I am a 32-year-old Asian woman. January 2023 A steroid/Kenalog injection left me with a divot in the center of my eyebrow. After the divots appeared, my dermatologist administered at least seven saline injections. However, the divot was not corrected. I was going to put Restylane silk filler in later, but now there are bumps and some of the divots are still there. It’s now almost August 2023 and it still looks terrible (some crashes and some divots). Will this ever go away? I started feeling extremely depressed and didn’t want to go out at all. Any advice? Do you need help? It’s already been over 6 months, so what are the chances of it disappearing?

My heart goes out to you on this. Especially because it sounds like it fits right in the middle of the forehead, between the eyebrows. This is a very difficult place to hide.

As you already know, most of these self-correct within 3-6 months, but not all. But…there is hope and there are still many options. I wonder if the dermatologist just injected a saline solution or also did some gentle excision under the divot. To perform an ablation, the area must first be numbed with a lidocaine injection.

Some options to consider

• This is a second opinion from another dermatologist. A good doctor never gets angry when a patient does this.
• Subscription can reactivate collagen and fibroblasts (cells that make collagen). Multiple treatments spaced about a month apart are required.
• In the meantime, your doctor may recommend using Restylane Silk to camouflage your look. In my opinion, Juvederm or Juvederm UP may be a better choice because they are more malleable (at least in my hands) and can be made evenly. Your dermatologist may use a syringe to transfer 0.2 into a small tuberculin syringe for better administration. If your doctor wants me to talk about this, you can call our clinic Concierge Dermatology and Laser.
• This is a laser treatment using a long-wave laser with no downtime. A long pulse Nd:YAG laser would be a good choice, there are others as well. It does not cause scabs or bruises, but stimulates deeper collagen.
• Scars often require multiple modalities to treat, such as laser, subcision, or radiofrequency.

3 questions to ask yourself before seeking professional help for divots or depressed areas

• Can other people see this divot too? Some people see things in their skin that others cannot. If you ask 3 people and no one else can see it, reconsider going to the doctor. Also, if you have to distort your face to see it or it doesn’t show up in a regular photo, think again.
• Could it be that there are brown spots that create an optical illusion where the skin appears to be sunken? Do you remember the principles of light and shadow art? The same goes for skin. Brown spots can make the area look gloomy.
• Is it bathroom lighting? Most of us look at the same mirror every day to take care of our skin, but the lighting isn’t perfect. Check if you can see it in another mirror.
• Remember that there is a type of basal cell skin cancer that can look like a sunken scar and develops slowly over time. If this happens to you, be sure to see a dermatologist.

Hope this helps,

Dr. Brandis Irwin, MD
Skin Tour Founder
Follow my skin tips and take a trip to Instagram!