Keloid scars are very difficult to treat through surgery. Since surgical keloid removal always leads to the formation of scar tissue, recurrence is very high. For this reason, it might be a good idea to search for non surgical options to treat this type of scar tissue.

Fortunately, there are several non surgical procedures that you can undergo to help treat keloid scars. Any one of those procedures can be used on its own or in combination with each other as well as with surgery. In case you're wondering, non surgical alternatives include:

*Corticosteroid injections, also known as cortisone

*Silicone Sheets

*Compression Therapy or Compression Devices

*Laser Therapy

*Cryotherapy

Corticosteriods are the most common treatment for keloids. This type of treatment helps flatten keloids so that they are less apparent even though the scar tissue may still feel different than the surrounding skin.

Corticosteriods are used primarily before and after keloid scar removal to hinder the appearance of a new keloid. However, they can be used during the procedure for the same purpose. In essence, the use of this type of treatment will depend greatly on the person's predisposition to developing keloids.

Silicone sheets are another type of option used to treat all types of scars, including keloids. These sheets are worn for a few hours a day for a few weeks. They have been quite successful in keeping keloids from forming again.

Silicone sheets are sold OTC and can be cut down to size so that they fit the size of the scar being treated. Despite their success rate, they are slightly less effective than compression therapy, which is an older type of treatment that is still used to deal with keloid scars.

Compression therapy has been around for decades to help treat keloids and hypertrophic or raised scars. Compression devices are usually custom fitted and worn for 24 hours or up to a year.

Laser therapy is another effective keloid scar treatment that uses a pulsed dye laser to flatten the scar. This procedure can also be used to help eliminate the redness that is common with keloid scars.

Carbon dioxide lasers can also be used to treat keloids and to help reduce the recurrence of keloid formation. Consult with your doctor about the right type of laser therapy for you.

Finally, cryotherapy is another option that can be used to treat smaller scars and scars that are in areas that are difficult to compress. In this case liquid nitrogen is used to flatten the affected tissue. However, it can cause a darkening of the treated area.