Keloids are formed from excessive skin growth during the healing process of a wound or injury. Preventive treatment is thus designed to deter this extreme growth, which in return prevents keloids formation in the first place.
Some preventive tips include:
- Injury prevention: Although one can only do so much when it comes to the prevention of injuries, people that are more susceptible to keloids have to be extremely careful. Since even a minor injury on the skin can lead to some persistent keloid scars, you must be extra cautious to avoid such injuries.
This means you have to avoid intentional skin piercing activities, tattooing, or even unnecessary surgical procedures to prevent scarring.
- Prompt treatment: Any time you have an injury, it’s upon you to ensure you get it treated well and at the right time. Promptly treating any skin injury helps the injured tissue to heal faster, thus limiting the chances of keloid formation.
- Keeping the wound moisturized: Don’t let the wound go dry and crack. Applying some emollient and covering it, works well to avoid cracking or infection. Use nonstick bandages to cover the wound and secure it with an adhesive tape. You should also change the dressing daily, and clean it using warm water and antibacterial soap.
- Pressure therapy: Keloids can appear even after the healing process is complete. For this reason, you should always apply pressure therapy to limit this. Silicone gel bandages and tapes are excellent in maintaining the required even pressure. For best results, it’s advisable to keep wearing the bandage for round 2-3 months.
Following these preventive measures, might just be your best shot at avoiding keloid scarring.
2. Honey
Even before the existent of contemporary medicine, honey was being widely used as a healing remedy for numerous skin injuries. Its strong healing properties have made this natural substance, a widely sought after remedy for skin many conditions.
Honey naturally helps to restore the skin’s glow and smooth texture by repairing the damaged cells. However, it should be used regularly to ensure results. For keloids treatment, honey is a useful natural emollient that can relieve skin irritation, resulting from keloid scars. In addition, it helps to obscure the scars’ appearance.
Honey has been found to contain some positive elements that inhibit cell proliferation around a wound or scar. However, one shouldn’t expect too much from honey scar treatment as some keloids won’t go away completely.
Present researches are inconclusive of the exact extent that honey can help in keloid scars management. And, though honey demonstrates some antiproliferative effects, more scientific research is still required for conclusive facts on its skin healing effects.
3. Lemon Juice
Lemon contains vitamin C, an incredible antioxidant that helps to accelerate the keloids healing process. With a constant lemon application on your keloid scars, you’ll start to see results after a few weeks or so. The lemon will affect your skin’s texture, flexibility, and color.
This means that it can help to soften and reduce the size of your keloids. All you need is to apply the lemon juice on your scar, wait for 30 minutes, and wash it off with warm water. Repeat the process twice each day and you’ll start noticing results after a few weeks.
4.Garlic
Topical administration of garlic is another natural method that can help reduce your scars. However, this claim is based on the fact that garlic contains properties that reduce collagen production around an injured skin site. Since the overproduction of collagen results in keloids formation, its reduction consequently means fewer chances of keloid scarring.
A 2011 study on garlic’s use in skin treatment further supported this claim. The study shows that garlic can be an excellent topical remedy to reduce keloid scars’ appearance.
However, despite garlic having an extensive history of use in dermatology, its effectiveness in keloid scars removal is still under research. Though some research supports the use of garlic in the reduction of cell purification and collagen production, more direct evidence is necessary for its effectiveness in keloids.
5.Onion Extract
Another natural remedy for scarring is onion extract. That’s right! Creams made from onion extracts can be an easy natural way to treat your keloid scars.
A 2013 review showed that various recent studies support this claim. It suggests that onions have some scar removal properties that can be quite useful. Regular application of onion-based extracts and creams can be a pathway towards naturally healing your keloid scars.
The healing potential of onions hinges upon certain flavonoids present in onions that impede excessive collagen production and fibroblast proliferation. Inhibiting these two processes can help reduce keloid formation.
6.Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider contains natural acids (chemical exfoliants) that help to remove dead cells from your skin. This prevents the accumulation of the dead cells in your hair follicles, which can cause severe acne and subsequent keloid scars.
In addition, apple cider contains astringent, a chemical that constricts body tissues, preventing excessive bleeding after an injury. Astringent also has some cosmetic properties that can help maintain your skin. With these two chemicals, apple cider can thus be an effective natural treatment method for keloids.
For you to prepare the solution, you’ll need apple cider vinegar and water.
Preparation and use:
- Dilute the ACV (apple cider vinegar) with water of the same amount
- Apply the solution to your keloid
- Wait for around 30 minutes and rinse with clean water
- Apply it twice a day for around 5 weeks
7. Baking Soda
Like apple cider, baking soda has some exfoliating properties, which helps clear your skin of all the dead skin cells. In addition, it relieves the itching and irritation on your skin, as well as reducing skin swelling.
However, baking soda has not been proven scientifically to have healing ability on keloids.
For a balanced solution, you’ll need to mix, one teaspoon of baking soda with three teaspoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Apply the mixture on your scars and leave it for 20 minutes, then rinse it with clean water.
But how often should you apply this mixture?
Well, repeat this twice each day for a few weeks and see the results.
8.Aspirins
Topical administration of aspirins is another way of treating your keloids at home. Aspirins inhibit scar-promoting cells from reaching the area around the keloid. Applying an aspirin solution on your keloid scar can reduce the size and color of your scars.
All you need is to crash three or four aspirins in water and apply the paste on your skin. Leave it there for around an hour and then wash it off with water. You can repeat this daily for a few weeks and assess the results.