How Much Does Keloid Removal Cost?

Updated on September 17, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 14 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

Keloid treatment can start around $100 to $150 for an injection visit, while current U.S. surgical providers advertise keloid excision starting around $795 to $995. A course that combines surgery, injections, cryotherapy, laser treatment, pressure therapy, or radiation can cost much more because keloids often need more than one modality and can return after treatment.

The main pricing mistake is treating the first procedure as the whole bill. Keloid scars grow beyond the original wound boundary and may itch, hurt, restrict movement, or create an appearance concern. The price depends on scar size and location, symptoms, treatment history, insurance rules, and the recurrence-prevention plan recommended by the treating clinician.

Article Highlights

• Current published injection pricing starts around $100 to $150 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 3.3 to 5 hours of work, before taxes) for a small number of keloids at one U.S. dermatology practice.
• Published surgical starting prices include $795 for facial keloid removal and $995 for body keloid removal at one surgical practice.
• One current provider lists Kenalog treatment at $150 per area and superficial radiation starting at $900.
• Surgery alone carries a very high recurrence risk, so a low excision quote can understate the cost of the treatment course.
• Insurance treatment depends on medical necessity, plan rules, network status, and the modality being used.
• Self-pay patients can usually request a written Good Faith Estimate before scheduled care.

How Much Does Keloid Removal Cost?

Current provider prices show a wide spread because “keloid removal” can mean an injection, office excision, surgery with recurrence prevention, or a multi-visit treatment course. My Choice Dermatology lists keloid injectable treatment at $100 (about 3.3 hours of work at $30 per hour) for one lesion and $150 for one to five lesions. Williams Surgical Arts lists facial keloid removal starting at $795 and body removal starting at $995. Arviv Medical Aesthetics publishes a current Kenalog price of $150 per area and superficial radiation starting at $900.

Treatment price example	Published price	Pricing unit
Keloid injection	$100 to $150	One lesion to one-five lesions at one dermatology practice
Facial excision	Starting at $795	One surgical provider
Body excision	Starting at $995	One surgical provider
Kenalog injection	$150 per area	One medical-aesthetics provider
Superficial radiation	Starting at $900	One medical-aesthetics provider

These are provider examples rather than a national fee schedule. The payable total can rise when a consultation is separate, several scars are treated, repeated sessions are needed, or the plan combines surgery with injections or radiation. A quote is useful only when it states the treatment area, number of lesions, included follow-up, and whether recurrence-prevention care is separate.

Treatment Course Matters

Keloids behave differently from ordinary flat scars. The American Academy of Dermatology says nearly 100% can return after surgical removal alone. That changes the financial question. A $795 (about 3.3 full-time workdays at $30 per hour) or $995 starting surgery price does not necessarily describe the full course if the clinician also recommends corticosteroid injections, pressure therapy, cryosurgery, silicone, or radiation to lower recurrence risk.

The scar may also need repeat care even without surgery. A keloid can flatten or become less symptomatic and then grow again. Recurrence can turn a one-time-looking purchase into months of follow-up care. The plan may change after the clinician sees how the scar responds to the first modality, which makes a written course estimate more useful than a single-session advertisement.

This makes the course price more useful than the sticker price. A patient comparing two clinics should ask what happens after the first appointment, how many visits are planned, which services are included, and what the office charges if the scar returns. The lowest initial fee can become the higher total when recurrence prevention is excluded or when repeated visits are billed one at a time. A written plan should also identify which follow-up visits are routine and which trigger a new procedure charge.

Injections, Cryotherapy, and Laser

Corticosteroid injections are one of the lower-cost entry points. Mayo Clinic’s keloid treatment guidance says monthly steroid injections may continue for up to six months in a small keloid and that pulsed-dye laser is delivered over several sessions spaced four to eight weeks apart. At Arviv’s published $150 per area price, a two-session injection course would total $300, four sessions would total $600, and six sessions would total $900. Those totals are arithmetic scenarios using one provider’s price, not a rule that every patient needs that many visits.

Cryotherapy is another office treatment, especially for smaller keloids, but price menus are less standardized. It may be paired with injections rather than purchased as a stand-alone series. The useful billing question is whether each freeze-and-injection visit creates one combined fee or separate procedure charges. A quote should also state whether the office visit is included, because a low procedure price can become a larger session bill when evaluation and treatment are billed separately.

Laser treatment is also commonly sold by session and may be paired with injections or other scar care. A laser quote should identify the device, treatment area, and expected number of visits. Laser treatment should not be compared with microneedling prices as if both buy the same scar treatment. Keloids have a recurrence pattern and treatment pathway that differs from acne scars, texture treatment, and routine cosmetic resurfacing.

Surgery, Radiation

Surgical excision can remove bulky scar tissue, but the incision itself creates another wound. This is why recurrence prevention changes both the treatment plan and the bill. Aetna currently considers post-excision radiation medically necessary in covered keloid cases when its criteria are met and the radiation is delivered within seven days of excision. The policy also cites recurrence rates of 45% to 100% after excision alone.

A simple published-price scenario shows how the total can change. Using Williams Surgical Arts’ $795 facial surgical starting price and Arviv’s $900 superficial-radiation starting price produces $1,695 before any separate consultation, injections, medication, pressure device, or added treatment. The figures come from different providers, so this is not a purchasable package. It is a ThePricer scenario showing why a surgery-only quote and a recurrence-prevention plan should not be compared as though they cover the same care.

Radiation carries its own medical tradeoffs. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons describes excision plus superficial radiation as one treatment pathway for keloids that have not responded to injections. Radiation is not a routine cosmetic add-on for every scar. Its risks, dose, timing, age considerations, and surrounding anatomy belong in a clinician-led decision.

Insurance and Tax Treatment

Insurance is more complicated than “keloid removal is cosmetic.” Aetna’s current policy says intralesional corticosteroids and cryotherapy can be medically necessary for keloids when the plan’s removal criteria are met. Coverage can differ when treatment is aimed only at appearance, when a modality is considered investigational for the stated use, or when the provider is outside the plan network.

That means two people receiving the same injection can face different bills. One may have a covered medically necessary treatment subject to deductible and coinsurance. Another may be paying cash for appearance-only treatment. Prior authorization, referral rules, covered procedure codes, and the number of approved sessions can also change patient responsibility. Patients should ask the insurer about the exact planned modality rather than asking only whether “keloids” are covered.

Tax-qualified medical-expense treatment also depends on medical purpose. IRS Publication 502 says most cosmetic surgery is excluded from medical expenses when the procedure only improves appearance and does not meaningfully treat disease or body function. A medically necessary scar treatment can fall into a different category. Before using HSA or FSA funds, check the account rules and the purpose of the treatment rather than assuming every keloid procedure qualifies.

Self-Pay Rights

The initial treatment fee may leave out the consultation, pathology, prescription medication, wound supplies, silicone products, compression devices, or follow-up care. Scar-revision cost guidance from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons lists facility, anesthesia, medication, and testing among charges that can appear around scar surgery. A keloid-specific quote should state which of those categories apply and which are already bundled.

A dermatology consultation can also be a separate purchase. Readers comparing clinic totals can use current dermatologist visit costs as a separate budgeting reference, but that price should not be automatically added when a keloid provider already includes the consultation.

Uninsured patients and people choosing not to use insurance usually have a federal right to request a written Good Faith Estimate for scheduled care. If one provider later bills at least $400 above that provider’s estimate, the patient may qualify for the federal dispute process. Keep each estimate, because combination treatment may involve separate clinicians or facilities with separate charges. Ask for the expected number of sessions and any separately billed follow-up before paying a package deposit. That makes the estimate more useful when the plan spans several months.

Three Treatment Budgets

A small-keloid injection course is the lowest-cost scenario supported by current menu pricing. My Choice Dermatology charges $100 for one lesion and $150 for one to five lesions. A patient receiving four visits at the $150 multi-lesion rate would spend $600 on the injection procedure charges. Consultation charges, medication, or other treatment should be added only when the practice actually bills them separately.

A surgical starting-price scenario looks different. Williams Surgical Arts posts $795 for facial keloid removal and $995 for body removal. The difference is $200, making the body starting price about 25% higher than the facial starting price. That comparison belongs only to this provider’s menu and does not establish a national body-area markup.

A combination-care planning scenario can be built from published prices. Start with a $795 facial excision, add $900 for a separately published superficial-radiation starting price, and add two $150 injection visits if a clinician used that sequence. The arithmetic is $795 + $900 + $300 = $1,995. This is an illustrative ThePricer total assembled from current provider prices, not a treatment recommendation or a package sold by one clinic. It shows how a sub-$1,000 excision can approach $2,000 once recurrence-focused care is layered onto the plan.

Choosing a Treatment Quote

The useful comparison is not dermatologist versus plastic surgeon by title. It is whether the clinician offers the modality needed for the scar, has experience with that body site and skin type, explains recurrence risk, and provides a written price for the expected course. A painful chest keloid, a small ear keloid, and a large recurrent surgical keloid can require very different plans.

The cost of scar revision surgery is a related reference, but ordinary scar revision should not be substituted for keloid-specific pricing. Keloids extend beyond the original wound and can regrow after treatment, which is why recurrence prevention deserves its own line in the budget.

Makes sense if

• The quote identifies the exact treatment, treated area, and expected number of visits.
• The clinician explains what will be done if the keloid starts growing again.
• You have checked insurance coverage for the exact modality when symptoms or functional limits are present.
• The quoted price states which follow-up and aftercare items are included.

Does not make sense if

• You are comparing one injection with a full surgical treatment course.
• You are choosing surgery from the excision price alone and ignoring recurrence prevention.
• You assume a cosmetic cash quote predicts your insured out-of-pocket amount.
• You are buying a multi-session package before the treatment plan establishes that number of sessions.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does a keloid injection cost?

One current dermatology menu lists $100 for one lesion and $150 for one to five lesions. The complete course can cost more when repeat visits are needed.

How much does surgical keloid removal cost?

One current U.S. surgical practice lists starting prices of $795 for facial keloid removal and $995 for body removal. Recurrence-prevention treatment can add to the total.

Does insurance cover keloid treatment?

Coverage can apply when a plan’s medical-necessity criteria are met. Cosmetic treatment, network status, authorization rules, and the chosen modality can change what the patient owes.

Can a keloid come back after surgery?

Yes. Recurrence after excision alone is a major concern, which is why clinicians may pair surgery with injections, pressure treatment, cryotherapy, or radiation.

How many keloid treatments are needed?

There is no fixed session count. Steroid injections may continue for several months, laser is often delivered over several sessions, and the plan changes with scar size, location, symptoms, response, and prior recurrence.