Promising New Pressure Treatment For Keloids Of The Ear Lobe
I have written of keloid treatment (general, not site specific) previously. I have always tried to include pressure treatment as part of the plan when treating keloids of the ear lobe. This pressure treatment came in the form of pressure earrings — clip-on, disc-shaped.
The recent article (full reference below) in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery journal introduces a new pressure device which looks like it will work better than what has been available (photo credit)
and as can be seen in this photo, the upper ear can be treated with pressure which has not been possible with the clip earrings: (photo credit)
These devices were custom made which makes them more expensive than off-the-shelve pressure earrings and may make them difficult to get if no one is available in your area to make them.
From the article:
Pressure therapy was popularized in the 1970s after clinicians noticed that pressure stockings used over lower extremity burns caused scars to mature faster with decreased erythema and thickness. Pressure causes localized hypoxia, resulting in fibroblast degeneration and disintegration owing to decreased intercollagenous cohesion and increased collagenase activity.
Furthermore, pressure has been shown to shorten scar formation time, reorient collagen fibers within the scar to become parallel to skin surface, increase hyaluronic acid levels, and decrease chondroitin sulfate levels, all of which help to flatten the initially elevated scar tissue and reduce recurrence rates.
According to various reviews and guidelines, pressure therapy is a long-standing therapeutic option for keloids, producing thinning and pliability. Although the precise biomolecular mechanism of compression is not understood, success rates of at least a partial reduction of derailed scars, from 60% to 85%, have been reported from a monotherapeutic regimen of pressure therapy. The combination of surgery with postoperative pressure treatment showed good response rates of about 90% to 100%, especially after excision of auricular keloids. ………
Overnight use of the new pressure device seems to be an effective extension of established auricular keloid therapy, with additional potential for prophylaxis of recurrence. Preliminary work was presented and intended to produce a demonstration of an optimized treatment modality. Analysis of this therapeutic regimen based on a larger sample size, and long-term follow-up will be the substance of a future report.
REFERENCE
Auricular Keloids: Combined Therapy With a New Pressure Device; Gregor M. Bran, Jörn Brom, Karl Hörmann, Boris A. Stuck; Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2011;Published online August 15, 2011. doi:10.1001/archfacial.2011.57
*This blog post was originally published at Suture for a Living*
how do i get pressure rings like those
Aaron, the article states these were custom made. You would need to find an MD who knew of the correct OT or prosthetic maker who could make them for you.
where can i get these made?
this seems like a good clip the others always break and ive been dealing with a ugly keloid for years where can i get one i need it asap.
Where do I find these type of compression earrings?
Delasco.com has pressure earrings. They are not fully custom but have options that work for many people.
Delasco has pressure earrings similar to these. They are not fully custom, but have options the work for many people.
Delasco has pressure earrings. They are not fully custom but have options that work for many people.
hey everyone,
Just wanted to share how I’m currently treating my keloid. I developed a keloid about a year ago from a surgery I had to remove a cyst. It’s about 1 and a half inches long and about 1/3 of a inch wide. It’s also 3-4 shades darker than my complexion.
I went to Ulta about 2 weeks ago and saw this product called ScarAway. It’s like a silicone sheet. You’re supposed to wear the sheet for 12 weeks. I’m finished week 1 but I definitely saw a change. I’m approaching week 2 now.
I have before and after pictures on my blog “Purging Pretty” (didn’t want to post the link so yall would feel like I’m spam. You can just google the blog if you like.
But It really has shrunk a little in size and has lightened up. I really can’t wait to see how it looks on week 12.