Pain, pain, pain. The truth of the matter is that keloids are generally painful and cause a lot of discomfort, which is one of the reasons why keloids are so different than other types of scars.
My keloid doctor explains the difference based on inflammation. The more inflammation in a keloid, the higher the likelihood that the keloid is going to release inflammatory mediators that can incite pain and discomfort within the skin. The goal of treatment is to not only reduce the keloid scar, but more importantly, to reduce the amount of inflammation within the scar so that the symptoms of pain, itching, discomfort, skin sensitivity, and skin dryness can subside as well. It’s also thought that once the inflammation is reduced, the growth of the keloid will also subside.
If you’ve been a fan of my blog for the last few years, you’ll notice that I’m now adding a bit more of the current science behind keloid research. I think its really important to review some of the scientific research so that you can make informed decisions.
An article by R. Ogawa written in the International Journal of Molecular Science confirms that keloids and hypertrophic scars are the result of chronic inflammation in the skin. The author writes the following:
“…the reticular layer of keloids and hypertrophic scars contains inflammatory cells, increased numbers of fibroblasts, newly formed blood vessels, and collagen deposits. Moreover, proinflammatory factors, such as interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α are upregulated in keloid tissues, which suggests that, in patients with keloids, proinflammatory genes in the skin are sensitive to trauma. This may promote chronic inflammation, which in turn may cause the invasive growth of keloids. In addition, the upregulation of proinflammatory factors in pathological scars suggests that, rather than being skin tumors, keloids and hypertrophic scars are inflammatory disorders of skin, specifically inflammatory disorders of the reticular dermis.”
I think it’s really important to understand what scientists are sayjng about keloids and hypertrophic scars because for too long keloids have been treated without a clear understanding of the molecular and cellular reasons why they occur in the first place. By understanding the science, we can definitely put pressure on doctors who treat keloids so that the treatments are more effective and science-based.
The bottom line is that your doctor shouldn’t just treat the keloid as a scar, but more so as an inflamed piece of skin that is responding to the inflammation by growing, reacting, and causing symptoms.