Hypertrophic and keloid scars both result from excessive collagen production during the healing process, but they differ importantly in behavior and treatment.
Key Differences:
- Hypertrophic scar: Stays within the boundaries of the original wound, usually red and raised, improves spontaneously over time (6-18 months). Responds well to pressure and silicone treatment.
- Keloid: Extends beyond the original wound boundaries and grows into surrounding healthy skin, does not improve spontaneously, and may recur even after surgical excision. More common in darker-skinned individuals and in certain areas like ears, shoulders, and chest.
Treatment Options:
- For hypertrophic scars: Pressure garments, silicone sheets, massage, and in some cases corticosteroid injections.
- For keloids: Repeated corticosteroid injections, cryotherapy, surgical excision followed by superficial radiotherapy to prevent recurrence, 5-fluorouracil injections.
At BEIT TARIQ Center, we carefully evaluate each scar to determine its type and create a customized treatment plan that may combine multiple techniques to achieve the best possible outcome.