Can I Remove My Keloid Scar and Will It Be Permanent?

Posted By Claries (Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia) on 03/25/2012

Hello. I have a keloid on my left shoulder. Very itchy at a certain time. Can it be removed? or if I remove it by doing surgery, will it grow again? will the itchiness come back again? I have met 2 doctors, both of them said that my keloid cannot be removed if it's itchy, probably will grow bigger than the original. but I don't believe them, I didn't give up, searched for solution since I was 15/16. now im 20. Last 2 weeks I found a page about keloid prevention. I start thinking that if I remove it, and prevent from eating seafoods, eggs, use silicone sheet during its healing process, the keloid won't grow. Is it true? I need help. Because I have appointment with plastic surgeon on 25th of april. If you have any advice or any ways to prevent keloid, kindly just tell me. Thank you. I appreciate your help. :)
REPLY         

Replied by Mjk (Milwaukee, WI) on 06/17/2012

NO DO NOT DO IT!

I did the removal with a plastic surgeon who made the most "selling" promise ever to me.... And I was told to get radiation treatment after the surgery- for 3 times for it BUT GUESS WHAT--it made it worse. The original size was like a quarter size THEN after the surgery and radiation the scar became the size of half my palm.... The dr never cared to see me and couldn't do anything after a couple of months! I know he felt stupid for selling me the idea about "removing my scar on my shoulder" I was 18 at that time and was naive and believed every word of it!!!

REPLY         

Replied by Npdizzz (Melbourne, Australia) on 11/09/2012

No please do not try it before asking a second or even a third opinion from another dermatologist or surgeon. I had a 0.5 inch keloid on my shoulder. It irritated and was painful. I tried laser removal which didn't help and it grew back. Then tried cutting it away, which didn't help and made it uglier. Then plastic surgery which caused it to be worse than ever. The thing is now 4 times bigger than it was before and irritates, burns and itches. This all happened over a period of 12 years and it didn't help me at all. Am now going to try the ACV treatment. Good luck, I hope it works out for you.
REPLY         

Replied by Simply Simple (Detroit, Michigan) on 04/08/2013

Look I'm not even sure if mine is considered keloid, may even be a large hypertrophic on my chest. But it does itch and sting sometimes, definitely it itches. But I've done a surgery to remove it but my second surgery was the best I think. It is a lil larger (from cutting out the original) but the healing was much better. I thought I may had won. Now it sometimes is visible through my shirt. A lil over one inch maybe, and a half inch. Maybe raised a half cm at times. But I have hope almost been one year post op and its not great but it's better. They key to healing in my opinion from experience is pre op eat raw foods. I'm serious I have done a juice fast for five days and saw temporary results on my post op scar. But keep eating well as long as you can forever. The more the better. But do it before to get your body into good shape.

Then do surgery, no cautery (something I regret I didn't do). Have him put a wound closing tape then a bioclusive tape pad over it. It looks like scar away pads but clear. Quite nice, stats on for about a week and can shower with it. They remove ditches then tape then bioclusive. I did it for three months. I wish I did longer started to get worse and raised. Not bad but regression in my opinion. But I would keep a bioclusive on for a year if I really wanted to be sure. I'm just would do Anything. But I have used scar away and thought it worked well. Probably one of the best. It came back but I'm using again and it seems to be doin stuff, possible massage with it on? Scarprin seemed to work then suck. Some of the best results I have seen were from the juice fast and I'm going to do a 2 week one. Nutrition is key. Taping is key (the longer the better). And I may try lugols iodine solution. See how that goes. Good luck. Remember be positive.

REPLY         

Back to Keloids Q&A