This page explains how raised, itchy keloid scars are treated. It sets out why a combined plan works better than surgery alone, and why keloids can return even after good treatment.
Keloid treatment aims to flatten a raised scar, settle the itch and pain, and lower the chance of regrowth. Injections, silicone, pressure and sometimes surgery are combined, because cutting a keloid out on its own often makes it come back larger. Treatment runs over months, with regular reviews rather than a single visit.
A keloid is a scar that keeps growing past the edge of the original wound. It sits raised above the skin, feels firm, and is often itchy, tender or oddly coloured. Ear lobes after piercing, the chest, the shoulder and the jawline are common sites, and some families are far more prone to them than others.
Because keloid tissue forms as an overactive healing response, treatment tries to calm that response rather than simply remove the lump. Steroid injections soften and flatten the scar over several sessions. Silicone sheets or gel, pressure earrings and taping keep working between visits. Surgery has a role for large or awkward keloids, but it is nearly always paired with injections or another add on treatment straight afterwards, because a keloid cut out on its own tends to return bigger.
Honest expectations matter here. A good plan usually makes a keloid flatter, softer and much less itchy, and it can improve how the area looks. Even so, keloids can come back, sometimes years later, which is why review visits are built into the plan.
The scar is measured and photographed, and your history of previous scars is discussed. Family tendency, skin type and site all guide whether injections alone or a combined plan makes more sense.
A steroid, sometimes with another medicine, is placed directly into the scar using a fine needle. Sessions are repeated at set intervals, and the scar is reassessed each time for softness and height.
Bulky or stalked keloids may be excised under local anaesthesia, with the wound closed carefully. Ear lobes are reshaped so the piercing site is supported and the edges lie flat.
To lower the chance of regrowth, injections, pressure devices, silicone or in selected cases radiotherapy begin soon after surgery. This part of the plan is what makes the difference.
You are seen at intervals so early thickening can be treated at once. Home care with silicone, massage and sun protection continues between those visits.
After an injection the area may ache and look pale for a while. After surgery there is a small dressing, mild soreness and simple wound care at home.
Stitches are removed and the new scar looks pink and slightly raised, which is normal. Silicone or pressure therapy usually starts once the wound has closed.
The scar softens and flattens gradually. Further injections are given if any thickening is noticed, and itch usually settles by this stage.
Colour fades and the scar becomes more settled. Reviews continue for a while, since regrowth is easiest to treat when caught early.
No treatment removes a keloid for good, and the tendency to form them stays with you. These points are explained before anything is started.
Cost depends on the size and number of keloids, how many injection sessions are needed, and whether surgery or pressure devices form part of the plan. Because treatment is a course rather than one visit, the estimate covers the planned sessions and reviews together instead of quoting each step alone. Any add on such as a custom pressure earring or a referral for radiotherapy is listed separately, so you can see exactly what you are paying for.
These are the questions that come up most often in consultation. If yours is not here, send it on WhatsApp and the team will reply, usually the same day.
Ask your question →It is quoted as a plan rather than a single fee, because most keloids need several sessions. Size, number of scars and whether surgery is involved all change the figure. You are given a written estimate covering the planned course and review visits.
Steroid injections into scar tissue are widely used and generally well tolerated. Skin thinning, lightening of colour or visible small vessels can happen at the injection site. Doses and intervals are kept measured, and the scar is checked before each session.
Most plans run over several months, with visits spaced a few weeks apart. Surgery, where used, adds a short healing period on top. Response speed varies, so the interval and number of sessions are adjusted as your scar changes.
A keloid can be made much flatter, softer and less itchy, and the area often looks considerably better. Skin that has formed a keloid rarely returns to looking untouched, so a visible mark usually remains after the raised part has settled.
Yes, and being told otherwise would be misleading. Regrowth is the main reason surgery is never used on its own. Continuing silicone, pressure and review visits keeps the risk lower, and early thickening responds well when treated promptly.
Sooner is better. A young, active scar that is still growing or itching usually responds more readily than one left for years. Even old keloids can be improved, though they often need more sessions to settle.
The scar is examined and measured, and your previous healing history is discussed. Photographs are taken for comparison. You then hear which combination suits your scar, how many visits to expect, and what home care you will need between them.
Often substantially, over several sessions a few weeks apart. Injection is the first line for most keloids and is frequently enough on its own, particularly for smaller or newer ones.
Because excision on its own has a high recurrence rate, and the new keloid is often larger than the original. Surgery is combined with injection, pressure or, in selected cases, radiotherapy, and that combination is what changes the outcome.
Seeing patients from across the city and beyond: read about the practice on the plastic surgeon in Surat page, or check what a written estimate covers on the costs and insurance page.
