Monday, August 23, 2010

What is keloid?

A keloid is a scar that doesn't know when to stop. When the skin is injured, cells grow back to fill in the gap. Somehow, they "know" when the scar tissue is even with the contour of the skin, at which point they stop multiplying. When the cells keep on reproducing, the result is a what is called a overgrown (hypertrophic) scar or a keloid.





A hypertrophic scar is a thick, raised, smooth area that is confined to the site of injury. It diminishes over a period of one year or more.





A keloid, by contrast, may extend beyond the site of injury. Keloids do not subside.





What does a keloid look and feel like?





A keloid looks shiny and is often dome-shaped. It can range in color from slightly pink to red. It feels hard and thick and is always raised above the surrounding skin.





Where on the body do keloids tend to appear?





Keloids are most commonly located on the chest, upper back, and shoulders. However, they can appear almost anywhere, such as in surgical scars any place on the body and in the earlobes or other areas that have been pierced for cosmetic purposes.

What is keloid?
A Keloid is a hypertrophic scar - that means a scar that doesn't know when to stop. They most commonly form on the torso, but can be seen anywhere on the body. The most common appearance is a darkened, thickened, but healed, area over a prevoiusly injured on incised site. Keloids seem to be more prevalent in african americans.


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