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Keloid Causes & Risks

Causes

For unknown reasons, scar tissue begins to form in an uncontrolled manner. Proteins continue to multiply after the wound has been covered. The process can continue for weeks or months. This is especially true for the following areas:

  • Earlobes
  • Shoulders
  • Upper back
  • Chest
  • Back of scalp and neck

Risk Factors

Factors that increase your chance of keloids include:

  • African American, Asian, or Hispanic ethnicity
  • Between 10-30 years old
  • Deep skin wounds, such as those from burns or surgical scars
  • Scars from acne , vaccinations, or chickenpox
  • Family history

Normal Surgical Scar

Post-operative scar
Ideally the scar tissue would stop developing at this point. With keloids, the scar tissue will grow beyond the borders of the original scar.
© 2009 Nucleus Medical Art, Inc.

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Keloid Guide

Rosa Cabrera RN
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