Hi all, I am desperate for information on how to treat this scar. It was not caused by acne, but I'm still hoping I can get some support around this since its been a personal nightmare. About 6 months ago I had a vein removal procedure called VeinGogh that scarred my face - it is a treatment where they insert a needle into the skin and "shock" the vein.
It left these two little pit mark scars next to my mouth, which in certain lighting give the look of a "smile line" that I don't actually have. Essentially, when a shadow hits the scar, it looks like an indentation. It infuriates me because I feel that it makes me look older, when it's really just the result of a scar. I am worried about making it worse...especially since it was a cosmetic procedure in the first place that caused this.
One of the pit marks is deeper than the other, and I worry that over time from smiling/moving my mouth, it will increase the natural smile line that will occur.
What can I do? It is in such a fleshy area that I worry it will make the problem worse if I am too aggressive.
*First pic is in bright sunlight, second pic is when a shadow hits in the scar, and after waking up...the skin "creased" because of sleeping on the skin. This is what im afraid it'll start to look like over time*
Edit: I'm aware that to others this looks like nothing. But it makes a difference to ME and bothers ME. Please help advise me if you can, and if you want to judge me for my mental health, that is unkind and unnecessary.
10 minutes ago, F1racer said:Nothing. It is not noticeable. It looks like a small smile line. Most people have a small line there regardless of their age. You have very lovely skin. Any further treatments could cause you many further problems. Try some silicone makeup to blur if it gets you down.
Hi, yes, it looks like a smile line which I don't actually have 
I'm 25. I don't have smile lines. And as I said, I worry that as I age it will speed up the natural formation of my smile lines. Thats why I want to treat it now to prevent it from doing anything further. I know it looks small, and it is, but when I see myself in the mirror it makes a difference because it was never there before. It really bothers me...is there really nothing you can think of to help it?
At 25 most of your friends alreadyhave smile lines or tiny crows feet. Ive had a line there from my early 20s.It wont speed up the natural aging process. My smile lines still look the same now many years later, not noticeable or deep at all.In 2 years time you wont even remember that it exists. You could try tretinoinif you must but the best thing is to stop taking up close selfies. Youre literally magnifying something up to twice its size. No one else sees it the same way. You will drive yourself mad with this. Now please take the compliment that you have very lovely skin and dont be sad. This forum is full of tales of people who had the most tiny ofimperfections and only made them worse with procedures.
48 minutes ago, Sirius Lee said:It's very simple. Treat yourself to a dermal filler every 6-12 months.
Is that the only thing you think could make it better?
Edit: And I'm assuming you mean for the rest of my life? Or could that be something that would improve it over the long run? A doctor recommended I try saline injections...but I don't personally see how that could help. What do you think?
1 hour ago, GeorgiaG455 said:
Edit: And I'm assuming you mean for the rest of my life? Or could that be something that would improve it over the long run? A doctor recommended I try saline injections...but I don't personally see how that could help. What do you think?
It should help over time. Fillers, like Juvederm, which is a cross-linked hyaluronic acid, will stimulate fibroblast to produce type I collagen. (Uhm, does that make any sense? Or give you more reassurance? Hope so.)
Sigh. This is the nicest skin Ive ever seen. Please don't be worried about it. Also, you claim you want your mental health to be valued but imagine how the hundreds of people with severe acne scars (like me) feel when scrolling through a space designed for them, looking at a case like yours? Honestly, it makes us feel like crap. I'm not saying your concerns aren't valid.I just believe there are better forums for you. Subreddits like skincareaddiction have mild/surgical pitted scars cases like yours that might be able to help you too. We, on the other hand, have no other safe onlineplace than this.
5 hours ago, De Rerum Natura said:thats BDD
u dont have any scars, im not even saying that in the "they are not even noticeable" way
u literally dont have any scars, dont worry and just leave your skin alone and your redness will improve on its own
Um lol? I know my own body and I know that I was scarred, with direct confirmation from multiple doctors. The LINE on my cheek IS the scar.
13 hours ago, boxthatboxcar said:Sigh. This is the nicest skin Ive ever seen. Please don't be worried about it. Also, you claim you want your mental health to be valued but imagine how the hundreds of people with severe acne scars (like me) feel when scrolling through a space designed for them, looking at a case like yours? Honestly, it makes us feel like crap. I'm not saying your concerns aren't valid.I just believe there are better forums for you. Subreddits like skincareaddiction have mild/surgical pitted scars cases like yours that might be able to help you too. We, on the other hand, have no other safe onlineplace than this.
I don't mean to make anyone feel bad. I posted on skincareaddiction and did not get many responses, I need people who really know what they are talking about. Subjectively you might think this is nothing. But when I knew how I looked before this, then made a choice to get a procedure i thought would make me look BETTER but it made me look worse, it was devastating. I know that people on here are dealing with severe scarring, and I have had the good fortune to not have to deal with that. I'm still human with my own problems, and I was just hoping for some help with this which has been a personal concern of mine.
If you think this is small that its not a big deal, then surely theres SOMETHING that can help it? Thats what I'd like to know.
With current methods a scar can not be removed. Most current scar treatment, havesomething nowhere near as good as your skin as the endpoint. We don't mean to be harsh, it is just the truth.Tretinoin can improve skin texture and boost collagen a little if you feel youneedit. It is very safe and it helps to stave off wrinkles.
I would maybe consider the potential ofBDD rather than just dismissing it. It doesn't always mean that you have imagined things but it also encompasses those that see things as far far far worse than they are. Seeking help for that may be more useful to you than seeking an answer to your skin currently.
17 hours ago, Sirius Lee said:It should help over time. Fillers, like Juvederm, which isa cross-linked hyaluronic acid, will stimulatefibroblastto produce type I collagen. (Uhm, does that make any sense? Or give you more reassurance? Hope so.)
Saline injections could help over time? I thought they were unnecessary since the water just gets reabsorbed.
10 minutes ago, F1racer said:With current methods a scar can not be removed. Most current scar treatment, havesomething nowhere near as good as your skin as the endpoint. We don't mean to be harsh, it is just the truth.Tretinoin can improve skin texture and boost collagen a little if you feel youneedit. It is very safe and it helps to stave off wrinkles.
I would maybe consider the potential ofBDD rather than just dismissing it. It doesn't always mean that you have imagined things but it also encompasses those that see things as far far far worse than they are. Seeking help for that may be more useful to you than seeking an answer to your skin currently.
Thank you. Yes, I do have features of BDD and have struggled with it at different points in my life. I am getting help for my mental health. However, I'd just like to note that for ANYONE regardless of how "significant" the outcome, when you choose to do a cosmetic treatment to make yourself look better, and it goes wrong, it is literally devastating. You trusted someone, paid them, mentally prepared, and got a bad result. It f*cking sucks! So yeah, my BDD makes it look worse than it is probably, but at the same time, it makes sense that'd I'd be upset.
I will inquire about tret. What about a chemical peel in the area? Or saline injections? One doc recommended saline but i was unsure since the water just gets reabsorbed and i don't know how that'd help...
