Keloids on skin (some info.)

[cynthiaG]

Causes and symptoms

Although the cause of keloids is unknown, it is thought that they are due to the body's failure to turn off the healing process needed to repair skin. When this occurs, extra collagen forms at the site of the scar, and keeps forming because it is not shut off. This results in keloid formation.

Keloids occur most frequently in individuals of African-American descent and in those with darker skin. Other risk factors include a family history of keloids, surgery, acne, burns, ear piercing, vaccinations, or even insect bites. In addition, women and young people under the age of 30 are more prone to develop them.

Initially, keloids will begin as a small lump where the skin has been injured. This lump grows and can eventually become very large and cosmetically unacceptable

....found this info on the web...I had never heard of these and was interested in the posts on this subject

[Lisa Salberg]

Re: Keloids on skin (some info.)

"hypertrophic scarring" was the term a plastic surgeon once told me - this not knowing I had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. I asked him about the reason for this "hypertrophic scarring" - he told me it was unclear but he thought it had a genetic base. This was about 12 years ago - I have not forgotten his words.
My sister, Lori, had many thick scars. Mine are mildly thick. You can have steroid injections into the scar to regress the hypertrophy (it burns like heck for about 20 minutes) it takes away the reddness and some of the thickness.

Lisa

[felixdacat]

Re: Keloids on skin (some info.)

I am a "Keloid healer" and so was my mother. Don't know what if anything that has to do with HCM.
I plan to mention this to my surgeon in a few weeks. It is my understanding that they should soak the scar in hydrocortsone after stitching to prevent the keloid from forming.

[dughr]

Re: Keloids on skin (some info.)

I am happy someone is finally posting on this issue. As many know I had my myectomy 6 months ago. I started to heal fine then all of a sudden I developed a huge scar! I mean this thing is now half an inch wide and dark red! I am not dark skinned, being a highlander from Scotland we are pretty darn white actually. I have had 2 previous surgeries and neither of them did this. I have heard of the injections to make it look better. I have tried some expensive creams and mederma but nothing works. To make matters worse, I have a very hairy chest and now every 2 weeks or so I get an infection right in the scar from ingrown hairs. It is making it worse! To date, this scar is so painful I still can't take the seatbelt in my car rubbing on my chest. Is this normal? I would like to hear what others have done about this.

Thanks,
Doug

[Pam Alexson]

Re: Keloids on skin (some info.)

Hi Doug , How are you ? Keep meaning to pick up the phone but things and kids interrupt me. I being only 3months out , right behind you have similar problems, I don't have the hair though ! The bottom part is wide and reddenned the chest tube sites are pinkish red and the top is still kind of nodgy- is that a new word? The top to middle has become more tender and I catch myself rubbing it more than I should. I can only say my defib scar went through the same process but finally settled down ,it is now just flat and whiter than me. Hope this helps . Talk to ya soon. Pam

[Toogoofy317]

Re: Keloids on skin (some info.)

Weird how things get brought up and how so many of us have them. Is this something the HCM docs are looking in to? I know it is not a life threatning issue. But it would be nice to kinda know about why this is happening to apparently quite a few of us. (I know we represent a small amount of people with HCM typically the more symptomatic ones but it is still worth asking about)

Mary S.

[Dolly (Andrew's mom)]

Re: Keloids on skin (some info.)

Very interesting topic! Poor Andrew has keloid scars on both his myectomy scar and his ICD implantation scar. And his are very large (or maybe I should say wide!). He also has a terrible time with them sunburning in the summer. They get almost purple add that to being so wide and fat, they look terrible! He has asked me why his scars have healed so terribly looking, and I have always just said he is just someone who does not scar "well" I guess.

[sueb]

Re: Keloids on skin (some info.)

I have same problem. ICD scar is fairly wide and rather ugly. How I envy people with little thin scar lines you can hardly see! Oh, well, rather have scar than no ICD! Sue

[Reenie]

Re: Keloids on skin (some info.)

My husband's ICD scar isn't as small as some scars, but isn't too bad. It's gotten better with time, but it looks like it will have to be replaced in the fall.

Reenie

[dughr]

Re: Keloids on skin (some info.)

so what can we folks who scar badly do about it?

[Cynaburst]

Re: Keloids on skin (some info.)

After I got my ICD a friend recommended some silicone gel sheeting that one puts on the wound to help it not keloid. It is called Cica Care and I ordered it off the internet. It has really helped minimalize the scar. I recommend it. The website is http://www.cicacare.com.

[Linda]

Re: Keloids on skin (some info.)

Cocoa Butter is a relatively inexpensive way to go, applied once or twice a day. It will keep the scar softer and some shrinking and fading will occur over time. The other products mentioned will probably work better, but were more of a chore for my son, so he just didn't use them, but he still uses the cocoa butter every nite - whatever works. He chose to wear a t-shirt instead, which isn't a bad idea. The scars should be well protected from the sun - always use sunscreen. Linda

[cynthiaG]

Re: Keloids on skin (some info.)

more info on www.aocd.org:

A hypertrophic scar looks similar to a keloid. Hypertrophic scars are more common. They don't get a big as keloids, and may fade with time. They occur in all racial groups. Keloids are considered a benign tumor, but they are mainly a cosmetic nuisance and never become malignant. Operating on a keloid usually stimulates more scar tissue to form, so people with keloids may have been told that there is nothing that can be done to get rid of them.