Knowra Keloid Keloid A keloid is a raised scar that grows beyond the boundaries of the original skin injury. Unlike ordinary scars, it can continue enlarging and does not usually regress spontaneously.
Wound healing : The biological process that repairs damaged tissue through inflammation, tissue formation, and remodeling. Keloids arise when the normal stages of skin repair produce persistent, excessive scar tissue.
Hypertrophic scar : A raised scar that remains within the boundaries of the original wound and may flatten over time. It resembles a keloid but does not extend beyond the original injury.
Intralesional corticosteroid injection : A treatment that delivers corticosteroid directly into a skin lesion using a needle. It can soften and flatten keloids, though repeated injections are often needed.
Keloid predisposition : An increased likelihood of developing keloids because of inherited and individual risk factors. Family history and individual susceptibility help explain why similar injuries heal differently.
Fibroblast : A connective-tissue cell that produces collagen and other components of the extracellular matrix. Keloid fibroblasts produce excessive matrix and respond abnormally to growth signals.
Atrophic scar : A depressed scar caused by loss of tissue beneath the skin surface. It contrasts with the excess, raised tissue characteristic of keloids.
Cryotherapy : Treatment that uses extreme cold to destroy or alter abnormal tissue. Freezing small keloids can reduce their size, sometimes alongside steroid injections.
Fitzpatrick scale : A classification of skin phototypes based on response to ultraviolet exposure. Keloids occur more often in people with darker skin phototypes, though they can affect anyone.
Collagen : A family of structural proteins that provides strength and organization to connective tissues. Dense, disorganized collagen bundles form much of a keloid’s raised scar tissue.
Contracture : A permanent tightening of skin or other tissue that can restrict movement, often after a burn or injury. Contractures primarily shorten tissue, while keloids expand beyond a wound’s edges.
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