Dr. Sam Lam Plastic Surgery Forum

Hi Dr. Lam, Ive got a problem thats been bothering me for a while. About a year ago i went in to see a dr about a regular pimple that i got that i wanted to get rid of fast because i was an impatient idiot. he injected it with according to him the lowest dose of kenalog. come 2 months later i end up with a horrible crater on my face. before this i had not one scar on my face, ive never had acne i barely even broke out. he told me that it would go away within 6 months to a year. it has been a year already and it has filled in completely but what bothers me is that in certain lighting you can kind of see a textural difference. it is located right on the apple of my cheek and i believe it stands out more to me because i dont have any other skin issues. im 23 years old so i dont have lines or ne other conerns but this. my question to you is that ive done a ton of research on this and contacted people with this problem and most of them told me that theirs actually took well over a year for it to completely go away so do you think i should just be patient and wait it out for another few months? also i dont know it if makes a difference or not but i got the injection may of 2007 but the atrophy didnt show up until mid july 2007 and it continued to worsen meaning get deeper and wider till about october of 07. what are my options to help me out here. i know im the only one who can see it but it makes me mad knowing that before this dr who by the way didnt warn me of the side effects, i didnt ever ever have a problem with my skin. i have been using retina for about 2 months, but is there anything else you can recommend for me? sorry for the long post.

here's the honest truth:
1. don't make a mountain out of a mole hill. what i mean is don't take risks that could worsen something just because you are angry at your previous doctor. in fact, i recommend you flip back a couple of pages and read my blog on "Never Look Back". You will see why I have made that recommendation. It will help refocus your perspective. I can guarantee your doctor has forgotten about your issue. You are only hurting yourself.
2. stop staring and obsessing over a very small thing (even if it is big to you). it will only serve to drive you crazy, as small things will NEVER be fixed to the level of your satisfaction. that is because how women see the world, which is too darn close to any mirror. please read my blog and forum responses on this matter. the blog i am talking about is about 8 to 10 pages back in the archives entitled, "Symmetry, Refocus your Thinking" or something like that. Even though it is not symmetry that bothers you, the blog is relevant in your case.
3. i think things will continue to improve (somewhat) given what you have explained to me.

hope you are not offended by this. clearly, i would have to see you in person to see if i am way off base or not. this forum is not intended to answer a specific question but to paint broad strokes, sometimes too broad.
best,
sml

thank you dr lam, i was not offended at all in fact everybody that i brought this up to has said the same thing. i believe most of what i am seeing is just a very very slight textural difference that is only noticed under certain lighting and at a certain angle, so i know its crazy that im so obessesed over it and i truly try not to be but i have a major case of ocd so its hard for me to let go. if this was just a case of someone with very surface scarring what would you recommend? could light peels possibly help in that situation? i kno its a very broad question im asking you especially that u dont know exactly what im describing. the best way i can explain it is there is absolutely no hole or crater but to me at least i can see a difference in the texture... also im not even angry at my dr anymore im angry at myself for being so vain and impatient and getting the stupid shot to begin with

by the way i will definetly read that blog you mentioned. thanks again for ur help.

first, don't be angry with yourself. it is in the past. let it go. that is the best treatment. the more you think of this issue, the more you will continue in the past. let the past go. i am serious. we all make mistakes. that is something called being human. if you learned from your mistake, then you are a better person. if you continue to focus on it, you are hurting yourself.

if you really want to try to blend it in, mechanical dermabrasion (not microdermabrasion) could help. BUT IT COULD WORSEN IT. please just try to forget about it. obviously, i would have to see it to be certain that i am not misleading you.
best,
sml