Service
Keloid treatment
A keloid is a scar that grows beyond the edges of the wound; it is hard, raised, may itch or hurt and does not go away by itself. A tendency to keloids is inherited. It is treated with corticosteroid injections into the scar, surgical removal or a combination, because left alone it comes back.
What concerns does it address?
Injections
Treatment starts without an incision: a corticosteroid is injected directly into the keloid, with a needle or with a needle-free dermojet device, together with silicone gel and pressure. The keloid softens and flattens. It is done as a series of treatments a few weeks apart.
Surgical removal
The keloid is cut out and the wound stitched, and straight after that and over the following months injections are given into the scar — without them the keloid often comes back.
When is the procedure not suitable?
As a rule, a keloid is not cut out on its own — after the incision alone it comes back in most people, often larger. That is why excision is always combined with corticosteroid injections, pressure or another measure that reduces regrowth. If you have a marked tendency to keloids, every new procedure on the skin, including cosmetic ones, is planned with that in mind.
General reasons for postponing a procedure (pregnancy, breastfeeding, inflammation, a clotting disorder, smoking): When is a procedure postponed?
Anaesthesia
Before a procedure under general or regional anaesthesia, you are seen by the anaesthetist, who works full time at the clinic; the same doctor is also present during the procedure. The anaesthetic assessment and the anaesthesia for larger operations are included in the price of the procedure. What happens before, during and after anaesthesia is described on the Anaesthesia page.
Risks
Expected — pain with the injection, redness; a scar after excision.
Occasional — thinning or lightening of the skin where the injections were given, the keloid coming back.
Expected, and rare but serious → Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?
Price
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Surgical excision of a keloid | €300–700 |
| Corticosteroid injection into a keloid | €70 |
| Corticosteroid with a needle-free dermojet device | €150 |
Specialist and team
Specialty: plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
When the procedure is done under sedation or general anaesthesia, the anaesthesia is led by a specialist in anaesthesiology, resuscitation and intensive care who works full time at the clinic.
In the operating theatre, the surgeon is assisted by head nurse Martina Šereg, with the help of nurses Kristina Jurešić and Mateja Tomorad, and in recovery the care assistant Mirjana Kovačić is with you. Martina also looks after preparation, scheduling and contact after the procedure.
Who will operate is decided at the examination, based on the findings and the type of procedure. You know the name of the surgeon before the procedure and meet them at the examination.
What happens at the examination?
The first examination lasts 30 to 45 minutes on average. The surgeon examines the area you are concerned about, asks about illnesses, medicines, allergies and previous operations, and talks with you about what you expect. If the procedure is appropriate and likely to help, you receive a plan: which procedure is proposed, under which anaesthesia, what recovery looks like and what is included in the price. If the procedure is not needed or would not give you what you expect, you will hear that at the examination too.
What if the result is not as agreed?
The result of a procedure is assessed at a follow-up visit, once the swelling has gone down and the scar has matured, not in the first weeks. If it differs from what was agreed at the examination, the same surgeon carries out the correction.
→ Poliklinika Barbel's correction policy
Frequently asked questions
Does a keloid come back? It can, and we talk about that beforehand — surgery alone without further treatment brings the keloid back in most people. With a combination of treatments, much less often. Follow-up lasts a year.
How many injections are needed? It depends on the keloid; most often a series a few weeks apart, three to five times in all, until the scar flattens.
Does the injection hurt? The needle prick into hard tissue is felt, briefly; the dermojet is needle-free.
Keloid or a thickened (hypertrophic) scar? A hypertrophic scar is raised but stays within the edges of the wound and settles over time. A keloid grows beyond the edges of the wound, does not settle by itself and often itches or hurts. They are treated similarly, but a keloid more persistently.
Why does it form? An excessive reaction of the skin to injury — the tendency is inherited, more common in darker skin and in younger people, on the chest, shoulders, ears (after piercing) and neck.
How much does the result depend on care after the procedure? The larger the procedure, the more it depends on it, but it always does. Healing takes weeks and months and happens almost entirely at home, so the instructions you receive when you go home, about the wound, physical activity and the scar, are part of the procedure, not a recommendation.
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.