For years, I stared at my keloid and asked the same question:
*Why does it keep growing—even when I leave it alone?
I stopped scratching it.
I stopped using harsh products.
I even stopped wearing jewelry near it.
But the bump stayed. Sometimes bigger. Sometimes darker. Sometimes itchy. Sometimes not.
And no one—not even the fancy dermatologist with a wall of degrees—could explain why.
Then I stumbled across a phrase in a medical journal that felt like a lightbulb and a gut punch:
“Keloids may be hormonally influenced.”
Hold up. Hormones?
You mean the same thing that gives me breakouts, mood swings, and pre-period bloating… is messing with my scar too?
Let’s break down the hormone-keloid connection that almost no one is talking about—especially not during your 10-minute insurance-approved skin consult.
🧠First: Why the Skin-Hormone Connection Even Makes Sense
Your skin is your biggest organ. It’s not just a layer of protection. It’s a biological mirror—and hormones are one of the main things it reflects.
Think:
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Acne during puberty? Hormones.
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Melasma during pregnancy? Hormones.
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Hair thinning in menopause? Hormones.
So if your skin can be influenced by estrogen, testosterone, and cortisol… why wouldn’t keloid behavior be affected too?
Spoiler: it is. And science is just starting to catch up.
🔬 What the Research Says (That Your Doctor Might Not)
Here’s what’s emerging in current studies and case reports:
1. Estrogen Can Fuel Fibroblast Activity
Estrogen isn’t just about periods and pregnancy. It also plays a role in collagen production and skin healing. That sounds good—until it’s too much of a good thing.
In keloid-prone individuals, estrogen may:
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Overstimulate fibroblasts, the cells that build scar tissue
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Keep collagen production “on” when it should turn “off”
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Prolong the inflammatory phase of healing
This could explain why:
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Keloids often worsen during pregnancy
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They’re more common in puberty and early adulthood
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Some people notice monthly keloid flare-ups in sync with their cycle
2. Cortisol (the Stress Hormone) Keeps You Stuck in Inflammation
Chronic stress = chronically elevated cortisol.
Cortisol is supposed to calm inflammation. But when it’s always high? It can do the opposite. It disrupts healing, messes with immune signaling, and may contribute to abnormal scar formation.
Ever notice how your keloid flares up during emotionally intense weeks? That’s not in your head. It’s literally in your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
3. Testosterone and Growth Hormones Might Play a Role, Too
Keloids disproportionately affect:
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Teenagers going through growth spurts
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Athletes and bodybuilders with higher natural (or supplemented) growth hormones
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Men more than women (in some studies)
Androgens (like testosterone) are known to influence sebaceous glands, healing speed, and inflammation—all of which could impact keloid development and persistence.
😳 So… Is My Body Making My Keloid Worse?
Let’s not jump to blame. Your body isn’t sabotaging you—it’s just doing what it thinks is protective.
But yes, if your hormones are out of balance (or even fluctuating normally), they could be contributing to:
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Keloid growth
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Itching or sensitivity
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Color changes
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Poor response to treatment
And here’s the kicker: most dermatologists don’t check or address this.
Because hormones fall under endocrinology, and keloids are “skin”—the two often never get linked.
🧠What You Can Do If You Suspect a Hormonal Link
No, you don’t need to biohack your body or spend thousands on functional medicine (unless you want to). But here are practical steps:
✅ 1. Track Flare-Ups Alongside Your Hormonal Cycles
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Use a period tracker or symptom diary
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See if flare-ups align with your cycle, stress, lack of sleep, etc.
✅ 2. Get Basic Hormone Labs (If You Can)
Ask your doctor about checking:
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Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone
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Cortisol (morning level or saliva test)
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Thyroid levels (because slow metabolism = slow healing)
✅ 3. Focus on Anti-Inflammatory Habits
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Prioritize sleep (7–9 hours)
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Cut down sugar and refined carbs (they spike cortisol and insulin)
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Learn stress-reduction practices (not toxic positivity, just nervous system regulation)
✅ 4. Consider Talking to an Endocrinologist
If you’ve tried all the keloid creams and injections with no long-term success, it might be time to look deeper. An endocrinologist can assess the hormonal side of the equation.
❤️ Final Thought: It’s Not Just Skin. It’s a System.
You are not just a keloid.
You are not just “someone who scars weird.”
You are a complex system—and your skin is only one surface of that system.
If your keloid keeps flaring without warning, consider this:
It’s not about the scar. It’s about what’s happening behind the scar.
That could be hormones. That could be stress. That could be something your body is trying to whisper… and the keloid is how it shouts.
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