General Information

Persistently heavy scars called keloid scars have two main predisposing factors. The first is the location of the scar and the second the genetic background of the patient.

Keloid scars are more likely to develop in the earlobe, along the border of the jaw, the shoulder and the skin over the breast bone. They often appear after ear piercing.They are more common in the upper part of the body and are rare in the eyelids, soles of the feet, palms of the hand and genitals.

They are uncommon in people with fair skin. They are more likely to develop hypertrophic or thick scars which eventually fade. The difference between these two types of scar is often hard to determine.

In some social groups keloids are deliberately produced as a form of ornamentation of the skin.

There is a genetic tendency for these to form but the exact pattern is not known. They are more common in patients with dark skin. Women are more likely to develop heavy scar as are young people under the age of about thirty.

Heavy scar is more likely to form when the wound is closed under tension or where there is an infection or hematoma(bleeding) after surgery If a foreign body is present in the wound, as may occur after an accident, keloids also seem to be more likely.

In cosmetic surgery some scars are more likely to become thicker, these include the scars associated with : otoplasty(ear pinback), breast reduction and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)