@dentedinny hi! How have you been doing over the last week? How is the soft wave? Seeing any improvements?

I went in for a consultation for filler at my derms office and was told that they dont have experience of doing filler for cortisone atrophy so they wouldnt feel comfortable doing it. I was so upset because my derm told me they should be able to do it no problem but she didnt know their experience. I had a wedding to attend the next day from the appointment so they did another saline injection. She put a lot more saline than my derm does and massaged it into my skin for like two minutes. To my surprise, this actually helped a lot. I would say the dent is much shallower now and maybe 50 percent filled in. Im hoping to go back to the same person to get another next week and hopefully that will be the last one I need! Im starting to feel more hopeful I hope things are going well with you and you are seeing improvement! Sending love and support!

Im very happy for you!! Thats such great news!! Im hanging in and will do another softwave next week and then saline the week after with some diluted filler to hopefully camouflage it while it heals underneath, so happy for you!! And you went to the wedding no bruises ?! Wonderful!! Sending support, love & hugs right back!!

@dentedinny thats great youre getting the soft wave, saline and diluted filler! Let me know how it all goes!

and thanks so much for the support and positivity <3 no bruising for the wedding! Only a little redness that is easy to cover with concealer. Really hoping the next injection makes it so its almost all the way gone! I will keep you posted

Hi all

i I need serious help from all of you.

i had cortisol shot on 15 May in forehead to treat cystic acne and after eight week it has put a deep dent and vertical line quite visible.

I suppose it was very hard dose and I was unaware of atrophy.

will it further become worse.

when will it start reverse. How long should wait for any intervention.

doctor told not to do anything for 4-6 months as it will heal.

pl suggets

doctor told

@dsk76 Hi dsk76. I'm so sorry this is happening to you! It's such a frustrating experience that I understand all too well. You came to the right place though because this is a very supportive community who gets it. I've been lucky to have @dentedinny throughout my process.

I also got an indent on the side of my forehead. I got the injection around 4/21 and noticed the indent 3 weeks later. I went back to my derm and they recommended saline injections. This can help to flush out any remaining cortisone and help with the healing process. They said that getting a few every 2ish weeks can be helpful. I probably got about 5-6 total and have noticed quite a difference from where I started. I would say mine is about 60-70 percent filled in now. It is still noticeable to me because it's my face but to others, I don't think it's too bad. I would recommend you go back to your derm and ask for a saline injection. I looked through this thread a lot when I first noticed my indent and a lot of people seemed to have success with saline injections as well. I think that and just giving it time to naturally fill in is what works best. It is hard to be patient during this though!

When I was at my lowest with this dent, I asked my derm about filler for the spot. The office I go to doesn't have experience with doing filler for cortisone atrophy so they wouldn't do it. There are def places that do filler for it but the forehead can be a tough spot for filler.

Sending you so much love and positivity because I know how upsetting it can be. It will get better! Talking to your derm again about saline might be a good step.

@megan91 thanks for your nice support

you mean from 2021 still it is there? When do you see start recovering and till how many months it is keep on damaging.
thanks once again for your support

@dsk76 Sorry I meant to say April 21st of this year. So my timeline so far has been that I got my cortisone injection on April 21st, noticed the dent around 3 weeks after and went to the derm around Mid May to get a saline injection to flush any remaining cortisone out. Since then, I have gone to the derm around every 2 weeks for saline injections which can help to promote healing for cortisone atrophy and continue to flush anything remaining. I probably noticed my dent two months ago and I would say I am about 60-70 percent filled in from the initial dent now. I still likely have another month or so until it's gone.

My derm made it sound like the cortisone can stay in your skin for a few weeks after getting it done (though I don't know the exact amount of time). Getting the saline could potentially help it not get any worse but at this point it is maybe out of your system and settled.I def recommend going back to your derm to see if they have any recommendations or if they have done saline before! It can't hurt.

It probably feels like it will never get better right now and I know that feeling. But mine has shown improvement if that makes you feel any better! I still have ways to go until it's totally gone but I do feel less anxious and upset now. How long has the dent been there for you? Let me know if you have any questions!

@megan91 thanks again

My shot was on May 15 around 7 week now.

How big was your dent?

I will check for saline injection. Actually my examination is on head and if something does wrong it will be big problem?

i will check with doctor

txs for your support

Hi @dsk76, I am so so sorry this is happening to you also! @Megan91 is so right tho that this place really does help in terms of support and suggestions.

Megan91 did you go back to the new derm for the the bigger more intense saline shot for round 2 yet? So glad your is improving so much!

I have to say that I did also have mine cave in end of April/May and it is improving as well. I def have a ways to go but it stabilized and has def been improving weekly. I have been taking a lot of collagen, Vitamin C, D and Calcium...Topically I am using Vitamin C, retin A and estrogen cream. I do red light therapy at home daily. And weekly I have been doing softwave at my derm. It helps to build and stimulate collagen non invasively. Tmrw I am going to flush it out with saline as it is supposed to help unbind the scar tissue that the atrophy from the cortisone has created and liquify and stuck cortisone crystals so they can flush themselves out. She might put a bit of diluted HA in to keep the saline and skin plump while it continues to heal. I bruise very easily so I am anxious but hopefully this will speed up the process and camouflage things until I all healed.

I def understand how upsetting this is...it has been a very difficult few months for me as well. The support here from Megan 91 has helped a lot!!

Wishing you all the best and offering hugs and tons of support!

@dsk76 Keep me posted how it goes with your derm! Wishing you all the best! My dent wasn't super wide but it felt deep. I would say it was less than the size of dime but just deeper more than anything and it's located on the side of my forehead. I've been lucky that I can wear a hat to cover it when I'm out and about. It is getting less deep though which is so exciting! It just takes a long time to heal. I feel like mine will take at least another month or two to fully go away. The saline shouldn't cause any issues! It's just putting saline in to flush out any leftover cortisone and your body will naturally absorb it. It shouldn't make it worse but should make it better in that it will flush it and help promote healing. It's worth googling saline injections for cortisone atrophy to see the articles written about it!

@dentedinny hi dentedinny! I did go back for the second intense saline injection last week! I feel that it was helpful but didn't make as much of a difference as I was hoping for right away. But I do think the injections help regardless and it's well on its way to going away! It feels like it is probably 60-70 percent filled in now. I'm starting to feel more comfortable going out without a hat to cover it up. Really hoping by next month it will be fully gone! I do have redness in the spot still, do you have that?

I'm so glad yours has stabilized and is improving!! So happy to hear it. Good luck at your appointment today! Let me know how the saline goes and if you end up getting some HA filler put in. I hope you have minimal bruising! I will say, I haven't experienced any, just a small red mark from the needle. So hopefully you won't have any!

@megan91, Hi!! So, I did bruise in the area she treated with saline but she did do a lot! I was very swollen but it has gone down almost all the way. I am certain that the indent is still there but hoping less so now but won't know until tmrw I guess when all of the swelling resolves. I am bummed I bruised but if it helps in the end to clear this out faster I am ok with that! I will laser the bruising over the week with V Beam. My derm will assess tmrw if we let it rest for a week or we do HA filler or softwave or nothing ...I am a bit red still as well. The area is getting smaller and width and length and def the depth but hard to tell as it does not fill in symmetrically so the shadows in certain light make it look deeper in certain spots if that makes any sense. I am so glad you are feeling better and you are improving!! I would do the saline weekly too if I did not bruise and it works for me..we shall see but I was afraid to let her aggressively approach today as I still bruised with going slow and easy. She did inject 3 times at different angles..

The pic on the left is from May 29th and the pic on the right was yesterday...the dent still felt pretty deep to me...I just want others to see that in 6 weeks it has improved and do not give up hope!! I really do understand the emotional upheaval and still have issues even as I am healing and going in the right direction. We are here for one another and that helps a lot! I do think now the bruise needs to heal and whatever is left of the dent ...but I am keeping my fingers crossed for a good result and possibly some filler to get me over the last of this...it feels like a life time already and waiting another month or so just depresses me so I try to keep the faith!!

When is your next saline injection ?

Best to all here ...xoxo

So, today I went back as the saline swelling had gone down. My derm did fan technique using Restalyne HA. I am really bruised but was already from the saline so she felt lets just prop it up while you are already bruised and get this moving. So, I did V beam for bruising and pigment and will do another round tmrw and Friday. After this I will let it heal on its own. She feels it is pretty much filled in and when the bruising and swelling subside the only one who will notice what is left will be me. And with it propped up it will be easier to conceal. She did filler around it to help keep it propped up while collagen is building underneath and the scar tissue is breaking up. The fan technique allowed for subcision of that depressed issue under the skin. So, she feels now we just let it heal and let it be. I will keep you all posted. Sending support and hugs to all who are suffering along with me.

Hi dentedinny,

you wrote it swell after saline injection? What does it mean. Normally it should not swell after it.

my doctor told to wait for one month the. They will review. As per doctor if you keep patience then any intervention can be avoided. Recovery with or without saline will have little difference as per doctor. However as I told that for one month my examination is happening hence any further problem hard to deal.

pl pray for me. I will update both of you.

Dsk76 after they inject saline it fills with the water so it swells for a short time and goes back down but allows the cortisone crystals to liquify and hopefully help pass quicker through the body.
Yes, in time with or without intervention the skin repairs itself and most people have full recovery.
I am 7 months post injection and 3 months into waiting on my face to heal and mentally needed to try and move things along. Im pretty bruised from saline and filler added this week but the hope is that it helps the healing process while camouflaging the dent in the mean time.
I wish you all the best! Keep us posted!

Dentedinny,

you got atrophy/indent after so long time. Since Dec you have problem noticed largely in May. Sound strange.
Are you sure it was Dec shot? Was it a single shot? How much concentration?

it scarred me as in my case threat is not over yet. Will it make more damage?

I did notice some subtle changes earlier on but had forgotten all about the shot and had a lot going on in my life that I think I just didnt notice it until it really just sunk in. She got me in the vein that runs down the cheek so it just traveled down. You dont have that issue and Im older so skin is more fragile and lacks collagen in my mid 50s.
My story is not the norm and that is why at this point I had a wonderful cosmetic Derm and plastic surgeon help push the needle and not wait any longer for natural healing process. But it does heal! Every doctor I went to assured me of that. You will be ok!!

Thanks for your motivation

I will update

Dear all

just wanted to update my atrophy recovered almost in very quick time without doing anything. Just taken good food. Everyone who is suffering have faith on god. It will recover for sure

Im so happy for you!! Wonderful news!!

Hi All! Similar to your experiences and @dsk76 I too got a cortisone shot to my forehead (upper left) on 5/15/24 and almost 4 weeks to the day, a long dent appeared running from the top of my forehead to the top of my left eyebrow. The area just caved in and created a long dent (running your finger along you can really feel the drop off.) Everyones feedback and shared experiences gives me hope that in 6-12 months it will get better and its the one thing that keeps me positive. I am wondering if anyone tried microneedling to help stimulate collagen production? Appreciate everyones support!

Hi shopgirl552,

it is really unfortunate to hear you also feel the same pain like mine.

Frankly speaking I choosen to stay without doing anything for few months in spite of various doctors advise.

it fortunately works for me and pray to god that you also will come back with good news soon.

you may ask for doctor advice but at least wait for some time before any major decision.
saline looks first option what I was thinking earlier and advised by many people.

best luck

hi everyone I had a small cyst (it wasnt even bad ) injected with triamcinolone on my lower cheek just over 4 weeks ago the dermatologist did not tell me the side effects Im am now left with a strange dent in my cheek. . In all my life having acne and some scarring have I ever seen any thing like this I am devastated I have cried everyday . The skin is white and a strange dent like a finger has been pushed in to my skin has appeared . Can anyone give me some hope . I wish I would have just left my face alone I have never had perfect skin but was ok with it now I hate my self .

Hi Wednesday 1980,

Pl dont get panic. It will be ok in next few week. Just ignore that for some time.
I know it is hard to ignore but believe me it will be 100 percent get back to original.
my condition was too bad and my dose was too high due to bad doctor but it gets recovered.

Best wishes

@wednesday1980 I totally understand and felt /feel the exact same way. I do think since you are early on that saline would speed up the healing process but even if you do nothing I have been reassured it does heal. I am 3 months out from the full collapse and it did fill in a lot and color returned to normal. I couldnt take it anymore though and did try saline and finally filler. At 2 weeks out I have a tiny red bump where a finger size hole was. Its not perfect but its a lot better. My Derm did suggest microneedling in a bit to help it further. This forum and the support here has helped immensely. We are here for you and completely understand. Sending huge hugs your way!!