What exactly are keloids?

My friend's father has them, and I was wondering how you get them, what they are, and if there is any way to get rid of them, or if you are stuck with them for life. Thanks in advance!

Keloids are an overgrowth of scar tissue at the site of a healed skin injury.

Keloids occur from such skin injuries as surgical incisions, traumatic wounds, vaccination sites, burns, chickenpox, acne, or even minor scratches. They are fairly common in young women and African Americans. Keloidosis is a term used when multiple or repeated keloids are produced.

Most keloids will flatten and become less noticeable over a period of several years. They may become irritated from rubbing on clothing or other forms of friction. Extensive keloids may become binding, limiting mobility. They may cause cosmetic changes and affect the appearance.

Exposure to the sun during the first year of the keloid's formation will cause the keloid to tan darker than surrounding skin. This dark coloration may become permanent.

Treatment

Keloids often require no treatment. Keloids may be reduced in size by freezing (cryotherapy), external pressure, corticosteroid injections, laser treatments, radiation, or surgical removal. It is not unusual for keloids to reappear (sometimes larger than before) after they have been removed.

Discoloration from sun exposure can be prevented by covering the forming keloid with a patch or bandaid, and by using sunblockers when spending time in the sun. These extras protection measures should be continued for at least 6 months after injury or surgery for an adult, up to 18 months for a child.

A red, raised formation of fibrous scar tissue caused by excessive tissue repair in response to trauma or surgical incisions. Keloids occur from such skin injuries as surgical incisions, traumatic wounds, vaccination sites, burns, chickenpox, acne, or even minor scratches. Keloids usually are not medically dangerous, but they may affect the cosmetic appearance. In some cases, they may spontaneously reduce in size over time. Removal or reduction may not be permanent, and surgical removal may result in a larger keloid scar. Call your health care provider if keloids develop and removal or reduction is desired, or new symptoms develop.

Smooth, pink, raised, firm growths on the skin that form secondary to injury. Treatments used can be freezing, excision, laser, x-rays, and steroid injections. Best treatment is cortisone injection. This helps it become less noticeable. They are difficult to treat.

scar tissue

Adelle Davis's book Let's Get Well is the only book I am aware of that discusses Keloids and how to treat them. You can find a copy on Alibris.com