What does cheloid mean?
A cheloid is a type of raised scar that grows beyond the edges of the original wound, resulting from an excessive buildup of collagen during skin healing. Also spelled keloid — a form now preferred in most modern usage — a cheloid is smooth, firm, and often shiny, and can range in colour from pink to deep brown depending on skin tone. Unlike ordinary scars, which stay within the boundary of the injury and tend to fade, cheloids continue to enlarge over time and rarely regress on their own. They can develop after cuts, burns, surgical incisions, vaccinations, or even minor injuries such as piercings and acne, though some people are genetically predisposed to forming them. Treatment options include corticosteroid injections, silicone sheeting, cryotherapy, laser therapy, and careful surgical removal, although excision alone carries a risk of recurrence. The word derives ultimately from Greek, reflecting early physicians' image of the lesion clawing outward like a crab.
nounA cheloid is a thick, raised scar that grows beyond the boundaries of the original wound, formed by an overgrowth of fibrous tissue during healing. It is chiefly a medical term, now more commonly spelled 'keloid'.
- A raised, overgrown fibrous scar that extends beyond the original area of skin injury; a keloid.
"The surgeon chose a minimally invasive approach because the patient was prone to forming a cheloid at every incision site."
"After the ear piercing, she developed a small cheloid that slowly grew larger over the following months."
"Dermatologists often treat cheloids with corticosteroid injections rather than cutting them out, since excision can trigger regrowth."
Standard English plural, used when referring to multiple lesions or cases.
"Patients who form cheloids after one injury are likely to develop them after others as well."
A cheloid is named after a crab's claw — because to early physicians, its clawing spread beyond the wound looked like the pincers of a crab.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cheloid
The word cheloid entered English in the nineteenth century via French chéloïde, coined by combining the Greek chēlē, meaning 'crab's claw' or 'crab-like tumour', with the suffix -oid, meaning 'resembling'. The name reflects the way these lesions appear to claw outward beyond the original wound, much like a crab's pincers. The shortened spelling keloid arose by dropping the initial consonant cluster and has since become the standard form in medical writing.
How cheloid is actually used
Formal and clinical in register, appearing mainly in dermatology and surgical contexts. The spelling 'keloid' is now far more common in modern medical literature; 'cheloid' is the older variant and may still be encountered in older texts.
Easily confused with cheloid
A hypertrophic scar stays within the bounds of the original wound and may fade over time, whereas a cheloid (keloid) extends beyond it and typically persists.