those who discover a keloid forming, as they’re much simpler to deal with in its preliminary early levels.
So for those who discover something that doesn’t look fairly proper after your piercing, don’t maintain again from making a dermatologist appointment, however in any other case, get pleasure from your lovely new piece of physique artwork.
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