"Does Itching in Keloid Scars Indicate Growth?"

Update Date: Source: Network

Itching in keloid scars may indicate wound healing or infection. It is recommended to seek medical attention for appropriate treatment.

1. Wound Healing:

Mild itching without redness, swelling, or exudation in keloid scars may suggest wound healing, as skin tissue repair and hyperplasia can stimulate peripheral nerve cells, causing itching. This is generally normal and an essential part of keloid scar repair, requiring no special treatment beyond local disinfection and dressing changes.

2. Infection:

Severe itching accompanied by redness, swelling, pain, and purulent discharge from the keloid scar area indicates infection. Immediate medical attention is necessary, often involving scar excision, cleaning the wound with hydrogen peroxide, resuturing, continued local disinfection and dressing changes, and systemic antibiotic therapy such as cefaclor, amoxicillin, or cefprozil for anti-inflammatory treatment.

Avoid scratching the itchy area to prevent infection aggravation and refrain from consuming spicy or irritating foods. For itching in keloid scars, intralesional injections of triamcinolone acetonide can be used to shrink the scar and provide some relief from itching.