Dear Doctor

I have this keloid on my nose and I know it’s common for people who get their nose pierced but I wanna know what is the most effective way for sure to get rid of it!

I’ve been doing the salt and warm water and that’s not really working and I’m gonna buy tea tree oil but please what should I do that will for sure get rid of it.

Dear Patient

Nose Piercing Keloids vs Hypertrophic Scars

This is more of a hypertrophic scar than a keloid. The difference is that a keloid extends beyond the borders of the original injury while a hypertrophic scar is limited to the borders of the original injury.

 

Home Treatment for Nose Piercings Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars

The home treatment of nose piercing keloids and hypertrophic scars includes:

Massaging the Scar

Scar massage has been shown to improve the appearance of hypertrophic scars since it breaks down and remodels the scar tissue. You can use a silicone gel like ScarAway to lubricate the skin and make it more pliable.

 

Painting the Scar with Silicone

Liquid silicone known as ScarGuard MD can also be painted on the scar twice a day to minimize its appearance.

 

Applying Sunscreen

Scars tend to darken and become more obvious if exposed to the sun especially in the early stages. Broad spectrum sunscreens that offer protection from UVA and UVB rays and that have a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 should therefore be used every day.

 

Medical Treatment for Nose Piercings Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars 

The medical treatment of nose piercing keloids and hypertrophic scars includes the use of:

Corticosteroid Injections

Triamcinolone acetonide (Kenalog) can be injected into the nose piercing keloids and hypertrophic scars. It decreases the scar size and any associated redness or itching.

5-Flurouracil can also be injected together with Triamcinolone acetonide into the keloids since this has been shown to reduce keloid recurrence.

If the nose piercing keloid or hypertrophic scar does not respond sufficiently to the steroid injections, the doctor can perform a minor surgical procedure and shave it off so that it is flush with the surrounding skin. This is then followed by steroid injections.

 

Lasers Therapy

Pulsed dye lasers (Vbeam) can be used for nose piercing keloids. The carbon dioxide laser has also been used to ablate keloids after intralesional steroids were injected. Vascular lasers can be used if the hypertrophic scar is also red in addition to being thickened.

 

Conclusion

I am not aware of any studies that prove the effectiveness of using of salt water and tea tree oil for nose piercing keloids and hypertrophic scars. I therefore cannot recommend them.

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