What can I do to get rid of a deep but tiny scar on my cheek?

November 23, 2007 11:12 AM

What can I do to get rid of a deep but tiny scar on my cheek?

Around 8 years ago I had what I believed to be a blackhead pimple on my left cheek. The general practitioner made a small incision to make an opening and squeezed the 'Stuff' out. For a long time now that specific area has no pimple problems. For most of my life, my face is usually almost pimple free. Problem is: I have a permanent scar and it looks like a deep pimple hole. Yeah I know, people are starving out there somewhere and I'm worrying about a tiny scar...

Anyways, that doctor has told me I can't cover it up as it will create a blockage, and something to do with 'cist' forming. Any skin experts please advise!

I have considered, 'melting' that area or removing the skin (along with the hole) creating a new bigger scar that is Flat (by medical practitioners of course).

Any advice or recommendations are welcome!

posted by gttommy to health & fitness (9 comments total)

Are you sure it's a pimple scar? It sounds like it could be a preauricular pit, as described here.

If it's just a pimple scar, laser treatment can reduce its visibility.
posted by ten pounds of inedita at 11:45 AM on November 23, 2007

See surgeon, plastic.
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 12:15 PM on November 23, 2007 [1 favorite]

could you post a picture?
posted by krautland at 1:04 PM on November 23, 2007

I'm confused by your description of it as a blackhead/pimple. They're two very different things. I'm surprised a doctor would actually make an incision in your skin to remove a blackhead.

As for laser resurfacing - well, I've had it twice. It's good for fine lines and shallow scars, and can also work well to correct hyper-pigmentation, depending on your skin tone. What it WON'T do is significantly improve narrow, deep scars, also known as "ice pick scars".

I'm about to embark on a new treatment called thermascan. It takes about three treatments to see a difference, and it's not cheap. It's a laser, but it works differently. It's not ablative - it doesn't vaporize the surface of your skin. It heats up the collagen underneath your skin, which promotes the growth of collagen. The plastic surgeon treats each scar individually.
posted by Evangeline at 1:30 PM on November 23, 2007

I checked the link and I'm sure its not a preauricular pit (a natural hole near the ears). Its more of a round-scar, caused by an slight incision, than a 'pimple scar'.

Its around 1mm deep and 1mm wide, interior is dark and it just stands out up close in the mirror...

As for a picture, if you're onto something and think its necessary, maybe.
posted by gttommy at 1:36 PM on November 23, 2007

Evageline: yes, I slightly regret not seeing a skin specialist instead of letting the family doctor perform surgery.

Thanks for replies so far.
posted by gttommy at 1:41 PM on November 23, 2007

I'm surprised any doctor would actually cut open a blackhead. It's usually unnecessary. Often there are topical creams and stuff they would give you (like OTC stuff or Retin-A) or just tell you to leave it alone unless it was really large or something. Sometimes with pimples, a doctor can inject cortisone, but that is known to cause scarring sometimes.
Are you sure it was blackhead?
posted by fructose at 3:11 PM on November 23, 2007

You can have laser resurfacing to help w/ it. I'm not sure how expensive it'll be since you just have that one problem area, but I'd guess it'd be at least $200, depending of course on where you live.
posted by dannon205 at 5:05 PM on November 23, 2007

No-one can really answer this for you without seeing a picture of the scar. Your options are a) see a plastic surgeon about having the scar excised or resurfaced or b) take advice from a professional about cover-up cosmetics.
posted by roofus at 7:03 AM on November 24, 2007