Keloids are unfortunately one of the trickiest conditions to treat successfully, as no treatment has been shown to be 100% effective at permanently getting rid of them. Even with optimal treatment, recurrence can occur, sometimes even years after treatment.
Serial steroid injections every few months are one of the most common and effective methods to treat steroids, but there isn’t a single “best” keloid treatment as any treatment should be personalised to the individual. This depends on factors like:
- Location of keloid
- Size of keloid
- Propensity for recurrence
After evaluation of these factors, your doctor will then recommend you on the below treatments, which can be used singly or in combination:
- Steriod injections
- Lasers
- Excisional surgery
- Radiation
- Silicone sheeting
Pain during steroid treatment is not typically a major complaint of patients – the needle is small, and the steroid itself isn’t painful.
But if your keloid is thick, dense and hard as it appears in the photo, the first few series of injections will likely be more painful then subsequent injections once it has softened up.
To minimise pain, your doctor can apply a topical numbing medication, as well as mix the steroid injections with lidocaine to decrease your overall discomfort.
Cheers
