I really don't think these are scars. mine all have an underlying plug that is impossible to remove, theyre just so deep. siouxsie, yours dont look like scars.

 

Well, they don't feel like raised scars either! My chin has that cottage cheese look, but it feels rather smooth. The bumps do appear to be under the skin..... I suppose it is possible for scaring or calcification to form under the top layer(s) though.....?

 

 

The hypertrophic scarring is beneath the skin so your chin will naturally have the "cottage cheese" look while being smooth to the touch. I've seen many cases of this type of scarring. Scarring of this nature will NOT go away on its own. There is no "plug" somewhere in the underlying skin tissue causing the backing up of sebum. The 585 pulsed dye laser is unique because it breaks up the scar tissue while stimulating collagen so it'll end up evening your skin. Other lasers typically used for acne treatment remove the top layers of the skin but cannot penetrate deep enough to minimize the scar. If you are below the age of 21, you should focus on minimizing the chances of new scars forming and then seek 1 or more treatments depending on the severity. Don't waste your time on antibiotics and creams unless its an ACTIVE acne site. For an active acne site, I've issued benzaclin coupled with a neem soap face wash 3 times a day. This regimen coupled with massaging the scarring daily seems to make the scarring less noticeable over time while eliminating the chances of new scarring. When you reach the age in which acne is no longer an issue I would highly recommend the 5-10 minute pulsed dye treatment which may be coupled with silicon gel sheets and steroid injections depending on what your doctor recommends. Since the size of the individual scars is small, you are more than likely to see significant improvement. Good luck!

 

Thanks again for your input! It's good to have some info on what this is & what can treat it.

As for me personally, I am 27 and still have acne, and if my family history is any indication, then I could be struggling with it well into my 50s. However, my acne is controllable with the right regimen, so I am interested in clearing these bumps up ASAP. Right now I'm broke & without health insurance, but I'll look into the laser someday, hopefully sooner than later. It's just comforting to know there is a solution out there....

edit: Oh yeah, and it's really lame how sooo many derms (I've been to 3+ now) just continue to toss retin-a at those of us with this kind of scarring....

Oh yeah, and it's really lame how sooo many derms (I've been to 3+ now) just continue to toss retin-a at those of us with this kind of scarring....

I flat-out asked the receptionist of my new dermatologist whether or not the doc would be willing to prescribe Accutane. My last dermatologist gave me the run-around, in spite of the fact that I've had persistent acne for 20 years that is resistant to antibiotics, Retin-a, benzoyl peroxide, etc.... "Your acne isn't bad enough for Accutane." Um, ok, then prescribe something to me that WORKS and I'll buy that line. She just didn't want to hassle with the iPledge program.

Are you a dermatologist? I really appreciate the insight, but can you be sure this problem is scarring? I can see a plug when I stretch the skin. I've looked closely at my skin, and it really does look kind of like a callus build up of some sort. Each spot has a hair follicle with white hair growing out. Also, they appear to be less or more severe at different times. This wouldn't be the case with scarring. Are you positive??

 

Thanks a lot!

No problem. Can you please post some pictures? Everything you're telling me is consistent with hypertrophic scarring. It usually appears more severe after shaving, during a breakout, humidity, etc. The scars are likely to become less noticeable over time but they will not go away completely. I know this whole scarring business might be a little much but with PROPER treatment you will see good results. I wish you the best of luck!

I really don't think these are scars. mine all have an underlying plug that is impossible to remove, theyre just so deep. siouxsie, yours dont look like scars.

 

Well, they don't feel like raised scars either! My chin has that cottage cheese look, but it feels rather smooth. The bumps do appear to be under the skin..... I suppose it is possible for scaring or calcification to form under the top layer(s) though.....?

 

 

The hypertrophic scarring is beneath the skin so your chin will naturally have the "cottage cheese" look while being smooth to the touch. I've seen many cases of this type of scarring. Scarring of this nature will NOT go away on its own. There is no "plug" somewhere in the underlying skin tissue causing the backing up of sebum. The 585 pulsed dye laser is unique because it breaks up the scar tissue while stimulating collagen so it'll end up evening your skin. Other lasers typically used for acne treatment remove the top layers of the skin but cannot penetrate deep enough to minimize the scar. If you are below the age of 21, you should focus on minimizing the chances of new scars forming and then seek 1 or more treatments depending on the severity. Don't waste your time on antibiotics and creams unless its an ACTIVE acne site. For an active acne site, I've issued benzaclin coupled with a neem soap face wash 3 times a day. This regimen coupled with massaging the scarring daily seems to make the scarring less noticeable over time while eliminating the chances of new scarring. When you reach the age in which acne is no longer an issue I would highly recommend the 5-10 minute pulsed dye treatment which may be coupled with silicon gel sheets and steroid injections depending on what your doctor recommends. Since the size of the individual scars is small, you are more than likely to see significant improvement. Good luck!

 

 

Thanks again for your input! It's good to have some info on what this is & what can treat it.

 

As for me personally, I am 27 and still have acne, and if my family history is any indication, then I could be struggling with it well into my 50s. However, my acne is controllable with the right regimen, so I am interested in clearing these bumps up ASAP. Right now I'm broke & without health insurance, but I'll look into the laser someday, hopefully sooner than later. It's just comforting to know there is a solution out there....

 

edit: Oh yeah, and it's really lame how sooo many derms (I've been to 3+ now) just continue to toss retin-a at those of us with this kind of scarring....

 

No problem! Ah yes, the whole Retin-a routine...Keep using it if it limits new pimples from springing up. If I were you, I'd start saving up and go straight to a doctor that specializes in laser acne treatment. Wish you the very best of luck!

*btw do you have any pictures of the bumps?

No problem! Ah yes, the whole Retin-a routine...Keep using it if it limits new pimples from springing up. If I were you, I'd start saving up and go straight to a doctor that specializes in laser acne treatment. Wish you the very best of luck!

 

*btw do you have any pictures of the bumps?

 

-Dr. Gupta

Sure, I actually posted photos awhile back in this very thread right here . I currently don't have active acne on my chin, but the skin colored bumps (the cottage cheese / orange peel look) is exactly the same as it was then.

It's hard for me to get a good photo of it due to light & shadows, but my nose has obvious raised scarring on one side also, which I have always acknowledged as a form of scarring. I see now how it's just a worse version of what is going on with my chin....

No problem! Ah yes, the whole Retin-a routine...Keep using it if it limits new pimples from springing up. If I were you, I'd start saving up and go straight to a doctor that specializes in laser acne treatment. Wish you the very best of luck!

 

*btw do you have any pictures of the bumps?

 

-

 

Sure, I actually posted photos awhile back in this very thread right here . I currently don't have active acne on my chin, but the skin colored bumps (the cottage cheese / orange peel look) is exactly the same as it was then.

 

It's hard for me to get a good photo of it due to light & shadows, but my nose has obvious raised scarring on one side also, which I have always acknowledged as a form of scarring. I see now how it's just a worse version of what is going on with my chin....

 

Judging by the photos, deep laser resurfacing (Co2) and/or the 585 should do the trick. The cluster appears to be confined to the bottom of the lip and upper chin. Moreover, you have a light skin tone so the chance of hyperpigmentation is minimal if you decide to one day go ahead with the treatment. Multiple sessions maybe needed but I think you would benefit immensely. Nose scarring can be taken care of as well. Take care!

nikatnite are you an MD? If so, would you mind taking a look at my photos (post #88) and tell me what you think would help stop my pores from clogging in my chin area and help the tremendous pores I call crators in my cheeks and chin? I also have rosacea and have a ton of little broken capps on my nose. Some are more like red dots and others are clusters of red patches. I was told to look into Diolite laser but Im so unsure which is gentlier IPL or VBeam for these kind of red spots...thanks

I get this, too. Have it now. It has come and gone over the years. Whenever I have it, I always know it is because I am not taking care of myself. Each time, I change me habits. SOmetimes too much sugar, sometimes too much alcohol. Same thing? Anyway, for me it seems to be diet related.

I am wondering if some of the people posting about these mysterious chin bumps have sebaceous hyperplasia (enlarged oil glands)? Although they seem to usually occur in older people and on the forehead/cheek areas, I think they can crop up anywhere there are lots of oil glands (as there are in the chin area) and do sometimes occur in younger people. They also don't go away on their own - accutane helps while you are on it, but it almost always comes back after you stop tane. Topical retinoids may help a little, but doesn't usually completely get rid of the problem. Lasers seem to be one good treatment option, and a few other treatments that help to destroy the underlying oil gland.

I developed a crop of small, white bumps that seem similar to what others have here. They are on my chin, in a small circle just below the dip in the chin area. They don't get inflamed, they aren't red, and my esthetician says they don't look like acne and they don't extract. I know they aren't scars, because I've had little to no acne in the center of my chin, just the occasional clogged pores. And they all cropped up at the same time, within a matter of a couple of weeks. I had no acne there beforehand and haven't had any inflamed acne anywhere in quite awhile. These bumps been there for about 3 months now and haven't budged. The area just looks rough and bumpy. If you look close you can see several tiny bumps that look like closed comedones and a couple of slightly larger bumps. They mostly form a perfect circle on my chin - one larger spot in the center and some tiny ones around the outside. Its very weird. They aren't too noticeable unless you are pretty close up, but they are really starting to bug me!! Topicals have done nothing for them, although I notice they look better when my skin is drier.

I went to a new derm at Kaiser and she suggested they might be enlarged oil glands (sebaceous hyperplasia). She said there is a slight possibility that it is perioral dermatitis, but it doesn't seem that likely to me. I've had that once before and it looked very different than this. She decided to put me on a 6 wk course of low dose doxycyline to rule out the possibility of PD. When I took it for PD before, the problem cleared up in a few weeks. If no improvement in 6 wks, then I am supposed to let her know so we can try something else. I may go to my other private practice derm for a 2nd opinion. I have a feeling that Kaiser will not offer lasers and some of the other treatment options I have read about. It sounded like the next step would be a topical retinoid, which I don't really want to do.

Well, what you're describing is just like what I have had for over 2 years. I thought they might be seb hyperplasia as well, but took accutane and they didn't budge. At this point, Im ready to give up. Let us know what you find out.

Well, what you're describing is just like what I have had for over 2 years. I thought they might be seb hyperplasia as well, but took accutane and they didn't budge. At this point, Im ready to give up. Let us know what you find out.

Did they shrink at all when you were on accutane? From what I've read and from what my derm said, the oil glands can shrink while you are on tane, but then will come back (often very quickly) after you stop taking it.

I have an appt with a private practice derm next Wednesday. I'll let you know what he says. Hoping lasers or something like that will work!!!

I have the same bumps on my chin. I first noticed them when my face was clearing up due to the antibiotic I was taking.I took Solodyn 90mg for over year and a half. I don't blame it the antibiotic, I believe I had them before that too. My first dermatologist said it was scarring ( and i think so too) and not much could be done. My current derm said "these on the chin will take the longest to heal" I am on Accutane and I don't think it will heal them.

P.S. Please guys keep sharing what your doctors told you about these bumps. Thanks!

I CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS. And yes, it's a type of scarring -

You have calcification under the skin -Dystrophic calcification - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaDystrophic Calcification (D.C.) is the calcification occurring in degenerated or necrotic tissue, as in hyalinized scars, degenerated foci in leiomyomas.

I have had these for over 2 years and after treatment of nearly every kind, I decided to get a biopsy with one of the best Acne Derms there is in London - and this is the diagnosis.

It is caused by trauma to the skin - damage to the tissue where you had acne and can be caused by literally an acne spot, scar or squeezing etc. IT WILL NOT BE CLEARED WITH ACCUTANE

I have had acne all my life, well since I was 14 or so. I was fine then it came back around 26/27 and I went on roaccutane - my inflamed spots were cured but i was left with this hard pebble like surface in chin area, which is where my spots were bad ( i was also a picker) However, what caused mine is whilst back on roaccutane for a 2nd round, I actually plucked hair from the area - causing the formation of these calcium lumps. They are hard, They NEVER EVER come out, They do not respond to anything topical and DID NOT respond to hyfreaction / electic caultry. So, I had a biopsy and this is what my diagnosis is. Calcification. It's unusual and hard to treat. However, the thing likely to really help is CO2 fractional laser - something you cannot do if you have inflammed skin. I have booked appointment for 2 weeks time.

The most important thing I can suggest - GET A BIOPSY. My derm took a small bump under my chin so it didnt look too bad - without the biospy you are treating in the dark. And forget all the creams lotions etc - just get it diagnosed then treat it. GOODLUCK X

I CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS. And yes, it's a type of scarring -

You have calcification under the skin -Dystrophic calcification - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaDystrophic Calcification (D.C.) is the calcification occurring in degenerated or necrotic tissue, as in hyalinized scars, degenerated foci in leiomyomas.

 

I have had these for over 2 years and after treatment of nearly every kind, I decided to get a biopsy with one of the best Acne Derms there is in London - and this is the diagnosis.

 

It is caused by trauma to the skin - damage to the tissue where you had acne and can be caused by literally an acne spot, scar or squeezing etc. IT WILL NOT BE CLEARED WITH ACCUTANE

 

I have had acne all my life, well since I was 14 or so. I was fine then it came back around 26/27 and I went on roaccutane - my inflamed spots were cured but i was left with this hard pebble like surface in chin area, which is where my spots were bad ( i was also a picker) However, what caused mine is whilst back on roaccutane for a 2nd round, I actually plucked hair from the area - causing the formation of these calcium lumps. They are hard, They NEVER EVER come out, They do not respond to anything topical and DID NOT respond to hyfreaction / electic caultry. So, I had a biopsy and this is what my diagnosis is. Calcification. It's unusual and hard to treat. However, the thing likely to really help is CO2 fractional laser - something you cannot do if you have inflammed skin. I have booked appointment for 2 weeks time.

 

The most important thing I can suggest - GET A BIOPSY. My derm took a small bump under my chin so it didnt look too bad - without the biospy you are treating in the dark. And forget all the creams lotions etc - just get it diagnosed then treat it. GOODLUCK X

I don't know about other people, but mine isn't scarring. I've never had acne in the area that i have these bumps. I went from having smooth skin there, to having a cluster of soft bumps in about 2 weeks time, they came on suddenly, in an area that was free of acne. They also seem to shrink and grow depending on the time of the month (seem to change based on my menstrual cycle). Fairly certain mine are related to oil glands. I know what calcification looks like, and this is definitely not that.

Okay, back from the new derm. He said the bumps are definitely not perioral dermatitis, and that I can stop taking the doxy that my Kaiser derm prescribed. He says they are benign little skin growths (keratoses), and maybe a couple of enlarged oil glands. Says they are internally caused and probably genetic, so topicals don't do anything for them and skin care products won't cause them or make them worse.

He treats them with an electronic zapping tool (not the technical term, I know! I just can't think of it atm...). He did two test spots on my chin and says to wait and see how they heal and if I like the results. If all is good, I'll go back in a couple of weeks and get the rest done. They just scab over a little while healing. You can't really even see the spots I just had done - don't know if they'll look worse later or not.

He also said that I have strong chin muscles, which may be what is pushing out the little oil glands in the center of my chin. How weird is that? I wonder if its from all the moving and stretching of this area that I've done to check for new spots, etc.? I gotta stop examining my skin so much, I guess!

So, I'll keep you posted on how it goes. Maybe this is what others have here too?

Just a quick update - definitely have some scabbing, redness and slight inflammation where I had the electrocautery done. It pretty much looks like a slightly inflamed under the skin pimple. Not awful, but it is more visible than it was earlier today. Makes me think that I might want to hide out for a few days if I get this done in a bunch of spots at once. Very tempting to pick off the scabbing, but I'm going to do my best to keep my hands off!!!

i would love to see pics willow to see if this is what i have been battling for two straight years..

im desperate to find out what it is. my derm said nothing about keritosis so i'm just not sure anymore. BTW, how are they today?

i would love to see pics willow to see if this is what i have been battling for two straight years..

im desperate to find out what it is. my derm said nothing about keritosis so i'm just not sure anymore. BTW, how are they today?

My digital camera is on the fritz atm, and these are hard to capture well in a photo anyway. Have you posted pics of yours? I can take a look and let you know if its similar to what I've got. I don't know if all derms really take the time to examine closely enough for an accurate diagnosis, or maybe some are just better at differential diagnosis of skin problems. Maybe get another opinion from another derm? Or ask your doctor if electrocautery might help? I don't think all doctors do it though, I'm pretty sure my Kaiser derm doesn't.

The bumps that were zapped were definitely more noticeable by last night and more so this morning. The spots are a little red, flaky/scabby, and were a little swollen this morning. I'm trying really hard not to peel off the dead skin! It just keeps flaking off, so my makep doesn't stay on too well. If I get a bunch done at once next time, I'm definitely gonna have to hide out for a few days. They aren't sore or anything though.

i would love to see pics willow to see if this is what i have been battling for two straight years..

im desperate to find out what it is. my derm said nothing about keritosis so i'm just not sure anymore. BTW, how are they today?

I actually just skimmed through some of your posts and what you describe sounds different from what I have. The bumps I have don't have a clog or core of sebum in them - they can't be extracted at all. It sounds like yours can be, but that they just fill up again? That sounds like something different from what I am dealing with.

I hope that procedure works out for you, Willow! I'll keep my fingers crossed. If it works I definitely want to try that, too. Accutane, Retin-A, and 12% AHA obviously haven't helped these chin bumps even remotely.

I hope that procedure works out for you, Willow! I'll keep my fingers crossed. If it works I definitely want to try that, too. Accutane, Retin-A, and 12% AHA obviously haven't helped these chin bumps even remotely.

The derm is in San Francisco, so if this works, I'm happy to give you his name if you want to see him.

I found a picture of pretty much exactly what I have. I know I have many closed comedones but I just wanted to make sure I didnt have any milia. Please check out these pictures, they are excellent sources to figure out what you have. My chin looks exactly like pictures 32 and 38. my cheeks look similar but with larger "bumps." Anyone else have a chin that looks like mine and find something that works well for them? Take a look at these pics!!!

Please let me know if you have a chin/ face that looks like this and if you have found something that works!

http://www.dermnet.com/Acne-Closed-Comedo

Also, some of these same pics are listed as milia on dermnet as well.... my chin looks like this pic? do i have any milia?

http://www.dermnet.com/Milia/picture/4409

Milia

The spots are healing up nicely so far. They are definitely less noticeable today than yesterday. They peeled on and off most of the day yesterday, but its just light white scabbing/flaking, it just sort of brushes off periodically. Still slightly scabby today, but not as red or swollen. I'll have to see how they continue to heal up over the next couple of weeks to make sure there's no leftover mark or scarring, but so far I am happy with the procedure.

Willow ours do seem different. Mine are like enflamed oil glands that look worse on certain days. Its like they are always there but some days they seem more raised than others and thats when I want to exprress whats in them. ive been to every derm in my county and have moved on to someone else that I like very much. She says its part of my rosacea but I dont see how since rosacea doesnt have the clogged pore componet too much. Ive tried Mandelic, Finacea, Klaron, differin, Ziana Gel, BHA's, AHA's, exfoliating more, exfoliating less, jojoba oil, Epiduo and nothing seems to work to decrease them or prevent them from coming back. I have one under my lip that is microscopic and I got the little seed or core out twice and its back a third time today. Im going to try not extracting it and apply a sal. acid 2% to see if it will soften it and make it go away. I had Smoothbeam laser last Wednesday to help with this and like it the first couple of days. Today they seem more noticeable so Im not sure what that means. The laser is suppose to help shirink pores (which I have all over) and alter your sebaceous glands. It might take a cople of sessions but Im desperate. It didnt hurt much but they applied a numbing cream before and I was hardly even red after...I have posted pics in the past, were you able to find them of me? Your right about trying to get a good view of your chin on camera as mine are mostly only visible to me when I flex my chin as they dont really stick out much...Let me know if you would like me to post them again

Steiner, I looked at these pics and my chin looks exactly like the two pics you mentioned!!!

Can you extract anything from these? I can but dont always get whats inside and even if I do they seem to come back..Mine are clustered like this in the crease and in that areas as well. I also have a problem with them in the corners of my mouth that are very tiny and dont stick out at all like the ones in my crease...Are they milia or clogged pores? I have tried exfoliating every day either with a gentle wash cloth or a topical like mandelc and it doesnt help. They say if its mila then extraction is the only way but I can get them out but they still come back with days.

Im exhausted over this and need an answer!!!