Get Rid of Keloids — FAST!
Whenever I get a piercing, I run the risk of developing a keloid. I discovered this after I pierced my left ear twice. The first time was through the skin at the top of my ear. The second time was through the cartilage through the same ear. The first piercing ripped through the skin of my ear and a keloid formed on top of the scar. The second piercing was fine, but after switching the jewelry so many times before it was even close to healing, and wearing costume jewelry in the piercing (which I knew I was allergic to), a keloid developed on the back side of my ear.
Years later, I got my navel pierced. Approximately four months after I got my navel piercing, I was getting ready to take a shower when I looked down at my stomach and noticed a very familiar growth sitting on the top part of my piercing. Another keloid. It didn’t hurt, but I noticed the bottom part of my piercing was bleeding, so I had to do something about it.
So what are keloids in the first place?
Keloids are the result of an overgrowth of scar tissue. They can present themselves immediately after injury, or some time after. For piercings, keloids can show up when the piercing is constantly moved around in the skin, pulled on by clothing, hit against something, or with frequent premature jewelry changes or due to an allergic reaction.
After about five or six years, the keloids on my ear went away on their own, but what if you don’t have that kind of time? I definitely wasn’t tryna wait that long for the one on my navel to disappear, so I figured I’d try a few suggested home remedies and come up with a “treatment sequence” to get rid of it.
*Disclaimer: This is not intended to be medical advice.
As soon as you notice the keloid, begin treatment immediately! It’s important to act fast; the longer you wait, the more “permanent” your keloid scar will be. If you wait too long to treat your keloid, you will definitely need the help of medical personnel to get rid of it. Or you can opt to “wait and see” if it’ll go away on its own.
(“Wait and see” is a risk in itself because some keloids can last for life. They’re not life-threatening, so you’ll be okay regardless.)
First, what I did was cut a lemon, removed a little of the pulp, and placed it right on top of the keloid. I let it sit for about an hour. When I rinsed the pulp off with cool water, I noticed the swelling went down immediately. I followed up with applying apple cider vinegar (ACV) on the keloid site with a Q-tip and letting it air dry. For about a week, I continued to flush the piercing with an ACV, salt, and boiled water solution twice a day. The keloid was seemingly gone for good.
Be cautioned, though. Keloids can be stubborn. The one on my navel came back months later, but after my second treatment cycle, it was gone for good. It’s been almost two years now.
I’m not saying this treatment sequence will work for you, but it worked for me, so it’s worth a shot, right?
***Originally published on raysaywhat.com, April 2019.
