Keloids and hypertrophic scars are raised scars caused by too much collagen during healing. A hypertrophic scar stays within the line of the original wound and often flattens over a year or two. A keloid grows beyond the wound edges, can itch or hurt, and rarely shrinks by itself. Earlobes, the chest, shoulders and jawline are typical sites, and darker skin is more prone.
Treatment aims to flatten, soften and calm the scar, and relieve itching and pain. No method removes a keloid for certain: recurrence is common with every technique, which is why combined treatment and follow-up over many months are the rule.
What Keloid and Hypertrophic Scar Treatment involves
The first-line treatment is a steroid (triamcinolone) injected directly into the scar with a fine needle, sometimes mixed with 5-fluorouracil. The scar blanches as it is filled. Injections are repeated every 4 to 6 weeks, usually for 3 to 6 sessions. Silicone gel or sheets are worn daily between visits, and pressure earrings or garments are used for suitable sites. Cryotherapy, which freezes the scar from inside or on the surface, or a vascular laser can be added. Large or stalked keloids may be cut out, but only with a plan to prevent regrowth: steroid injections into the wound and, for high-risk keloids, low-dose radiotherapy within 24 to 72 hours of the excision.
Who is a good candidate for Keloid and Hypertrophic Scar Treatment?
Anyone with a raised scar that is symptomatic, growing or cosmetically troubling can be assessed.
- Earlobe keloids after piercing
- Itchy or painful chest, shoulder or jawline keloids
- Raised red scars after surgery, burns or acne
- Scars that are still active and thickening
- People able to attend or arrange repeat treatments
It is usually not the right choice if:
- Expecting a single session to solve the problem
- Surgery alone without any added preventive treatment, which has recurrence rates above 50 percent
- Radiotherapy in children, pregnancy, or near the thyroid or breast in young people
- Active infection or acne in the scar area
- A fast-growing or ulcerated lump, which should be biopsied first
الخيارات التقنية
- Intralesional steroid injection: Mainstay of treatment. Flattens most scars by half or more over several sessions.
- 5-fluorouracil or bleomycin injections: Used with or instead of steroid for resistant keloids.
- Silicone sheets and pressure therapy: Low risk, used for months, for prevention after surgery and alongside other treatments.
- Cryotherapy: Freezing, including intralesional probes, works well for small and earlobe keloids. May lighten dark skin.
- Laser: Pulsed dye laser reduces redness and itch; fractional laser improves texture of hypertrophic and burn scars.
- Excision with steroid or radiotherapy: For bulky keloids. Combined treatment lowers recurrence to around 10 to 20 percent.
ماذا يحدث خلال علاجك
An injection session takes 10 to 20 minutes. Injecting into dense scar tissue is uncomfortable, so numbing cream, cooling or a local anaesthetic mixture is used. Excision of an earlobe keloid takes 30 to 45 minutes under local anaesthetic. There is little after-pain, and you can return to normal activity the same day.
الإعداد لرحلتك
Injections are needed every 4 to 6 weeks for several months, so a single visit cannot complete treatment. A trip can cover assessment, a first injection, or excision with immediate radiotherapy or injection. Arrange in advance for a doctor near home to continue the injections on the same schedule.
- Tell the doctor about medication, allergies, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and any history of cold sores, keloid scars or autoimmune disease
- Avoid alcohol, aspirin and anti-inflammatory painkillers for a few days beforehand if your own doctor agrees, to reduce bruising
- Arrive without make-up on the treatment area and avoid sunbeds and strong sun for two weeks before
التعافي والنتائج
After injections the scar may be tender for a day or two and softens gradually over weeks. After excision, stitches come out at 7 to 14 days and silicone or pressure therapy starts once the wound has closed, continuing for 6 to 12 months. Check-ups every few months for at least a year matter, because early regrowth responds well to a prompt injection.
- Back to everyday activity: None to a few days
- When results show: Softening within 4 to 8 weeks
- How long they last: Variable; recurrence is possible for years
سياسة السلامة والمخاطر والتنقيح
The treatments are generally safe, but they have local side effects and none removes the tendency to form keloids.
- Recurrence, sometimes larger than the original keloid, particularly after surgery alone
- Thinning or indentation of the skin and small visible blood vessels from steroid
- Lightening of the skin at the injection or freezing site, more visible in dark skin
- Pain during injections
- Wound infection or delayed healing after excision
- With radiotherapy, skin colour change and a very small theoretical long-term cancer risk
Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.
Cost of Keloid and Hypertrophic Scar Treatment in Türkiye
Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Keloid and Hypertrophic Scar Treatment, because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:
- Number of injection sessions and the drugs used
- Whether excision is needed and its complexity
- Post-excision radiotherapy, where used
- Laser or cryotherapy sessions
- Silicone products and pressure devices over months
Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
الأسئلة المتكررة
Can a keloid be cured?
It can often be flattened and kept quiet, sometimes permanently. The tendency to form keloids stays with you, so avoid unnecessary piercings, tattoos and cosmetic surgery on high-risk sites.
Why not just cut it out?
Cutting creates a new wound in skin that over-heals. Without added treatment, more than half of keloids regrow.
What is the difference between a keloid and a hypertrophic scar?
A hypertrophic scar stays inside the wound borders and tends to improve with time. A keloid spreads onto normal skin and persists.
Is radiotherapy for a scar safe?
The doses are low and targeted at the skin. Large series have not shown a clear rise in cancer, but it is reserved for adults with difficult keloids, away from sensitive organs.