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Hi thanks Shadylee, I am sick of myself so you must be sick of me! But I really appreciate it.
Basically it started with a pimple/spot that was noticed by my dermatologist(I was not so bothered). Two months later it was still there but the cyst/spot had come more to a head. It was injected and instead of what happened with you, it flattening and going away my cyst popped out. The cyst had come to the surface so I was able to give a gentle squeeze and this tiny, and I mean tiny cyst came out. As far as I am aware nothing looked suspicious in terms of my skin then. No dents etc. I have done this on untreated skin I.e. where I had no cortisone and there may be a pin prick dent but no atrophy, discolouration or weird indent. This is why I am worried, as the cyst came out, rather than dissolving away and that my dent may be permanent.
It will be 5 months at the end of November so I will be seeing derm just as soon as I am in my 5th month. I really do not want filler, I feel that anytime I try and better my face it gets worse. Has happened about 3 times over the last couple of years and the ferns I have seen know I may petrified of down time etc.
When yiu say your atrophy would go at 4 months is that including the discolouration? What are your thoughts on the reasons why my dent may be permanent? The one on your back sounds dreadful but glad it eventually resolved.
Thanks again.
Hi Ice...
Ahh ok, I get you now. A few times I've had a shot where instead of flattening it would come to a head. The head would be so big I would just squeeze and all the pus would come out. Mine were always "liquid" and not a hard substance. The first time that happened I was nervous bc I could tell that the cortisone was coming out too and I was nervous it wouldn't go flat but it did. I did not get atrophy from those.
My discoloration wld always last longer than the atrophy. So my spots would fill in, but wld still have the gray hue for a few weeks after that.
The only theory I could come up with why you got atrophy is maybe by the cyst popping out (it sounds like yours was solid substance) the cortisone remained in the skin. Since the cyst was gone, it started to dissolve the healthy skin. That is just a theory though. Even if that did happen it should fill in. It's like the same thing as if the Dr. used too much or too strong of a strength.
I understand how you feel about letting somebody do something to your skin. It seems whenever I do something to improve my skin, it always goes wrong. There's a few things I wld love to try but just so scared of something going wrong bc it usually does for me.
The good thing abt filler is tho..it's not permanent. Also if you hate the way it looks you can always get it dissolved.
When you go to the derm ask him all your options. You can investigate them and maybe find one your comfortable with.
Sending you healing energy!!
Yes my cyst popping was indeed hard substance (I know gross!) but it was really tiny. Apart from it being on my face for 2 months it really was not a large spot at all, it was just one of those that was not coming out or going away, though I think at the stage it was injected the cyst was not so deep in my skin - so it was definitely going to come out.
Ok your theory is interesting. I was given no warning that cortisone could seep out or that it would last for 2 weeks in my system, I only found that out later when I saw the dermatologist again and he told me then, after my atrophy had already happened. Had no idea that cortisone could damage healthy tissue too. So I inadvertently without knowing, may have made the area worse by the gentle squeeze. But i only noticed properly any atrophy approx over one month later.
It does sound reassuring yours returned to normal but though mine has improved I am not sure it will improve any more. I know should give it up until 6 months (but I am going away to this wedding at the end of Dec!!!) .
I am see the dent/scar left by the cyst but it is definitely still sitting in a shallower larger dent/ atrophy - and thus is what is so upsetting as it looks like my left cheek has collapsed.
Though I don't want any filer in my face I am not sure I can put up with this much longer. Do you know what the side effects go fillers are?
i would wait this out for a few more months before you get filler but if you get something like restylane you really wont have to worry about side effects. it is made of hyaluronic acid which is a natural substance so if you do go that route you will be fine. its easy takes no time at all and will give you pretty much instant results. it is not cheap though so if you do plan to do it down the road get a consult first so you know how much it will cost.
Has it gotten better? I have one too:( It was injected really prematurely in to what I thought was going to become a cyst, but I think was just a little bit of inflammation....your photo doesn't look bad at all. I have had atrophy heal in the past, but the one that is currently on my forehead is the worst I've had....Derm told me I had to wait for a year before they would do any fillers.
I hope you are well and healed:)
Hi Ice,
I asked my friend Tracy to comment bc I have no idea abt fillers. Tracy is the best and has helped me through so many skin issues. I'm also sure she won't mind if you have more questions. She has vast knowledge on everything skin. I hound her all the time lol.
Hope you're doing ok!
@tracy521Thank you for the advice. In fact I was just looking at my dent under angled lighting (why do I do it to myself?!) and it's probably worse then just the noticeable dent,as I can see the difference in fat loss on that side as opposed to the other side especially when I smile. I have pretty chubby cheeks and a lot of fat around the apple of my cheeks and on my unaffected cheek it is really chubby and springy, but on my other side there is a definite loss of fat. There is also a larger area of fat loss then I originally thought. Also I can feel the difference.
I would try and ride this out for another couple of months or so, but have a wedding which is abroad at the end of Christmas and I just wanted to look my best and instead I look my worst. But at the same time I don't want anymore needles anywhere near my face.
Is restylane better than Juverderm? Also do you know if it helps or hinders healing? Thank you.
@shadyleeI don't know how to thank you! I just saw Tracy's email and responded to her.
I freaked out out last night - could not sleep, this thing was really worrying me as it just does not appear to be improving at all.
Today the angled lighting shows shows a definite loss of fat I had not realised was there.
So feeling quite rubbish and really I can't believe my luck - I know I know I should be grateful for all the things I have in my life etc which of course I am. I sound like such an ungrateful so and so but I get so freaked out with things on face.
Hope you are doing well?!
Hi Ice,
I completely understand what you're going through. I can look in a mirror and cry my eyes out for hours, I can't stand having anything on my face. Its so hard when you don't see improvement. You don't sound ungrateful at all, its just so extremely hard emotionally.
I'm so happy Tracy messaged you. She knows so much about the skin and procedures. She has helped me through so many bad times with my skin, she's the best! I'm sure she's going to help you find an answer!
19 hours ago, ice1234 said:@tracy521Thank you for the advice. In fact I was just looking at my dent under angled lighting (why do I do it to myself?!) and it's probably worse then just the noticeable dent,as I can see the difference in fat loss on that side as opposed to the other side especially when I smile. I have pretty chubby cheeks and a lot of fat around the apple of my cheeks and on my unaffected cheek it is really chubby and springy, but on my other side there is a definite loss of fat. There is also a larger area of fat loss then I originally thought. Also I can feel the difference.I would try and ride this out for another couple of months or so, but have a wedding which is abroad at the end of Christmas and I just wanted to look my best and instead I look my worst. But at the same time I don't want anymore needles anywhere near my face.
Is restylane better than Juverderm? Also do you know if it helps or hinders healing? Thank you.
do you have any pics before the injection to compare to? i only say that because i cant imagine one shot could have caused all that fat loss as well. can you post a pic here so i can see what you mean? or you can message me. i think at this point your best bet is not to look at it all the time because its only going to cause you to be more upset and that's no good. if it is bothering you that much though go see a cosmetic derm or go to a plastic surgeon and see what they think. i think juvederm would probably work too its also made from hyaluronic acid too. it probably all depends on the size of the dent. an experienced derm or doctor will know exactly what to do. i dont think either of those fillers would hinder healing since they do help to stimulate collagen as well.
i wish you the best of luck.
@tracy521Thanks Tracy. Happy to message you pictures rather than put on here. Do you have an email?
I just wish I had not got this done and been so complacent about it. It wasn't even bothering me that much, and now I have a massive crater. It isn't as bad as some pictures I have seen on realself or elsewhere but it feels really dented and perhaps tethered down from where the cyst popped out. So instead of where I have read most people's spots/cysts went down or flattened out, mine was near the surface anyway (but over 2 months was not coming out) and then a gentle squeeze a few days later made the cyst come out. It was a very tiny little hard substance. Minuscule as I remember thinking, this tiny thing was trapped unfer my skin for over 2 months.
I did not notice anything until 2 weeks later and even then it did not look like anything to worry about. Over a month later is when I believe I noticed the left side of my face with a dent and sunken cheek.
Nearly 5 months later, the atrophy/sunkenness has definitely improved but I have a very strong dent, like a dimple in that area.
With any pictures I send, you will think it's not as bad as some you have seen but for me I just feel devastated and like it's going to be something permanent as the dent may be tethered down. I have many acne scars but there are small and flat. But this dent is something I have not had or seen before. It is also by feel that you get a good sense of the dips and loss of fat. I can put the pad of my finger on the dent and it feels like the core of the dent i.e. Where the cyst came out is really deep and even when I stretch it out I can feel it. The atrophy definitely goes above the dent and more higher up the cheek but this again i notice more by touch as there is a definite shallowness whereas my other cheek is plump with no dips or shallow areas - from what I can tell anyway. Oh I also have discolouration and the skin is very thin in that area.
i am loathe to get fillers and this will be a last resort. I just want this to go away but I havs a sense with the scar formation that it might be permanent. Any ideas?
Pleas do let me know how I let you see the picture. Thank you once again.
@tracy521Hi Tracy sorry to hound you. I am just sick with worry about this. I am seeing my dermatologist next Friday and I know he will recommend filler but am loathe to at the moment but at the same time I hate this scar.
You can message me on here or at khowz2018@yahoo.com - see what the derm says and go from there. Ive never heard of filler leaving a blue tinge. Ive had restylane it was easy and not really painful at all.
How deep do dermatologists put saline under the skin? Right under the skin or do they go deep? A few have said that the saline solution isnt the thing that really helps fill in the dents but the needle pricks, which stimulate collagen growth. Has anyone tried dermarolling? Instead of going to my dermatologist I may just do that at home instead. I've done it before for surgery scars and stretch marks and it has worked wonders. I'm not sure how saline solutions are administered but derm rollers have a bunch of needles per square inch so it may work even better.
I am upset. I had a huge cyst in middle of forehead. It was an eyesore. I had a cortisone injection. Now I have a large circular indentation. I think it is worse. It is the first thing you see. I try to cover it. Takes a lot of time and it really doesn't cover. Needless to say, I am depressed. It is a big dent., round in shape. I heard it will take months. Dermatologist said I may need a filler. Has anyone had this happen? Are fillers permanent? Or will need to keep getting them?
@ChloemarieNo HA fillers are not permanent. That is better. You don't want a permanent filler in your face when you first get correction for many reasons. HA acts as a spacer. It takes many many months for the area to fill in and your body replaces the filler with some collagen. Some top up again in a year and some do not. Depends how you heal (Everyone is diffrent). Subcision with filler is long lasting. Otherwise you can just wait it out for up to a year while it heals. That's the beauty of a HA filler it's natural found in the body, body repairs itself, and if they screw up injecting they can dissolve it. Top ups are sometimes necessary to get things right (subcision is always necessary). As we age we loose fat naturally so this is mainly why people top up.
Another option is saline injections by the dr at the time of the subcision followed by Chinese cupping (Amazon) for several weeks after to prevent re-tethering. See subcision section under scar treatments sub, first post.
Thank you for responding. Its been bothering me. I hope it goes down in time. Its large and right smack center of my forehead. I am older so it may take longer. Had no idea it would result in something this awful. Ill wsit a little and then get a filler and hope it works out. Hope this is not something I have to fill forever. I am self-conscious.
@Chloemarie- keep the faith!! I've had multiple dents from cortisone shots and they have always returned to normal between 2-3 months. It sounds like forever but it really goes by quickly. I also had the dermatologist do saline injections to help them along. They usually would look the same for the first couple weeks and I would get discouraged, then slowly look better, then one day disappear all together and I couldn't even see where it was before.
Ask your derm about saline injections and be patient. Don't rush to do filler, once your skin bounces back naturally it could end up looking lumpy.
Had a really bad breakout a couple weeks ago and saw a dermatologist who gave meabout 7/8 cortisone injections which have now all become massive mishapen craters on my already scarred and broken out face. I know they should fill in in 4-6 months but damn. This is very traumatic any words of wisdom or encouragement or experiance? Help.
Reviving this board (and others) because I'm really going through it!
After years of getting cortisone shots and probably close to 100 shots, I got the dreaded atrophy.
It happened when I went to someone other than my normal derm, for a HUGE cyst but he also hit another tiny pimple Ihad -- and I believed he used way too much for that tiny pimple.
Update:
I noticed the dent 10 days after the initial cortisone shot, and it continued to change and get slightly worse over the following week or two. I went to my regular derm who agreed to give me saline shots. She wouldn't give me filler because she told me it was not approved for this condition and I'd be doing it at my own risk, so I opted not to do it even though I was really desperate.
I did three weekly rounds of saline and took 1000mg of vitamin C daily.
I didn't have any side effects form the saline, no bruising, only swelling that went down in a few days.
After the second/third saline shot, the dent became qualitatively better. The area was kind of uneven and more sunken than normal, but there was no longer a dent. It is completely something I can live with -- NOTHING like the terrible sinkhole that was initially there.
Now I'll be good to wait for more healing over the next year. If this happens to you, try saline, it really worked for me.
I'm posting this in case anyone has that initial panic that I went through. I have pictures of my atrophy every step of the way which I'm happy to share if it would help anyone feel better.
I soooo wish you had updated 
Yours looks to be a similar severity and size to mine, so it would be amazing to know how much improvement you saw and what you tried.
I just posted pics of mine in another forum, anyone interested can check them out.
I am going to the derm on July 6 to discuss options. I'm hoping for a saline injection and then if I see no improvement, (dissolvable) filler. Either way, I will try a full round of saline shots (5-9 times from what I've read here)