physical treatment

Last reviewed 01/2018

The treatment of keloid scars has defied effective treatment for over a century. A diverse range of techniques have been tried including:

• dressings:
  • silicone sheeting
  • occlusive
  • tape dressings
  • steroid-impregnanted dressings
• compression:
  • garments
  • custom-made devices eg clip-on earrings for keloids on the ear lobule
• topical chemical agents:
  • silicone ointment
  • imiquimod
  • vitamin E
  • tacrolimus
• intralesional injections:
  • corticosteroids
  • tamoxifen
  • recomibinant TGF-beta 3 molecules
  • immunomodulators eg interferon, interleukins
  • chemotherapy agents eg 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, bleomycin
  • verapamil
  • retinoic acid
  • specific cytokines eg VEGF, bFGF, hepatocyte growth factor
• radiation therapy, with or without immediate prior excision
• cryotherapy
• excision, with or without other adjunctive measures such as compression or radiotherapy
• laser treatments eg ablative (CO2, argon, Nd:YAG), pulsed-dye
• other light treatments eg IPL, photodynamic therapy