What are keloid and hypertrophic scars?

Also known as: hypertrophic scarring, keloids.

A hypertrophic scar may develop as part of the skin's response to injury and is a reddish, itchy, firm, normally raised, thicker-than-usual form of scar that’s similar in color and texture to normal skin. They do not get bigger over time and may get better in 12-24 months without treatment.

A keloid scar is also the skin's response to injury (or the presence of foreign material), but the keloid scar is a firmer, flat or stalked exaggerated overgrowth of dense scar tissue that develops after the skin heals and is larger than the injured area. It tends to get bigger over time.

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM