Keloid Treatment in Pune: Flattening Raised Scars and Lowering Recurrence

What is a keloid?

A keloid is an overgrowth of scar tissue. After an injury, the skin normally makes just enough collagen to close the wound. In a keloid, collagen production continues, and the scar grows beyond the edges of the original wound into normal skin. Keloids are firm, raised, shiny and often darker or redder than the surrounding skin. They can itch, feel tender or pull when you move.

Keloids can follow surgery, cuts, burns, acne, chickenpox, ear piercing, vaccinations or tattoos, and sometimes appear after an injury too small to notice. They are not cancerous and are not contagious.

Keloids are more likely:

• in people with darker skin;
• when other family members have them;
• between the teenage years and about 30;
• on the chest, shoulders, upper back, ear lobes and jawline, where skin is under tension or movement.

Who may benefit, and how is a keloid assessed?

Treatment is worth considering if a keloid is growing, itchy, painful, restricts movement or affects your confidence. At consultation the doctor will:

1. Confirm the diagnosis, distinguishing a keloid from a hypertrophic scar or, rarely, another skin growth that may need a biopsy.
2. Ask about its history: what caused it, how fast it has grown and whether previous treatment worked.
3. Note its size, thickness and site, which guide the choice of treatment.
4. Discuss realistic goals: flatter, softer and less itchy, rather than invisible.

What are the treatment options?

Option	How it helps	Points to consider
Steroid injections	Soften and flatten the keloid; reduce itch	Several sessions; may thin or lighten skin
Silicone gel or sheets	Flatten and soften; reduce redness	Daily use for months
Pressure	Pressure earrings or garments flatten scars	Must be worn many hours a day
Cryotherapy	Freezing to shrink smaller keloids, often with injections	Can lighten darker skin
Other injected medicines (such as 5-fluorouracil)	Used with or instead of steroids for stubborn keloids	Specialist use; several sessions
Laser	Reduces redness and may help flattening	Usually combined with other treatment
Surgery with follow-up treatment	Removes bulky keloids	High recurrence if done alone
Radiotherapy after surgery	Lowers recurrence for resistant keloids	Specialist referral; used cautiously

International scar guidelines recommend combining treatments rather than relying on one, and treating keloids actively from the start. For scars that are raised but stay within the wound, see scar revision surgery.

How is keloid treatment performed?

Steroid injection

1. The skin is cleaned, and numbing cream or local anaesthetic may be used.
2. A small amount of steroid is injected directly into the keloid with a fine needle.
3. The injection is repeated every few weeks while the keloid flattens.

Surgical removal with follow-up treatment

1. Local anaesthetic is injected around the keloid.
2. The keloid is removed, sometimes leaving a thin rim of keloid tissue to reduce tension, and the wound is closed carefully without tension.
3. Steroid injections, pressure, silicone or radiotherapy start soon after surgery, as planned.
4. Regular follow-up continues for months to catch any early return.

How should you prepare, and what should you ask?

• Bring photographs that show how the keloid has changed.
• Tell the doctor about previous treatments and how you responded.
• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, discuss timing.

Questions to ask:

• Is this a keloid or a hypertrophic scar?
• How many sessions do you expect, and how will we judge progress?
• Is surgery sensible for me, and what will follow it?
• What can I do to lower the chance of new keloids?

What is recovery like?

Time	What to expect for most patients
After an injection	Mild soreness for a day or two; normal activities
Weeks to months	Gradual softening and flattening; itching usually improves early
After surgery: weeks 1-2	Wound care; stitches removed; follow-up treatment begins
Months 1-12	Regular review to catch early thickening

What are the risks of keloid treatment?

• Recurrence, the main risk, especially after surgery alone.
• Skin thinning, lighter skin colour or small visible blood vessels after steroid injections.
• Colour change after cryotherapy or laser, more noticeable in darker skin.
• Wound infection or opening after surgery.
• A wider or new keloid if the wound heals under tension.

Contact the doctor if a treated area becomes red, hot or painful, or if a keloid starts growing again.

What results can you expect?

Most keloids become flatter, softer and less itchy with treatment, although they rarely disappear completely. Small, recent keloids respond better than large, long-standing ones. Because keloids can return, follow-up and early treatment of any regrowth are part of the plan.

What affects the cost of keloid treatment in Pune?

• Size, number and site of keloids.
• Number of injection sessions needed.
• Surgery, if required, and the follow-up treatment after it.
• Additional treatments, such as cryotherapy, laser or radiotherapy referral.