Keloid is an unsightly issue that can diminish self-confidence and lower self-esteem for many. It appears as a thickened skin lesion at the site of a previous wound. Treating keloids is difficult, as there are no effective conventional methods for treating mature keloids. Leech therapy may bring some improvement in the skin condition. What impact do leeches have on keloid-affected skin? We answer this question!
Keloid – what is it?
A keloid, also known as a keloid scar, results from abnormal tissue healing that can occur even after a minor injury that breaks the skin’s continuity. It manifests as an uncontrolled proliferation beyond the scar boundaries. Keloids are considered hypertrophic scars. They can occur at any age and with the same frequency in both sexes.
Characteristics of keloids
Keloids are a significant cosmetic defect. From a histological point of view, a keloid consists of a cluster of dense collagen fibres, fibroblasts, and young connective tissue fibres. It forms as a hard nodule with a bluish-red colouration that protrudes above the surface of healthy skin. The surface of the keloid is smooth and shiny. In terms of size, it can range from a few millimetres to several centimetres.
Keloids can occur anywhere on the body. They often form spontaneously in the sternum area and are most commonly observed on the chest, upper back, and shoulders.
How do keloids form?
The exact cause of keloid formation is not fully understood, but genetic predisposition is suspected to play a significant role. For a keloid to form, there must first be skin damage.
Fibrous tissue overgrows and forms a keloid due to factors such as:
- skin injury – cuts, lacerations (including surgical),
- burns,
- Scrapes,
- infections.
Keloids can also form after piercing the skin to insert earrings. Sometimes, they are the result of improper healing of changes after chickenpox, acne, or even a cesarean section.
Keloid – risk factors
The most critical factors contributing to the development of keloids include:
- genetic predisposition – in people prone to abnormal skin healing, keloids can form even from minor skin injuries, e.g., insect bites,
- age – in children, excessive collagen production is cited as a cause for keloid formation, while in older individuals, decreased collagen and elastin synthesis is noted,
- skin colour – increased risk of keloid formation in people with very light or very dark skin,
- metabolic diseases – mainly those adversely affecting the wound healing process, e.g., diabetes,
- autoimmune diseases – especially those related to improper hormone functioning, such as Hashimoto’s disease.
Keloid treatment
Treating keloids is challenging and only sometimes yields satisfactory results. Treatment is local and divided into conservative and surgical methods. Conservative therapy includes, among other things, the application of steroid-containing dressings, which the patient wears 24 hours a day. The procedure is repeated every other day, but the treatment is discontinued if there is no improvement after 8-10 cycles. Compression dressings, which prevent connective tissue proliferation, may also offer some improvement.
For keloids, glucocorticosteroids can be injected into the tissue lesion at several-week intervals. In advanced cases, the keloid may be surgically removed, but this carries a high risk of recurrence.
Leeches for keloid treatment
Leech therapy may help patients struggling with keloids. This method involves applying leeches to the skin, which attach themselves and release therapeutic substances into the bloodstream. Although there is no unequivocal scientific evidence supporting the effectiveness of leech therapy for keloids, initial studies on using leeches in this context have yielded excellent results.
A study involving a 30-year-old patient with a keloid above the knee was conducted. Despite using conventional treatment methods, the lesion did not decrease in size. Leech therapy, consisting of 4 sessions conducted every 20 days, was applied. After the third treatment, a significant reduction in the size and severity of the lesion was observed, and after the fourth session, the keloid wholly disappeared. One-year observations after leech therapy indicated no recurrence of the keloid.
In your case, it is always worth consulting with your doctor about the appropriateness of leech therapy for keloid. If there are no contraindications to applying leeches, it is worth trying this method for yourself and seeing its results.