Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Keloids are the excess growth of scar tissue at the site of a healed skin injury.
Alternative Names
Hypertrophic scar; Keloid scar; Scar - hypertrophic
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Keloids occur from such skin injuries as:
Acne - Burns
Chickenpox - Ear piercing
- Minor scratches
- Surgical cuts
- Traumatic wounds
- Vaccination sites
They are more common in people ages 10 to 20, and in African Americans, Asians, and Hispanics. Keloids often run in families. Keloidosis is a term used when many or repeated keloids occur.
Review Date: 10/05/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of
Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of
Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director,
A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
