ASK THE SURGEON

What can I do about keloid scars? Whenever I get cut I get a thick unsightly scar. I would like to have plastic surgery but I'm afraid of the scars.

The tendency develop keloid scars, which are overdeveloped scars that continue to enlarge run in families. They are found more often in black and dark skinned people than in white or other light skinned people.

Keloids can develop after getting a cut, having a vaccination, or just about anything that damages the skin. They are very difficult to get rid of, for anytime a keloid is cut out, it tends to grow back, sometimes bigger than before.

Anyone with a family tendency to keloid scarring, should inform his or her facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon and request an evaluation before surgery is scheduled. Other incision can be placed where they will not be noticeable, even if keloid scarring does occur.

In other cases, excision of the keloid scar or treatment with cortisone injections or with lasers can be helpful, resulting in a much smaller scar than it was initially. Injecting an area with cortisone before surgery is performed may diminish the severity of keloid scarring. Because of the difficulty of treating keloid scars, never contemplate facial surgery without informing your surgeon in advance of any previous scaring problems.