Silicone gel sheeting is thought to be an optimal option in the treatment of keloid scars. It can be used on healing skin to help soften and flatten a keloid scar.
Larger keloids can be flattened by pulsed-dye laser sessions. This method has also been useful in easing itchiness and causing keloids to fade.
Silicone gel is effective in the treatment of keloid scars. Eighteen patients with 22 scars were treated with gel and their progress reviewed at 6 months. Improvements in texture, colour and height of the lesions were noted.
Studies have shown a reduction in keloid (thick, raised scars) with silicone sheets. Anecdotally, many surgeons feel sheeting helps normal scars heal better.
The scar should be completely dry and perfectly healed (usually about 3 weeks after injury assuming a well-healed scar). Ask your physician before you start silicone. You cannot use silicone on an open incision or an incision that is too recently healed.
Silicone sheets and gels
Dr. Turegano says silicone sheets and gels, which you can buy at your pharmacy and certain retail outlets, can reduce the size, color, and texture of keloids. These treatments work by rehydrating the keloid scar tissue and regulating collagen production, prompting skin to soften and flatten.
All of these silicone products help hypertrophic scars flatten and lose their redness faster than untreated scars. Silicone sheets and silicone tape should be applied constantly for at least 3- 4 months.
Silicone scar sheets are generally safe and well-tolerated, but there are a few potential side effects and precautions to keep in mind: Skin reactions: Some individuals may experience skin irritation, redness, or itching under the silicone sheet. If this occurs, discontinue use and consult a healthcare professional.
After several injections with cortisone, the keloid usually becomes less noticeable and flattens in three to six month's time. Hypertrophic scars often respond completely, but keloids and are notoriously difficult to treat, with recurrences commonly seen.
A pressure earring tends to be easiest to wear. Silicone gel sheets: Made from medical-grade silicone, these sheets may help to flatten a keloid. For this reason, silicone gel sheets may be applied to a new keloid or applied after an injury to prevent a keloid from developing.
Ear keloids are a type of scar tissue, so there isn't any pus to squeeze out, like a pimple. Trying to pop a keloid on your ear can damage your skin and introduce bacteria, which can cause an infection.
In most cases, scars usually grow smaller and fade over time, but in some people, the skin can overreact to the damage and lead to scars that are much larger than the original wound. These scars are called keloids. Keloid scars, which are typically thick and irregular, rarely go away on their own.
Keloid, also known as keloid disorder and keloidal scar, is the formation of a type of scar which, depending on its maturity, is composed mainly of either type III (early) or type I (late) collagen.
Keloids can be relatively uncomfortable and restrict movement, especially if occurring at joints. Try Vaseline's skin-care products enriched with ingredients like aloe and nourishing argan oil, to help soften and soothe the skin at the scar. Read up on how you can heal your scars with the help of Vaseline.
Similar to silicone sheets, silicone gels have also proved to help treating and preventing hypertrophic scars and keloids.
Silicone products
Keeping these confounding factors in mind, these studies have shown that existing keloids may decrease in size by as much as 30% when the gels are applied 24 hours a day consistently for 2 months.
Evidence-based effectiveness: Numerous studies and clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of silicone scar sheets in reducing the size, color, and texture of various types of scars, including keloid scars and hypertrophic scars.
Home Remedies for Keloids
Aspirin: Crushed aspirin tablets made into a paste and applied to the scar for one or two hours may help reduce scars that appear larger or darker due to inflammation. 3. Honey: Honey is used in various skin treatments and wound dressings for its anti-inflammatory properties.
Do keloids go away? Unlike a hypertrophic scar, a keloid doesn't fade with time. To reduce the appearance of a keloid, you need to treat it. When it comes to treatment, no one treatment works best for all keloids.
Pulsed Dye Laser Therapy
It also causes a scar to lighten because the blood vessels are what cause redness and discoloration in a scar. Over several sessions, pulsed dye laser therapy can more closely match the color of a scar to the surrounding skin.
Clean and dry the skin thoroughly before applying the sheet. Please build up the wearing time of Scarban carefully, so your skin can get used to the silicone. For best results, it is important to use Scarban silicone sheets on the scar for at least twelve consecutive hours, every day. Maximum 20 hours.
[8,9] Silicon gel exerts several actions which may explain this benefit in scars: It increases hydration of stratum corneum and thereby facilitates regulation of fibroblast production and reduction in collagen production. It results into softer and flatter scar. It allows skin to "breathe".
Both products are very similar in terms of overall effectiveness. In other words, if both products are consistently used as directed, both should perform the same.