Dear Dr. Naderi,
To follow up on your response to my question about Keloids and Hypertrophic scars, first, yes your response did make sense to me. But what I really want to know is if there is a way I could get my ears pierced again without getting the keloids again? I was told that there is a way to do it. One way that I have heard is to use something other than metal to do the piercing because it is the metal making contact with the raw skin that triggers the keloids. I have also heard that it’s particularly nickel that causes them and that you have to use something other than nickel to do the piercing and to wear in your ear. Is any of this true?
Thank you,
Sheila.
Answer:
Hi,
There really is no way of predicting or guaranteeing no keloids will form again. It is a very unusual problem. Some patients get a keloid on one ear and not the other. It is true that things that cause more irritation and inflammation will have a higher chance of causing keloids and less traumatic surgical or piercing techniques and the use of more inert materials should make the likelihood of keloid formation less but its not predictable unfortunately. Early steroid injections may be needed if keloid formation is seen.
