So I'm 40, have sebaceous hyperplasia (benign growths of overactive oil gland on top and just under the surface of the skin) as if I wasn't cursed enough in life with severe teen acne and adult acne. Finally have the acne under control mostly. Anyway, I recently had some removed via radio frequency device that works on the epidermis only. It worked great for most of them, and I am about 2 weeks post procedure. Two larger ones left a dish like atrophic scar which may or may not still be healing. Basically I have a little round dish/ding/pock mark in two spots. One of these sebaceous hyperplasia areas had to be dealt with because it would crust over and then sometimes bleed and almost look like a pimple but it wasn't. It resembles a shallow almost perfectly round boxcar type scar. There is a boxcar scar right next to the area (not circled in pic) which was there before from acne long ago.
Question is on healing --- should I cover the divot with a bandage or let it open air heal? Should I apply neosporin ointment or something else? There is no blood or anything, its just pinkish and several of the other areas treated have already filled in with new skin although that skin looks different than the surrounding skin since it's still maturing and remodeling. I'm gonna ask the person who removed them but I would like to hear your guys/gals thoughts as well.
@acneguy40Hi and thanks for posting. Sebaceous hyperplasia is very common in anyone this age and older. Yes this is common to do electrosurgery on the hyerplasia. At 2 weeks they are still healing. This area takes a long time to heal. This should improve over time, you can dermatamp the area, use a retinoid nightly on your skin, and have the Dr do saline injections as needed. This is not a box car, it's atrophy. Also happens with steriod atrophy, takes 6 months to a year for them to heal, they also do saline injections.
The area looks healed at the top epidermis of the skin, ... you will heal more as the layers are replaces over the weeks and months, a retinoid will speed up this process. I would let it air heal. No neosporin, this is not a wound but atrophy under the skin. The skin looks diffrent because its in deep dermal healing phase of a wound.
Let it heal more before considering peels or dermastamping, retinoid now nightly. See how you do. Sunscreen!
Thanks for that great info! When you say retinoid, or you talking about something over-the-counter or would prescription Retin-Atretinoin 0.025% be too much this early? I have both in my arsenal. Instructions say I can resume skin care routine after the crusts have sloughed off, which all have days ago now.
@acneguy40Welcome! Several options. Differinis OTC, The ordinary makes a retinoid which is not as strong, then the big guys are prescription like retin-a and tretinorin. .25% tretinorin is fine. Just do it once to a few times a week, depending on irritation.
Great you can start then. Also consider soaps like salicylic wash which opens things up, but I don't want to irritate your skin, slow and steady healing, sensitive treatments to more progressive.