Today’s article is going to discuss the home remedies for keloids, which can also help you get rid of the scars that are left behind once the actual keloids disappear. Keloids are a problem a lot of people complain about, and even though it isn’t a serious health issue, it is one of those things that you would rather do without.
Image source: Google, copyright-free image, under Creative Commons License
Keloids are essentially enlarged scars which appear on the surface of the skin. They are also sometimes referred to as benign tumors on the top layer of the skin. Keloids manifest themselves in the form of large, pink protrusions, which only tend to increase in size with time. The primary reason why keloids develop on your skin is because of the overgrowth of fibrous tissue at an abnormal rate. However, the common reasons why this overgrowth happens and why you develop keloids is as follows:
- Insect bites
- Chicken pox
- Cuts
- Burns
- Body piercings
- Acne
- Pimples
- Operations (like a C-section)
- Vaccination
Even though keloids don’t hurt, you may feel irritation around the skin which has been affected, and the actual protrusion is tender and sensitive to the touch. Most people recommend surgery to get rid of keloids, but even then, there is a chance that you will be left with a permanent mark on your skin.
Suggested read: 13 Super Amazing Home Remedies For Acne Scars For Flawless Skin
Scars and marks on your skin can be a blow to one’s confidence when they are particularly concerned about their appearance, which is why it is imperative to learn about the home remedies for keloids. These remedies are completely natural, accessible and easy to use. The results of course, will ensure that your keloids stop growing in size, and eventually disappear completely with time, without leaving a trace of ever having been there in the first place.
1. Apple cider vinegar
Image source: Google, copyright-free image, under Creative Commons License
A great antidote to problems like scars and keloids is the use of apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is something everyone should have at home at all times, because it contains a number of good properties which can help you with a number of physical problems.
The anti-inflammatory nature of apple cider vinegar helps reduce the size and intensity of your keloids, and the acidic properties of the vinegar helps reduce the redness and sensitivity around the area.
If your skin starts feeling irritated when you use it directly on your skin, then you can dilute one part apple cider vinegar with two parts water and wash the keloids with a cotton ball which has been dipped in the solution.
2. Tea tree oil
Similar to apple cider vinegar, tea tree oil is also another effective home remedy for keloids and keloid scars. Tea tree oil is a soothing essential oil which has a number of healing properties. It is used extensively for removing marks, scars and abrasions from the skin, and leaving behind an even tone.
You can apply tea tree oil directly to your skin by swabbing the keloids with a cotton ball which has been dipped in tea tree oil.
3. Lemon juice
Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
One of the best sources of Vitamin C and antioxidants is pure and undiluted lemon juice. These properties of lemon juice are essential for the healing of your skin, and it gets rid of the scar by flushing out the toxins from the area, and allowing your skin to function properly. Using lemon juice regularly can help you get rid of your keloid scars within a few weeks of application.
You have to apply lemon juice directly to the area which has been affected by keloids. Leave the juice on for half an hour and then wash off the residue with warm water.
4. Sandalwood
Sandalwood has been used for centuries by various cultures to treat all kinds of skin related problems. It is a wonderful natural product, which is fragrant and has healing properties. It can lighten the skin and the anti-bacterial nature of the substance also helps in reducing inflammation, redness and itching, which you may occasionally experience in and around your keloid scars.
Take a few spoons of sandalwood powder and mix in a tablespoon of rosewater to make a great natural remedy for your keloid scars. Apply it directly to the keloids and sleep through the night, and you can wash it off in the morning.
Suggested read: 11 Of The Most Effective Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Unsightly Scars
5. Lavender oil
Image source: Pixabay, under Creative Commons License
Lavender oil is one of the most useful essential oil, because apart from being super fragrant, it also has skin healing properties which are ideal for your keloid scars. The use of lavender oil not only treats your problem effectively this time around, but also ensures that the problem doesn’t recur again in the future. It heals your skin from within, and can be effectively used as a natural remedy to get rid of your keloids.
Rub pure lavender oil on your keloids several times a day in order to see a visible change in your condition within a few weeks. You don’t have to wash it off, and applying it several times can help your skin absorb the oil better.
6. Aloe vera
Aloe vera is one of the best remedies for keloids, because it works on various levels to heal your condition. The anti-inflammatory properties of aloe vera makes the scars shrink and reduce in size, while the cooling properties of aloe vera gets rid of the symptoms of keloids, which are redness and itching. Aloe vera gel also keeps your skin hydrated, so that your skin doesn’t dry up and feel dehydrated when you are recovering.
Apply aloe vera gel on the keloids and keep them on till the gel has completely dried up. Wipe the residue off with a cloth dipped in warm water, and repeat the process at least two times every day to see an improvement in your condition.
7. Honey
Image source: Google, copyright-free image, under Creative Commons License
Honey not only acts as an excellent natural moisturizer for the skin, but also has skin-lightening properties, which can clear up your keloids and the remaining scars in no time. Applying honey directly on your scars can reduce the appearance of the keloids after a couple of applications, because it removed the accumulated dead cells, and facilitates the growth of healthy skin cells.
Massage a tablespoon of honey directly on the affected area, so that the blood circulation in the area can increase. After it has had enough time to get soaked into your skin (about half an hour) wash it off with warm water.
8. Garlic
Garlic might sound like a strange remedy for keloids, but it is one of the most effective natural treatments for any kind of scars. It promotes the growth of new cells on the surface of the skin and improves blood circulation considerably.
Allicin, which is a compound present in garlic, also prevents the fibrous tissue in your skin from growing at an abnormal rate, which is the primary reason for the development of keloids.
Crush three cloves of garlic and apply them directly to your keloid scars. Leave the paste on for 15 minutes and wash it off with warm water, or rose water, and repeat this every day.
9. Onion
Image source: Shutterstock
A characteristic tendency of keloids is to expand in size with time, and become more unsightly as it grows. You don’t have to get it surgically removed in order to stop the growth of your keloids, because surgery merely removes the scars from the surface if the skin, while the problem lies much deeper.
Onions contain anti-bacterial properties which not only remove your scars from the surface, but works on a more deep-rooted level by healing the skin and preventing the scars from growing and spreading on the surface.
Extract the juice of one large onion and dip a muslin cloth in the juice. Apply this cloth to the area and allow your skin to soak till most of the liquid has evaporated. Repeat this process two times a day at least to see the desired results.
10. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is a great natural remedy for a number of bodily problems because of the horde of good properties that it possesses. Coconut oil therefore, is also helpful when you need to get rid of your keloid scars once and for all.
Massaging coconut oil in the area where you have developed keloids can help increase the blood circulation in the area, and a thorough massage can also get rid of the dead cells which are aggravating your problem.
Suggested read: The Complete Guide On How To Choose The Right Concealer For Your Skin Tone
11. Fuller’s earth
Image source: Shutterstock
Fuller’s earth works the same way as sandalwood does, and has the same effect on keloids as the former. It reduces the appearance of the scars and heals your skin from within, while promoting the growth of skin cells and hydrating the area, so that the skin can go back to being smooth and fresh.
The best way to use fuller’s earth is by mixing it with a tablespoon of rosewater and applying it on the affected area. You can also mix it with aloe vera gel. After the paste has dried up, wash it off with warm water and repeat this process daily.
If you have started seeing your keloid scars grow, you don’t have to panic or feel disheartened. These simple and natural home remedies for keloids are effective and they work on a cellular level to help your skin look and feel healthy again!
Featured image source: Google, copyright-free image, under Creative Commons License