Keloids are scars that have continued to grow past the size of the original wound and so ugly to look at because they rise above the rest of the skin. These may be due to piercings, traumatic wounds, vaccination sites, burns, chickenpox and surgical incisions. I myself have a keloid which I got from my C-section. It’s really itchy and easily irritated so I was looking for an excellent keloid cream that I could apply on and was eyeing at the ones sold by Amazon.com. They seem effective since many customers gave them high ratings, but thanks to this question. I wouldn’t know I could have many home remedies if not with your question @annelisle. So here are the home remedies I’ve found with research:
“Home Remedies that may work:
• Make a paste by mixing one part baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and one part 3% hydrogen peroxide. Apply directly on keloid, and reapply as necessary.
• Apply apple cider vinegar (ACV) on the keloid and let dry. Re-apply every half hour and do this for at least several hours. If ACV is too irritating, you can safely dilute it with water.
• Make a thick paste by crushing aspirin and mixing it with water. Apply directly on keloid, and reapply as necessary. Apply it on the keloid with a Q-tip and let the mixture dry (about 15-20 minutes) and then wash it off rubbing gently with water. This can be repeated once everyday until the keloid goes away. I only did this twice along with the tea tree oil and it worked. Also, for anyone who just got a piercing, I would highly recommend H2Ocean antiseptic.”
• Garlic oil or crushed garlic (use with utmost caution and wash off should you feel too much burning)
• Potassium Iodide is another simple remedy that may work well on keloids. Apply it over the keloid several times a day until you see some flattening. Look for SSKI (Saturated Solution Potassium Iodide) at health food stores and pharmacies. If you cannot obtain SSKI or have difficulty doing so, a weaker substitute can be found in Lugol’s Solution. Lugol’s Solution is a simple mixture of potassium iodide, iodine, and water and can be bought at most aquarium/pet fish stores.
There are also claims that topical iodine application (usually used as an antiseptic on cuts and wounds) can minimize scar formation. Iodine has the ability to trigger natural cell death (or apoptosis). Thus, repeat applications of iodine on a lesion cause it to be replaced by new skin.”