Atrophic,
Trust me, I know your pain. I had/have two atrophies almost as big as the one icanspeakwhale has pictured and they have not healed yet. But from what I've read they should eventually. Go to the site below and you might get cheered up because the derm is very concrete on cortisone induced atrophies. He claims they ALL heal eventually:
http://www.medhelp.org/search.htm
Search on "atrophy". Then search on "cortisone" and "kenalog". There are about ten or more postings and I think you'll find them interesting.
Now here's my story. I had my last injection in late November. My skin caved in at two spots in mid-December. I had multiple injections to help reduce hypertrophic scarring, so I've probably had a higher dosage than most others. In addition to atrophying, the skin also turned purplish. The discoloration got much better about 2 or 3 months later. But as of last week the atrophies were only 20 percent improved, if even. I got tired of feeling like a freak so I went and got a Cosmoplast (collagen) injection. The doc that did it was totally incompetent but a week later I'd say my atrophies look about 70 percent better. My hope is that by the time the collagen injection gets re-absorbed my skin will start healing on its own. I also just purchased some collagen tablets. They probably won't help much but I figure they can't hurt and they're fairly cheap (20 bucks for 2 months supply). Also, a member on this board (lonelyman) emailed me about vivida tablets ( http://www.vivida.com ). He swears that they helped improve his atrophy. Those are much more expensive and even though they claim to have "scientific studies" (click on the "Studies" link on that site) I still have my doubts.
Anyway, from all I've read on the net most of the atrophies go away. And considering that you probably didn't have the quantities injected that I did, I'm certain you'll heal much faster than myself. I hope in 6 to 12 months we both look back on this as a nightmare that's over and behind us. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions.
Boba
boba
thank you so much for giving me some hope.i really hope that one day we will look back and wonder why we worried so much. i still cant help worrying that my dent wont fill up. every morning i look in the mirror to see if i can see any improvement and none yet. please give me a progress report of yours- if yours gets better i will be patient and confident that mine will too!!!
take care and keep in touch
karen(south africa)
Hi Guys,
Yes I all we can do is hope, I know exactly how devastated you feel, I am in a similar situation. Ive had a cortisone shot in November, which caused the skin to sink in. I cant say Ive noticed much improvement. Honestly after 6 month now I am losing hope.
The hyperpigmentation is due to the cortisone, along with collagen, facial tissue and fat, cortisone destroys the hyperpigmentation cells as well. I really do think that that the color is the least of my worries now.
I have done LOTS of research on this and seen MANY derms and plastic surgeons about this. What Ive gathered so far is that it depends highly on the size and the depth of the atrophy and how severe the tissue damage was. Some fill in dome don't. ALSO did you swell up after the shot (that means too much was put in)
If the indentation is too severe and doesn't start to fill in 4-6 month post the shot, it is VERY LIKELY it will fill in the future. I was told by several derms to give up and the only solution is a filler.
BUT if a high dose was injected, cortisone stays in the injection site for 3-4 month, which means there is light HOPE and one needs to wait a year before using any fillers.
You NEED to try to stimulate and help collagen production in anyway.
You can try a topical cream like ret A (not likely to help, but if the skin is thin there is a chance)
Ive looked into needling, which stimulates collagen production check out the link to a clinic that does needling http://www.transitionspmc.com/needling.htm
Collagen production depends highly on age, the younger you are the faster you heal
Hi,I received a series of cortisone injections for some hypertrophic scars on the left side of my face. For a few weeks it appeared that everything worked well. The scars went down and my skin was about as smooth as it has ever been. But about two weeks after the last injection the skin starting atrophying in some spots and then those same spots started to turn darker (hyperpigment). Has anyone gone through this? I've read that the atrophy usually goes away. But what about the dark spots? I'm very nervous that it will continue to get worse. And it's got me very bummed out - the combination of atrophy with hyperpigmentation is not pretty. Any info from someone who has gone through this before is much appreciated. Specifically, if your skin developed darker spots and atrophy how long did it last, how much better did it get, when does it start recovering, etc. Thx.
Boba
The same thing happened to me on my chin and I was so upset I almost got it filled in with restylane I got the shot the day before the superbowl which was the end of January and it all cleared up by March but I do have alot of hyperpigmentation which cleared up last year with hydroquione 4 but now is back because of tanning so I have to start all over again I am so upset and everytime I get a breakout I get dark spots so I should be starting accutane in two weeks when I get back from vacation I have mild to moderate acne according to the doctor but it keeps coming back so hopefully the accutane will help. Give it a few more weeks I really thought mine was going to stay that way that I showed my plastic surgeon now I am glad I did not fill it in.
i just got hydroquione 4 from my derm at the beginning of april... it works, hey? i've noticed a bit of improvment on the hyperpigmentation. i was told to use it twice a day but not for how long.... how long did you use it for before it was completely gone? another thing.... longish black hairs have grown on that area... what's up with that?!!!
here is an updated picture on the healing...
i just got hydroquione 4 from my derm at the beginning of april... it works, hey? i've noticed a bit of improvment on the hyperpigmentation. i was told to use it twice a day but not for how long.... how long did you use it for before it was completely gone? another thing.... longish black hairs have grown on that area... what's up with that?!!!
here is an updated picture on the healing...
I purchased them at www.vitaminworld.com: http://www.vitaminworld.com/pages/file.asp...F0&PID=658&np=0
They have a 2 for 1 special. My total with shipping for 2 bottles was around $20.
Boba
If you've read any of my posts, you know I complain about my dent from my cortisone shot constantly, but I'm at wits end. I know there are other topics on this, but I think I've read every one!
Here is my issue:
Had a reoccurring cyst for about a year in the same spot. Around December 10th, I got a cortisone shot. After about a week, the area started caving in. Check out my gallery for a pic of it. Anyway, it's been over a month and sometimes it looks better than others, but overall, it's not really filling in. Should I continue waiting? Is there anything at all I can do!??! I just want to cry.
If you've read any of my posts, you know I complain about my dent from my cortisone shot constantly, but I'm at wits end. I know there are other topics on this, but I think I've read every one!
Here is my issue:
Had a reoccurring cyst for about a year in the same spot. Around December 10th, I got a cortisone shot. After about a week, the area started caving in. Check out my gallery for a pic of it. Anyway, it's been over a month and sometimes it looks better than others, but overall, it's not really filling in. Should I continue waiting? Is there anything at all I can do!??! I just want to cry.
I had some big cystic acne and have taken cortisone shots. It creats a small ( and sometimes discolored or whitish ) dent. But I have always experienced that it goes away on its own and gets filled natuirally. Sometimes, it has taken like 3-4 months for me !! You don't need to do anything just don't aggrevate it further and you can put concealer.
I came to know from my doctor that the dent depends upon how much cortizone is injected. She always tries to put as minimum as possible but I understand, it is difficult to gauge the exact amount required.
Hello. I am new to the board. Every once in a while when I am really stressed out I will get a cystic zit. Occasionally I get weird bumps that get pretty big on my cheeks but go away. The cysts are what bother me because they get so huge and cause scarring. The last time I got one I was getting ready to go on vacation. I went to a skin rejuvenation clinic and had a cortisone injection. She told me she was diluting the solution to prevent atrophy. This was on Oct. 13. Then a week ago the injection site on my chin below my mouth began to cave in. Now there is a noticeable indentation. It's not life ending but I am pretty insecure about it because people keep telling me I have something on my face and I'm like, no it's just an indentation! I've heard that it will fill in. Has anyone experienced this and about how long did it take to fill in? Has anyone used Restylane to fill it in?
Thanks!
Hello. I am new to the board. Every once in a while when I am really stressed out I will get a cystic zit. Occasionally I get weird bumps that get pretty big on my cheeks but go away. The cysts are what bother me because they get so huge and cause scarring. The last time I got one I was getting ready to go on vacation. I went to a skin rejuvenation clinic and had a cortisone injection. She told me she was diluting the solution to prevent atrophy. This was on Oct. 13. Then a week ago the injection site on my chin below my mouth began to cave in. Now there is a noticeable indentation. It's not life ending but I am pretty insecure about it because people keep telling me I have something on my face and I'm like, no it's just an indentation! I've heard that it will fill in. Has anyone experienced this and about how long did it take to fill in? Has anyone used Restylane to fill it in?
Thanks!
I haven't had one indent that long after an injection. The usual timing for me (if I get an indentation - very rare in my experience) is a few days after the injection, the cyst disappears and forms a slight indentation. Again, it's been very rare for me.
Then, the indentation slowly resloves until it just isn't there anymore - a month or so. Usually I just don't notice it - or it doesn't bother me - after a week or two.
If I were in your shoes, I'd call the doctor/clinic (I'm assuming it was a doctor or someone supervised by a doctor that gave you the injection). I'd ask to speak to the doctor and ask to have it looked at. There are thinks they can do to mitigate the indentation.
I got a really bad indentation from an injection I got in August. I had had that cyst there for months and it was the third time I had it injected. this time the PA used a higher concentration of cortisone (unbeknowst to me). The cyst went away after about a month and the area caved in. The indent was about 1cm across and really deep, it looked like a big hole. I asked the PA at my next visit, and he said I definitly had some seroius fat atrophy. He assured me it would fill in in about a 10 months to a year. Actually it's only been a few months an it's already filling in......it's still there kinda, but it's not noticable at all.....it's much more shallow......
Ok, so I have scoured these boards and read everything on here about atrophy from cortisone shots, but I am still pretty worried. I went to the derm yesterday (got my third round of IPL on red marks) and asked her about it, and she said, "Oh, it will definitely go away." But I have read some posts in which people said they have had theirs for years.
I got the cortisone shot (my first ever!) three weeks ago on my chin. The atrophy is pretty noticable, and it looks like a misshapen circle with a line rinning out of it - a fabulous new crease in my face? The derm said Tazorac would not help.
Does anyone have a similar experience? How long did you wait before doing something about it, and what did you do (subsicion, a filler, etc.).
THANKS!
I have a LARGE atrophy from a cort shot next to the corner pocket of my nose and right eye. Which is very noticeable if I don't cover it with hair, plus a few icepicks in it 
I got about 3 shots in the same spot for a large cyst and then another shot when it came back a month later. I was on Accutane, probably the worst mistake I have ever done with my skin (the shot I mean). I got it in september and october/november, and it still hasn't filled in. I'm starting to get worried and I might be looking at some scar treatment. I hope your isn't as bad as mine. If so it should fill in with 3-6 months I heard.
I got two and they haven't filled in much. This was October 2005 when I got these. The bad part was I started accutane about 2 days later because the doc recommended I go on it because of the cystic flare ups. The accutane was great but I think my scar healing ability was substantially minimized. Pretty much every spot I had on my face and the previous several weeks left a mark that I still have today. I had only two scars my entire life to that point. I was 25 at this point. Those were from 2 cystic spots I had gotten in 2003. They fade more and more everyday but I'm definately not where I want to be. To answer your question i did get atrophy but I attribute that probably more to the accutane than actually getting the shot.
If it's any comfort to you, you would have had a far worst scar had you not got it injected. Plus the scar from the acne has zero chance of "filling in" by itself. I know this because my stupid family doctor didn't send me to a derm and therefore i had no cortizone shots and had to suffer through cystic acene for months and now lots of scars.
Ok, so I have scoured these boards and read everything on here about atrophy from cortisone shots, but I am still pretty worried. I went to the derm yesterday (got my third round of IPL on red marks) and asked her about it, and she said, "Oh, it will definitely go away." But I have read some posts in which people said they have had theirs for years.I got the cortisone shot (my first ever!) three weeks ago on my chin. The atrophy is pretty noticable, and it looks like a misshapen circle with a line rinning out of it - a fabulous new crease in my face? The derm said Tazorac would not help.
Does anyone have a similar experience? How long did you wait before doing something about it, and what did you do (subsicion, a filler, etc.).
THANKS!
the best and cheapest, time and patience. All scars lessen with time.
Sorry i cant answer your qestion, but IPL for red marks? ive done 4... they havent helped.
I had my third round of IPL Friday. The first two times got rid of many of my marks, but those weren't that bad. There is one on my cheek that I think I will still have to get lasered a few more times. I notice it fading a little more every time... but it's not working as well as I thought it would either.
As for the atrophy, does anyone have recommendations as to what the best treatment would be? The best AND the cheapest? 
Give it a few months to see if it fills in. I had one BIG cortisone-induced dent on my chin that did fill in, but it took at least 3 or 4 months to do so. I was very upset about it for the first 2-3 months, then I noticed it getting better. It looks fine now.
On the downside, I also have two small permanent dents where I received cortisone shots many years ago in another area.
I hope that yours fills in. I don't know of any early action that will help. I think you just need to wait a few months and see how your skin recovers.
dance
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OK, thanks so much for the help. Is there a general time frame I should follow? I got the shot less than a month ago... is it too early to look into starting this?