RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Keloid scars continue to be a complex and poorly understood subject. The main problem faced by researchers is the lack of an animal model because keloids affect only humans. Traditional techniques for keloids and hypertrophic scars are still available. More recently, lasers have gained an increasing role in the treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids. METHODS: A total of 37 consecutive patients (31 females and six males; F:M=5:1 ratio) with 48 scars (34 hypertrophic and 14 keloids) were included in this study. Patients ranged in age from 8 to 67 years (mean age 34 years) with Fitzpatrick skin types II-IV. The age of scars ranged from 3 to 35 months (average 9 months). The scars were classified according to the Vancouver Scars Scale (VSS). Clinical digital photography was performed under standard and cross-polarized illumination. Laser treatment was performed in association with silicone gel sheeting. RESULTS: Overall, excellent resolution of the scars was achieved, with an initial average VSS score of 12.6 and a mean VSS final score of 3.3. CONCLUSION: The combined use of silicone gel sheeting and a 532-nm millisecond laser is an effective and safe treatment for hypertrophic scars and keloids.