Abstract:

Background: Keloids and hypertrophic scare are the result of pathological wound healing in genetically predisposed individuals. There is a steady increase in incidence of keloid in anatomical regions for decoration piercings such as earlobes particularly in dark-skinned children which becomes an increasing medical problem. Clinical experience suggests that patients with keloid and hypertrophic scarring suffer as much as patients with other chronic skin diseases and that this impairment in the quality of life is influenced mostly by internalized and experienced stigmatization.

Methods: A cross sectional study involving 21 participants (7 male and 14 females) with keloids and hypertrophic scars attending dermatology clinic at BMC was conducted from September 2019 to February 2020. DQLI questionnaire was used to assess quality of life in eligible participants.

Result: Only 28.6% of the participants scored very large on the level on how quality of life was affected, the rest 71.4% were not affected to that much. Females were affected more compared to males, of which 28.6% of males felt self-embarrassed compared to 85.7% of females who were embarrassed about their appearance. About difficulties in interacting with opposite sex due to the presence of scars, the study found that about 2 (28.6%) of males were a little affected, 31 (83.8%) were not affected at all and 4 (10.8%) this question was not relevant to them. On the matter of clothing and cover ups female about 50% were influenced very much, 28.6% of them were affected a lot, 21.4% were affected a little and none of them was not affected at all.

Conclusion: Treating patient as whole physical, mental and social aspects is very important so as to improve their quality of life. Asking them and cancelling about other aspects of life is important rather than concentrating only in the medical treatment of their skin conditions. 13% of patients who are affected on their quality of life is not something to ignore about. All in all, unlike in white population with serious negative impacts of keloids the keloid patients, most keloid patients in a black African community are still able to cope considerably better than their counterparts in areas of low incidence of these lesions.