People have been asking me for an update so here it is.

I'm starting to feel like a normal person again. I've been going to lunch, dressing up and going on with life as normal. It is just about 5 months this week and I am

confident it will continue to improve until it's back to normal. One of them has stopped improving and I'm pretty sure it's a scar, but I also think it will respond to subcision so I've decided to be patient and once I'm 6 months off accutane I will probably start treatment.

I'm glad I made this thread because I was so upset and desperate and wasn't finding the answers I wanted. I really didn't think I would ever improve, and I did. I hope this thread helps people who are going through this ordeal, I wouldn't wish this mental torment on my worst enemy (well, maybe I would )

Now if anyone has any ideas on how to fade the scars (many are actual scars) I appreciate the advice!

WOW Ughhhh!! You look great! The healing over the past few months is tremendous! SOOOO happy for you!

I am so thankful to you for starting this thread and posting photos. As you know, I am at a very low point right now and your situation really gives me hope.

Please continue to post updates. Thanks so much!!!

looks better, much better!

AHA for your marks, when your post accutane skin can handle it

patience is a very hard thing indeed isn't it!

Wow that's fantastic! I'm so happy for you! And thank you for posting and giving us all hope.

I'm trying to decide right now whether to have another saline injection. I would say my improvement in the 2.5 weeks since the first one is about 50% - which I'm so grateful for - however I had extremely dark bruising from it that lasted 2 weeks (at its worst for 10 days) so I am hesitant.

Happy to see that the wait and see approach can work too!

On 8/21/2013 at 1:04 AM, ughhhhh said:

People have been asking me for an update so here it is.

I'm starting to feel like a normal person again. I've been going to lunch, dressing up and going on with life as normal. It is just about 5 months this week and I am

confident it will continue to improve until it's back to normal. One of them has stopped improving and I'm pretty sure it's a scar, but I also think it will respond to subcision so I've decided to be patient and once I'm 6 months off accutane I will probably start treatment.

I'm glad I made this thread because I was so upset and desperate and wasn't finding the answers I wanted. I really didn't think I would ever improve, and I did. I hope this thread helps people who are going through this ordeal, I wouldn't wish this mental torment on my worst enemy (well, maybe I would [Edited image out])

Now if anyone has any ideas on how to fade the scars (many are actual scars) I appreciate the advice!

Uggh, did you use saline injections or did the healing occur on its own? You look great! Definitely giving me hope. Is the skin ou back to normal as well? My skin is thin where the depressions are.

Hey guys! This is my first time posting to this forum, but I wanted to write and give hope to those who may believe that their face is indented forever because of a steroid injections. In late April, I got a a pimple injected and a pulsed dye laser on a pimple on my cheek. Due to the bruising from the pulsed dye laser, which was supposed to last 1-2 weeks, I'm not sure exactly when the indent started (as the area was so dark). But 17 days after the procedures, after I noted that the area was indented and still dark, I went back to see my doctor, who told me that it was not indented and that I was just experiencing hyperpigmentation from the laser. As relieved as I was to hear him say that, I still worried that it was indented, so I went to Stanford University hospital for a second opinion. They told me that the mark on my face was, indeed, indented and that it was from the steroid injection rather than the pulsed dye laser. This was four months ago and it has been such an emotional rollercoaster since then. I spent hours googling kenalog injection indentation, crying to my friends and mother, staring at my face, and avoiding the sun (as to not make it darker, per my doctor's recommendation). Two months ago, I found the article on saline injection and brought it to Dr. Gladstone (in Palo Alto). He consulted with one of the authors of the article (as Dr. Gladstone is an editor of the journal where it was published) and even connected me to that author (Dr. Goldman). The author told me that he's done the saline procedure hundreds of times, and he 100% of the patients have gotten to 100% resolution. This was a HUGE relief, because I was pretty sure that my face would be permanently damaged, as it had not improved in 2 months at all. In face, at that point, Dr. Gladstone had injected the area with 3 cc's of saline, and it bruised horribly for 2 weeks that I was afraid the saline was making it worse. A month ago, I proceeded with saline injections, but this time getting 10 cc'd injected instead of 3. I put ice on the area immediately after each injection for 20 minutes, and my bruising has been extremely minimal since then. At this point, I have had 5 weeks injections of saline, and the indentation appears to have resolved by 95% (my last injection was yesterday)! I still have hyperpigmentation, so it's hard to say for sure, but the area appears to be smooth! Saline injection works - it really does. So if your skin is indented after a kenalog/steroid shot, don't worry - there is a way to fix it safely. This whole nightmare seems to be almost over for me (although it's still dark, I'm just so grateful that it's not indented and that the color should be permanent) and I am happy to be there to help/support/listen to others who may be going through it. Feel free to reach out to me to on here or on my gmail ([Removed]) at any time if you are going through this whole thing and need to talk. And most importantly, don't stare at your indentation in the mirror for hours like I did, and don't give up hope that it will completely resolve - it will [Edited image out]

Warmly,

Inna

Whew.... quite the emotional roller coaster. I'm glad there was a positive outcome. I know how tortured one can feel after a procedure goes awry. Documenting your experience will certainly help others.

Hello Inna,

Thank you so much for sharing your experience - it really helps to hear success stories! And it's great your doctor spoke with the author of the article! 100% success rate sounds pretty damn good to me.

I was especially encouraged to hear that there might be an effective way to minimize bruising from the saline. I also bruised horribly from the first saline injection (5 cc's) and it looked so bad for nearly 2 weeks that I was almost deciding not to get another injection - but hearing your story is giving me hope that if I diligently ice it immediately afterward that I can at least minimize the bruising.

Thanks again!

Supernova,

The icepack was so helpful - the bruising now either does not occur after injection or is only present for one day. That is completely different than the weeks of intensely black bruising I got the first time. Good luck and keep us posted on how things go!! I am confident that you will be part of the 100% of people for whom saline fixes the problem!

Warmly,

Inna

Ughhhhhh: I'm so happy for you!! You can't even tell you had any indentation at all!! I hope mine fills in. It's been 2 months since the atrophy occurred. I THINK it's slowly improving but I'm not sure. Can you post a picture of your other side? Mine looks similar to that one you had.

On 8/21/2013 at 1:44 PM, inicomozi said:

Hey guys! This is my first time posting to this forum, but I wanted to write and give hope to those who may believe that their face is indented forever because of a steroid injections. In late April, I got a a pimple injected and a pulsed dye laser on a pimple on my cheek. Due to the bruising from the pulsed dye laser, which was supposed to last 1-2 weeks, I'm not sure exactly when the indent started (as the area was so dark). But 17 days after the procedures, after I noted that the area was indented and still dark, I went back to see my doctor, who told me that it was not indented and that I was just experiencing hyperpigmentation from the laser. As relieved as I was to hear him say that, I still worried that it was indented, so I went to Stanford University hospital for a second opinion. They told me that the mark on my face was, indeed, indented and that it was from the steroid injection rather than the pulsed dye laser. This was four months ago and it has been such an emotional rollercoaster since then. I spent hours googling kenalog injection indentation, crying to my friends and mother, staring at my face, and avoiding the sun (as to not make it darker, per my doctor's recommendation). Two months ago, I found the article on saline injection and brought it to Dr. Gladstone (in Palo Alto). He consulted with one of the authors of the article (as Dr. Gladstone is an editor of the journal where it was published) and even connected me to that author (Dr. Goldman). The author told me that he's done the saline procedure hundreds of times, and he 100% of the patients have gotten to 100% resolution. This was a HUGE relief, because I was pretty sure that my face would be permanently damaged, as it had not improved in 2 months at all. In face, at that point, Dr. Gladstone had injected the area with 3 cc's of saline, and it bruised horribly for 2 weeks that I was afraid the saline was making it worse. A month ago, I proceeded with saline injections, but this time getting 10 cc'd injected instead of 3. I put ice on the area immediately after each injection for 20 minutes, and my bruising has been extremely minimal since then. At this point, I have had 5 weeks injections of saline, and the indentation appears to have resolved by 95% (my last injection was yesterday)! I still have hyperpigmentation, so it's hard to say for sure, but the area appears to be smooth! Saline injection works - it really does. So if your skin is indented after a kenalog/steroid shot, don't worry - there is a way to fix it safely. This whole nightmare seems to be almost over for me (although it's still dark, I'm just so grateful that it's not indented and that the color should be permanent) and I am happy to be there to help/support/listen to others who may be going through it. Feel free to reach out to me to on here or on my gmail ([email protected]) at any time if you are going through this whole thing and need to talk. And most importantly, don't stare at your indentation in the mirror for hours like I did, and don't give up hope that it will completely resolve - it will [Edited image out]

Warmly,

Inna

That is great to hear! Who is your normal dermatologist? I'm in the SF Bay as well, so I can definitely tell you who NOT to see. I also saw Stanford, they basically told me that it wasn't noticeable (what?! ok then) and that I should seek subcision. I was planning on contacting Dr Gladstone as well, I will definitely email you. I'm so glad this worked out for you!

On 8/22/2013 at 4:33 AM, JennaBean said:

Ughhhhhh: I'm so happy for you!! You can't even tell you had any indentation at all!! I hope mine fills in. It's been 2 months since the atrophy occurred. I THINK it's slowly improving but I'm not sure. Can you post a picture of your other side? Mine looks similar to that one you had.

Yea like I said, it took about two months just to stop getting worse, I was FREAKING out, as documented :\

It started rapidly improving at 4 months, I know its a long time to wait but you will survive this.

I noticed today that my other side is indeed better than it was a month ago... I'm still embarrassed by it though I think it's probably 1/4 of the size it

used to be and has much softer edges. Don't give up hope! One day you'll look back on this and wonder WTF happened. It's a story no one will ever believe...

Hey everyone! As you may know I had my indentations filled in with boletera. They're about 90% better now. However I'm wondering if filling them in will have slowed the natural healing process? Is it too late to do saline as well? Maybe I should have tried that first. I was just so desperate. The filler will only last 6 months max.

Hopeful,

I would probably just leave it for now if I were you. I bet 6 months will be long enough for it to mostly heal on it's own and if it hasn't then go for the saline. The people in the Goldman study had it done many, many months after the cortisone injection (13 months for one) and it still worked, so I don't think there's a strict timeline for using saline. And 90% improvement is pretty good!

what is boletera? is that a temporary filler? if that is the case I wouldn't add the saline to the mix now...

Another thing--Arnica does wonders to help with bruising. You can buy it a a whole foods or a natural foods store. Or maybe a drug store. You take 5 tablets a day 3X a day for about a week leading up to your procedure. I've used it for surgery and for my filler injections and I didn't bruise at all.

Ok thank you everyone. I guess I can always try saline once my filler wears off. I just hope that won't be necessary and it would have healed on it's own by then. Hoping the filler doesn't affect the healing process. Boletera is a temporary injection that works for fine lines and depressed (untethered) acne scars.

If you fill something in, how will my skin be able to fill back in when there is a foreign substance blocking it from plumping back up? If that makes any sense..

Hopeful503: I also have filler in my atrophy (Perlane). I was told that your body will still generate fat/collagen even if the filler is there.ni was told that by the time the filler wears off, the atrophy should be resolved. I can tell my atrophy is still there (it's only been about 9 weeks since the atrophy) because I can still see subtle lines on both sides as well as thinned skin in that area. But I THINK it's slowly getting better. It looks like my body has recovered some fat/collagen in some spots. But still thin in some. It's hard to explain but the tissue in that area still looks slightly sickly.

Hopeful503: I also have filler in my atrophy (Perlane). I was told that your body will still generate fat/collagen even if the filler is there.ni was told that by the time the filler wears off, the atrophy should be resolved. I can tell my atrophy is still there (it's only been about 9 weeks since the atrophy) because I can still see subtle lines on both sides as well as thinned skin in that area. But I THINK it's slowly getting better. It looks like my body has recovered some fat/collagen in some spots. But still thin in some. It's hard to explain but the tissue in that area still looks slightly sickly.

Thanks JennaBean! My doctor didnt' seem to think the filler would affect the healing process but I just had my doubts. My skin where the indentations are is very thin too. I'm hoping the skin goes back to normal. It's been 2 months since I had the cortisone injections. How big was your indentation?

Did anyone have their indentations fill in without the help of saline?

I know. I honestly have a VERY hard time trusting doctors now. But all filler is, is hylauronic acid, and our body naturally produces it, so I don't see why it would slow/stop the healing process. Sounds like yours happend right around the same time as mine did. I'll send you a picture of mine.

I actually think most people have their indentations fill in without saline, including Ugghh on this thread. I think the saline can speed up healing in general, and for people whose indentations aren't healing on their own over many months it can kick start the process. I think you'll see good healing (if not complete) over 6 months.

I actually think most people have their indentations fill in without saline, including Ugghh on this thread. I think the saline can speed up healing in general, and for people whose indentations aren't healing on their own over many months it can kick start the process. I think you'll see good healing (if not complete) over 6 months.

Thanks so much!

if the saline injections work, are they a permanent fix to the indentation? or will it wear off just like fillers?

Ughhhhh: I hope your right. I'm so over this. Even though I had the filler put it, the skin still looks uneven and just sickly. I also have discoloration in that area.

Has anyone else experienced this? (The uneven ness and discoloration.? Or just overall sickly looking skin in that area?)

if the saline injections work, are they a permanent fix to the indentation? or will it wear off just like fillers?

The saline will be absorbed by your body within hours and might leave behind a temporary swelling effect for a few days but the point of injecting saline is to spur your body into developing collagen to fill the area - so it is a permanent fix.

Ughhhhh: I hope your right. I'm so over this. Even though I had the filler put it, the skin still looks uneven and just sickly. I also have discoloration in that area.

 

Has anyone else experienced this? (The uneven ness and discoloration.? Or just overall sickly looking skin in that area?)

I definitely have bluish discolouration - I've read that your veins can be affected by the cortisone as well and might be causing this bluish discolouration? Regardless, I think it should heal over time as well.

Supernova: when did your atrophy occur? I'm at 12 weeks since the kenalog injection. And about 10 weeks since the atrophy occurred. It does look better but the discoloration is still there. I've done 2 IPLs and 2 mild glycolic peels. Not sure if its helped.

Supernova: when did your atrophy occur? I'm at 12 weeks since the kenalog injection. And about 10 weeks since the atrophy occurred. It does look better but the discoloration is still there. I've done 2 IPLs and 2 mild glycolic peels. Not sure if its helped.

I had the cortisone injection about 16 weeks ago (May 8th) and the atrophy started about 14 weeks ago. It got worse for a few weeks (hard to say exactly, and for anyone else reading this and potentially panicking, it got worse but not like dramatically worse) and has been improving slowly since.

I had one saline injection 3 weeks ago, which definitely helped the dent immediately (by about a third I'd say) and a second saline injection a few days ago. Not sure yet if that one helped - this time the effect hasn't been immediate. In fact the dent almost seemed a bit worse for a couple of days! But at least this time I iced right afterward and have only had minimal bruising (the first saline injection, when I didn't ice, I had dark black bruising for nearly 2 weeks).

Right now I'd say the dent is probably about 60-70% better than it was at its worst. The edges are much softer, the depth is shallower, and I can't feel quite so much of a canyon under the skin as before. The discolouration is still there. Will keep updating with how things progress with the saline.