How I Learned What Triggers My Keloids
For a long time, my keloids felt random.
They would appear without much warning, and I couldn’t figure out why some wounds healed normally while others turned into raised scars. That uncertainty made everything more stressful than it needed to be.
Over time, I stopped trying to find a single cause and started paying attention to patterns instead.
Not all wounds affect me the same way
One of the first things I noticed was that not all injuries carried the same risk.
For me, most keloids didn’t come from obvious cuts or accidents. They came from acne — specifically deeper pimples that formed under the skin. These usually appeared on my chest or back, not on my face.
That difference mattered.
I’ve had acne elsewhere on my body that healed without issue. But when it showed up in certain areas, the outcome was often very different.
Location seems to matter
My chest and back have been the most problematic areas for me.
Those areas feel tighter, especially when I move, stretch, or exercise. Over time, I started to suspect that skin tension plays a role in how my scars form. The more an area stretches while healing, the more likely it seems to become raised.
This isn’t something I noticed right away. It only became obvious after multiple similar scars formed in similar places.
Movement and pressure matter
There was a period where everything seemed to line up in the worst way.
I was dealing with frequent chest and back acne. I was using a body wash that dried and tightened my skin. I carried a heavy duffel bag across my shoulders every day. And I was training at the gym most days, doing exercises that stretched my chest and back.
Looking back, this combination mattered more than I realized at the time.
The chest and back are already common areas for keloid formation. Acne and folliculitis are more frequent there, and the skin is under constant tension from everyday movement, lifting your arms, breathing, stretching, and exercising. When that tension is repeated while the skin is inflamed or healing, it can prolong inflammation beneath the surface and increase the chances of abnormal scarring.
In my case, everything was happening at once. Ongoing acne meant repeated inflammation. Dry, tightened skin reduced flexibility. Carrying a heavy bag added daily pressure and friction. Gym movements stretched the same areas again and again. Together, it created an environment where healing skin was under constant stress, which helps explain why those spots were more likely to turn into keloids.
I didn’t know any of this then. I just assumed my skin would heal the way it always had before.
At the time, I didn’t know what keloids were. I assumed these spots would heal like any other acne I’d had before.
However, the conditions I put my skin under at this time were the perfect storm for potential keloids. These spots eventually turned into my first keloids. Looking back, I can see why.
Small changes made a difference in awareness
Once I started connecting these dots, I became more mindful — not obsessive, just aware.
When I notice a new spot forming in a high-risk area, I try to reduce unnecessary stress on that part of my body while it heals. That might mean adjusting my workouts, being careful with bags or straps, or avoiding movements that stretch the skin too aggressively.
These changes don’t prevent every keloid. But they help me feel less helpless when something new appears.
Why understanding triggers helps mentally
Knowing my triggers hasn’t given me control over outcomes.
What it has given me is calm.
Instead of panicking when a new scar forms, I can usually trace it back to something — location, tension, inflammation, or routine. That understanding makes the process feel less random and easier to cope with.
It also helps me respond earlier and more thoughtfully, rather than reacting out of fear.
A quiet takeaway
You don’t need to identify every trigger perfectly.
Even small patterns can help you respond with more patience and less frustration. For me, learning how and where my keloids tend to form has been less about prevention and more about peace of mind.
That alone has made the journey feel a little more manageable.
Note
I’m not a medical professional. This post reflects my personal experience and observations, not medical advice. Healing varies widely, and what applies to me may not apply to you.