Preventing Keloid Scars

• Keloids occur due to skin wounds, including those resulting from trauma, piercings, surgery and burns. Although often these events are not easily avoidable there are certain pre-cautions that can be taken to reduce the risk of forming particularly bad scars.
  
  
• Be careful not to wound the skin with tattoos and piercings (in any location) and these should be avoided as they can often lead to Keloid formation. In general wounded skin shouldn't come into great contact with foreign objects such as piercings. Also it is important to be extra careful when shaving as cuts from shaving can lead to keloid scars.
  
  
• When undergoing surgery ensure sure your surgeon knows that you are pre-disposed to keloids, or that you have a higher risk of developing them. If you do have a surgical procedure it is important that the wound is cared for properly and the skin is not pulled or stretched out and that it is covered with the correct garments, creams and bandages. There may be certain techniques the surgeon could use in order to reduce the size of the scar, also there is a possibility of pre-emtively treating the Keloid.
  
  
• Post-surgically ensuring that the wound is clean and using anti-microbial creams is important as infection may increase the likelihood of keloids forming.
  
  
• In order to reduce the risk of Keliods forming after an operation elastic tape can be used for a few weeks after the operation, this is thought to be beneficial in reducing Keloids.
  
  
• In patients whom are very likely to develop Keliods after an operation Corticosteriod Injections can be used on the scar site after the operation (For information on Corticosteriod Injections in treating Keloids check TREATING KELIODS section)