Did your dent ever go away? I have one too, its been3 weeks so far, and I am going to do saline injections. I am 38 so I am not sure if my skin will heal that fast.

Please give me any information that might help me, this is very distressing.

I also have hyperpigmentation on the dent.

pm me if you like.

Juicygirl, now that it's been a few years, did the dent eventually fill in? I saw that you were very distressed about it in many posts, but that you haven't mentioned it recently. Hopefully it's cleared up and is a distant memory! I have one now and am just wondering what I should expect.

Hi Juicy Girl,

I had saline injections for a dent on my face from a huge pustule and I have had almost 100% improvement on the indentation. It's still there but almost completely filled in - I can still see it in certain light but barely. I had only 2 injections and I had the first injection only days after I noticed my skin was denting. So - the dent was not from cortisone, just from how my skin healed. But - I am posting this because I would encourage you to try it. I had Restylane as well to fill in another dent and it's still a nightmare. I wish I had tried the saline first.

lena2 where did you get the saline injections done? I would like to get them done but I'm on the East Coast, only West Coast doctors seem to do them

Yes, I second that! Where did you have the saline injections done at? I've heard of people on here doing it themselves too..............

I'll try to keep this short and sweet as I have a way of rambling sometimes....but this IS a SUCCESS story, so if you are looking for hope please keep reading!

I'm 30-something, had mild acne with occassional serious deep pimples (cystic) for years. I started seeing a derm a few years ago who would inject the larger breakouts with cortisone injections (kenalog). It worked well for years, until last year when I did a double treatment on one specific area. Within a few days the cyst went down, but the skin around the area began to SINK! I panicked and searched all over the internet for WTF this was, and how I could fix it. I learned that too much cortisone can break down the collagen and cause either a temporary or possibly PERMANENT atrophe (or indent). Ahhh!!! I talked to my derm to told me the only thing he could suggest was cosmetic fillers, which are expensive and need to be done routinely to keep up the effect. I couldn't afford it and was devastated...until I came across a post somewhere, can't even remember where, a girl in the exact same situation discovered this link online. It's to a medical study that shows the use of inexpensive, completely harmless SALINE injections can improve the look of these dents. So I sent my derm the link and begged him to try it. He saw no harm in it, and actually didn't even charge me. Although the article recommended 5ccs of saline, I was chicken and told him to start with 2.5ccs (he said 5cc would cause ALOT of swelling, although it would be completely temporary). So we did 2.5ccs and YES, it did swell to the size of a round dime, and then completely went down within 2 hours. We did it once every 10 days, 4 times in total and the results even impressed him. It is now 9 months later and I just started noticing a slight indent starting again. I just went back for another 2.5ccs and I expect the same results as before. Check out my pictures, it really works. Send your doctor this link today, it could be your solution!! Good luck!!

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1524-4725.2005.31216/abstract

Some dents from cortisone are permanent.

Is there a way to tell if the dent is actually filling up or if it's going to be permanent? After I had a large cyst on my cheek injected 2 weeks ago it started to rapidly deflate and I was left with a dent. Now I feel like the center of it is starting to become a defined point which leads me to think that it's permanent!

I have small acne scars but I've never had a large scar like this before and I'm freaking out. I don't want to rush to do something to it but I also can't stand looking at it! Has anyone ever experienced this and actually had it fill up eventually? Or am I screwed... :'(

I am going through the same thing now too. I had a dent happen once, and I said I won't do it again. It filled in that time eventually. But then I thought maybe that was just a one-time thing, had a pimple injected 2 weeks ago, and now the skin is starting to sink in I am scared it's just going to get worse and worse. It's on my lower cheek. I'm pregnant, so I can't do injections but I would just have to give it time anyway and hope it fills in after a couple months. It's just so depressing. Do you know how many times the derm has said 'oh we can do a cortisone injection' and I said 'no because I'm afraid of a dent'. WHY would they think getting rid of a pimple fast is worth the stupid dent? UGH. What's worse is that I always felt like I seemed like a parnaoid freak when I said I was afraid of a dent and always refusing it and pushing for an extraction. I was right though, i know myself best. I'm just mortified. If it stays the way it looks now without getting worse, it is not too bad. But I know it's capable of sinking more with time, so that's what I'm terrified of. This was not worth a quick fix.

Hi ladies - just wondering if the cystic "dents" ever cleared up? I just got my first shot today and I'm so nervous my skin is going to get a huge dentation now. My derm used kenalog, but swears low dosage. Were your dents caused by 1 low dose too? Hope you're all doing well!!

A dent is only caused by your dermatologist who did not use the correct solution. If they use 5ml/cc (which is the highest dose) -- that can risk indention's. If they use a mixture of saline and cortisone at 3.75ml/cc you should be ok (thats what I get and I have never had an indention). If you have anyone to blame ladies, its your dermatologist -- not yourself. There are ways to fix indention's (not sure if there is an actual procedure name, but I know cosmetic surgeons can remove a small amount of body fat from somewhere else and inject it into the dent to fill it out). That being worst case scenario.

Just wanted to update you all, sorry it's been awhile. I ended up having saline injections into the dent. It seemed to help because a couple days after the saline injection I started to notice that the dent was filling in. It filled it completely over the next month or so except for a small surface scar that was left behind. (The scar seems to be from the pimple itself opposed to the fat loss caused by the cortisone.) So overall I would say it started filling in about a month after I had the cortisone injection and was basically filled in all the way (except for the surface scar which will probably never go away) about two/two and a half months after I had the cortisone shot. I'm so relieved that the dent is gone and I hope the same thing happened with you ladies. My derm told me that if it doesn't fill in completely or if it leaves a small surface scar you can do fillers... ugh.

This whole process has been so traumatizing and I'm sorry that it happened to all of us!

sadpotatoes,

How are things now...Is the dent completely gone or have you noticed any caving in again as noted by another post?

How many saline injections have you had?

I had a cortisone injection June 28, dent about a week later, and 1 saline shot on July 31. NO improvement. This dent is big...up close is looks like a dent the size of a pencil eraser but from a little distance it actually is about an inch long!!!! Hideous! I really think mine may be permanent...I cant even picture how this thing would fill in and heal?

Just wanted to update you all, sorry it's been awhile. I ended up having saline injections into the dent. It seemed to help because a couple days after the saline injection I started to notice that the dent was filling in. It filled it completely over the next month or so except for a small surface scar that was left behind. (The scar seems to be from the pimple itself opposed to the fat loss caused by the cortisone.) So overall I would say it started filling in about a month after I had the cortisone injection and was basically filled in all the way (except for the surface scar which will probably never go away) about two/two and a half months after I had the cortisone shot. I'm so relieved that the dent is gone and I hope the same thing happened with you ladies. My derm told me that if it doesn't fill in completely or if it leaves a small surface scar you can do fillers... ugh.

This whole process has been so traumatizing and I'm sorry that it happened to all of us!

Hey 2worriedmom,

The dent is completely gone except for the small surface scar. (Like a very shallow acne scar pit - fat filled back in, skin had a scar) It never caved back in or regressed as some others have experienced. I have had 3-4 saline injections total.

Unfortunately, as others have mentioned there is no guarantee that it will fill in... However, this only happened a month ago and for many people, myself included, the dent starts to fill back in between 1-3 months, sometimes longer. In my case, I started to notice that it was improving all of a sudden. For that first month I saw no improvement whatsoever. I stared at it constantly everyday and felt that it was never going to change and fill in, it was so depressing. But all of a sudden one day I woke up and I could tell it was a bit better. I would give it some time... if it's fat loss from the cortisone shot it has a good chance of filling back in. Just try to keep in mind that fat regenerates at a different rate than skin... it's odd.

In the meantime there are two things that I found helpful that you can try. Massage and covering it up. IF it never fills back in you can get a filler, but technically you're supposed to wait up to a year or so to see if it fills back in naturally! Try massaging the area to stimulate blood flow, the dr said that can help speed up the process. (Which is still painstakingly slow) To cover up it up while it's healing I found a silicone filler "make up." The one that I used was called dermaflage. It's pretty expensive and I don't use it anymore now that the dent has filled in, but it definitely helped me get through those few months because it was the only thing I found that could actually fill in a dent and look pretty decent. (After a lot of practice I have to admit...) I have heard that there are other similar products out there that are less expensive but this was the first one I found and the only one I ever tried so I can't speak to the others.

I hope that helps... I'm so sorry that this happened to you! As hard as it is try to hang in there and give it some more time, I think there is a good chance it will get better.

 

sadpotatoes,

How are things now...Is the dent completely gone or have you noticed any caving in again as noted by another post?

How many saline injections have you had?

I had a cortisone injection June 28, dent about a week later, and 1 saline shot on July 31. NO improvement. This dent is big...up close is looks like a dent the size of a pencil eraser but from a little distance it actually is about an inch long!!!! Hideous! I really think mine may be permanent...I cant even picture how this thing would fill in and heal?

Just wanted to update you all, sorry it's been awhile. I ended up having saline injections into the dent. It seemed to help because a couple days after the saline injection I started to notice that the dent was filling in. It filled it completely over the next month or so except for a small surface scar that was left behind. (The scar seems to be from the pimple itself opposed to the fat loss caused by the cortisone.) So overall I would say it started filling in about a month after I had the cortisone injection and was basically filled in all the way (except for the surface scar which will probably never go away) about two/two and a half months after I had the cortisone shot. I'm so relieved that the dent is gone and I hope the same thing happened with you ladies. My derm told me that if it doesn't fill in completely or if it leaves a small surface scar you can do fillers... ugh.

This whole process has been so traumatizing and I'm sorry that it happened to all of us!

Thank you for the response and good advice sadpotatoes. I am very encouraged to hear that it worked out for you. I hope I can say that in a few months too.

I almost ordered the dermaflage the other day! I probably should just so I can feel a little more unashamed to leave the house. I can't explain what a freak I feel like! I have never seen anyone with a weird dent like this before.

I am going to continue with saline injections. It sounds like anyone who has tried them would at least recommend them even though they arent always a miracle cure.

UGH..lesson learned I guess. I will hope for the best.

Thank you again for your encouragement, advice and time. All the best!

Hello,

I was reading a few entries and I am in the same situation. I went to the dermatologist this past June 20th for my allergies and the doc insisted on me getting a cortisone shot. The nurse who administered the shot to me did not explain the symptoms/ side effects or what the cortisone name was even called. The injection was so painful that I just thought it was normal since it was done in my right cheek on my buttocks. A week later I realized it was still super sore and that it looked bruise and discolored around the injection site. I kept an eye on it and realized that the skin was "sinking". It has been 6 months since my injection and there is a huge indentation on my right butt cheek. The site is STILL sore and it literally feels like the muscles above the site are constantly contracted. I've tried doing manual therapy to it but nothing helps. I've worked out my glute muscles to see if it would help gain the muscle back and make them stronger, but still nothing. I finally gave the clinic a call. The nurse had no idea what the name of the cortisone shot she gave me was called. She had to call back and ask the doctor and she said "The indentation is normal and that its ok to have it"...she also said it would fill in after 6 months and i told her it has been 6 months already. I also complained because she never told me the side effects...all she said was "Oh I didn't? I'm sorry".

Does anyone know what I can do to get this taken care of? I'm so embarrassed by this indentation.

I want to contact the medical board of TN, but not sure what steps to take. The nurse acts so stupid like she really has no idea what shes doing.

It's been a few years, I just was curious if anyone was still posting on this topic. I still see the derm occasionally for cortisone shots, but only when they are REALLY bad cysts that won't go away on their own after 2 weeks. YES, I am almost 40 and still getting these stupid things! Just an update...I got 3 rounds of saline and within a few months my dent totally disappeared and has stayed 90% gone for all these years. I do see a SLIGHT lowering in that area of my skin, but I'm probably the only one who notices. ANYONE freaking out -- please try the saline injections and don't stress yourself out!