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What is a keloid?

Good Morning! Happy day!

For a while now, I have been wanting to write a informational blog post regarding keloids. A lot of you do not have a keloid and are reading this blog simply to support me. Some of you have a keloid and come here for support, but there may be that one person who comes across my blog trying to find out what they have and hopefully I can help them figure it out. 

I do a lot of networking on just about ever social networking site possible. Lately, I have been meeting a lot of people on Instagram. Instagram is a phone application that people use to share pictures. You use hashtags ##### To put your photos in different categories. On a whimb I decided to try to find a #Keloid hashtag. well, there are over 500 photos of people sharing their keloids and stories. It has been great connecting with people and e-mailing back and fourth. The crazy thing is, most of these people know NOTHING about keloids. They will post a picture of their keloid and say "im going to pop it today!" or pictures of people who have taken it upon themselves to surgically remove it. CRAZY STUFF! People also use the weirdest things to get rid of them- tea tree oil and crushed up aspirin? Lavender? A lot of different things that a keloid expert would deem dangerous. 

So, I've done A LOT of research and I am here to set the story straight!

Dictionary.com says:

ke·loid  
/'ke?loid/ 
Noun
An area of irregular fibrous tissue formed at the site of a scar or injury.
Synonyms
cheloid
Wow.... im overwhelmed with that description....! Wikipedia gets more in depth saying... 
"A keloid (pron.: /'ki?l??d/; also keloidal scar)[1] is a type of scar which, depending on its maturity, is composed mainly of either type III (early) or type I (late) collagen. It is a result of an overgrowth of granulation tissue (collagen type 3) at the site of a healed skin injury which is then slowly replaced by collagen type 1. Keloids are firm, rubbery lesions or shiny, fibrous nodules, and can vary from pink to flesh-coloured or red to dark brown in colour. A keloid scar is benign and not contagious, but sometimes accompanied by severe itchiness, pain,[2] and changes in texture. In severe cases, it can affect movement of skin.
Keloids should not be confused with hypertrophic scars, which are raised scars that do not grow beyond the boundaries of the original wound"


I like that answer. I especially appreciate that wikipedia notes the pain associated with a keloid. A lot of people tend to think that it is just a cosmetic thing- boy are those people wrong! 

They go much more into detail and you can find the link here if you are interested- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keloid


I think the most important thing that anyone with a keloid knows- and the most unfortunate thing- is that there is NO easy fix. No aspirin regimne, sea salt bath, or amount of tea tree oil is going to stop a keloid. It may reduce pain or itching, but nothing besides a doctor will be able to fix it. 

I guess it is just one of those unfortunate facts of life. We are all given things and have things happen to us that seem "unfair." We can either choose to let it conquer us, or rise above. I choose to rise above and I think you should too. 

No matter what your keloid looks like, it does not define you. You are not your keloid. You have the choice to be whatever you put your mind to. When you're old and looking back on your life, don't regret the risks that you didn't take. 

My Doctor and I were e-mailing back and fourth the other day while he was at a Keloid convention. He said something that made me chuckle- and then feel a little sad, he said "The only problem is how to get over the fact that you should have started seeing me ten years ago!" I can't tell you how often I feel this way! If only I had started sooner, it wouldn't be this big, this painful and I wouldn't have spent my early 20's hiding in high necked shirts and avoiding the beach.


In ending this blog post, I would like to say...

If you are on the bridge about treatment, if you are nervous or scared or think it will be painful, PLEASE put every fear aside and just JUMP IN! 

Yes, some things will hurt, and no it is not an over night improvement, but if there is one thing that I regret, it is not doing this sooner. SO DO IT!

I PROMISE YOU, THE RISK IS WORTH THE REWARD!

And if you need a little push, e-mail me and hopefully I can spark whatever it is in you that will make seek help. 

Remember that you are unique and you are special and you are beautiful. Your trials only show strength and only the toughest of souls are seared with scars :)

If you need to talk, please feel free to email me! ascarredbeauty@yahoo.com

Don't forget to add my facebook page! www.facebook.com/ascarredbeauty

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