There are two things about keloids that I really didn’t expect. One, I did not expect that there would be so many keloid patients in need of help and treatment nationwide; and two, that there would be so many keloid secondary infections. In the former case, we have been able to deal with it comfortably by improving the cure rate, but in the latter case, medical treatment alone seems to be inadequate. The solution to this problem depends more on the keloid patient’s awareness of the problem and the measures that can be taken to avoid it.
The first step in recognizing secondary infection in keloids is to understand the reason why keloid infections occur. It is not complicated to understand the causes of secondary infection in keloid scars by knowing that “running water does not rot”. The formation of secondary infection in keloid is the same as the formation of acne, the cause of many keloid scars. There is a special structure on human skin. This structure is known medically as the sebaceous gland. Its function is to produce a constant flow of oil and spread it evenly over the surface of the skin to keep it smooth and moist. In other words, the sebaceous glands are a type of “fragrance fountain” on the skin that constantly produces “balm” to moisturize the skin. This type of “fragrant spring” is most afraid of being blocked, because there are many tenants on our skin that can only be seen under a magnifying glass, and medically these tenants are called bacteria. The “balsam” in the “fragrant spring” is a rare and delicious treat for these tenants, so once the spring is not flowing smoothly and the “balsam” is piled up, these tenants will be in the The “fragrant springs” are settled in and enjoy the feast of “balsam”. In normal skin, this causes acne to occur, and in keloids, this causes secondary infection.
After understanding the cause, it is not difficult to prevent and treat keloid infections. As far as “prevention” is concerned, first of all, the development of keloids should not be ignored. Due to the lack of knowledge about keloid scars and especially the fear of recurrence, coupled with the fact that many doctors are not aware of this disease and its related treatment techniques, it is very common for keloid scars to be mistreated, and many patients are not active in the treatment of keloid scars, and some patients are hoping for a miracle. In fact, keloid scars are mostly curable with proper treatment, and the earlier the treatment, the better the results. Therefore, patients with formed keloids, especially those prone to infection such as those on the chest, should actively seek reasonable treatment. Second, formed keloids should be protected with more care. The thin skin on the surface of the keloid is easily broken, plus there are often local itching symptoms, which inevitably lead to scratching, so the skin on the surface of the keloid is more likely to be injured and broken. In order to avoid infection caused by skin breakage, the keloid area must be kept clean. In addition, it is important to wear soft, less irritating clothing and to take care of the local skin to reduce itching and other symptoms. (Note: Although infection is related to sebum secretion, the surface of keloid is lack of sebum protection because there are no sebaceous glands to form sebum on keloid, therefore, compared with normal skin, the surface of keloid is prone to dryness and itchiness. (Applying some moisturizing skin care products after washing is helpful to reduce the occurrence of itching symptoms.) Regarding the treatment of secondary infection of keloid, I think the first thing that comes to the mind of many people (including some doctors) is antibiotics. Yes, antibiotics are a treatment, but not all infections require antibiotics. In fact, complete drainage is the most effective way to control the infection. Since “no flow” is the cause of “water rot”, “drainage” is certainly the most effective method. Therefore, for the infection that has occurred, when the time is ripe (there is pus formation), as long as the floodgates can be “opened to drain”, even without antibiotics, the infection will be quickly controlled. In addition, as mentioned above, the bacteria that cause infections are mostly permanent residents of the skin, not all of them are heretics, and the application of antibiotics to such bacteria is not very specific. The use of antibiotics in an uncontrolled manner can lead to the production of drug-resistant bacteria, which can make future treatment difficult. The antibiotics are, of course, necessary for patients whose normal surrounding skin has become red and swollen and other obvious inflammation.
Although the above methods can control the infection to some extent, they are not the most complete solution. So, what is the ultimate treatment for secondary infection in keloids? It is still surgery and then supplemented by a reasonable amount of electron beam irradiation.