Spontaneous Facial Scarring

Hi all,

 

I've been posting a lot in the last few months about my face and the appearance of what looks like indented scars. Three of the four are tiny icepick scars. The one that  bothers me is huge. It looks like a vertical rolling scar and it is smack over the muscle over my left eye. When I raise my eyebrow, I have a tugging sensation exactly from the area. Also when I run my finger over it, there is a deep cleft that feels like the muscle is involved. I've had trouble describing it and also finding another single soul who suffers from the same thing until last night when I unearthed an old acne.org thread: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/259206-amvc-spontaneous-scarring/

 

In particular, the original poster provided a picture of his scar: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/718/image011n.jpg/?sa=0

 

I couldn't believe it! The same scar! Same position, same length. Mine seems wider and more gouged out to me but it could be the lighting. Also I've noticed mine changes over time, sometimes resembling just a circular dent, sometimes it seems to me like there is swelling causing the muscle over the eye to bulge and create the cleft look.

 

I do not think it is true scarring, but rather inflammation of the deeper layers of the skin or possibly the muscle or ligaments or whatever is under there. My theory is borne out by the fact that later on in the thread Freedom suggests that the "scarring process" can been reversed with GLA oils like borage oil.

 

There is also some talk about cod liver oil causing this or worsening it when used in conjunction with Accutane. I was not on Accutane but I was using topical Differin when I noticed the dent. On October 21st, I bought some cod liver oil. By October 29th, I noticed the dent had turned into the forehead cleft. I did not make the association at the time. I stopped using CLO due to Ray Peat's writings. By January or February I noticed the scar looked like a dent again. However I restarted CLO when I realized it took away all my period cramps. Since then my skin has been looking worse and worse. Every time I look in the mirror (which I do not do often) I am scared of what I'll see. Cracks and lines in places that wrinkles do not form usually. In fact at 29, I only have one true line which is a tiny smile line on the left side. No crow's feet, nada. I have also noticed a reduction in the fat volume of my face on one side only (I can easily compare it to the other) and prominent eyebrow ridges (more fat loss). And the cleft in my forehead has been absolutely bulging and getting worse and worse and also the rest of the skin between my eyes seemed to be swelling and looking discolored and forming ridges. The whole time I was increasing my CLO steadily and even switched to the expensive fermented kind!

 

I knew it was some kind of inflammation but I couldn't figure it out. I do not know if the Differin played a role because some people on the thread have never been on any retinoid. So I was wondering if it could be plain w/d also.

 

Does anyone else have spontaneous "scarring" or similar skin changes? Bear in mind the operative thing here is that no acne or other precipitating cause can be identified. Mine looks like someone gouged out my forehead with a knife

 

 

Yes!! Although I do have acne I've recently had the spontaneous scarring you spoke of. Out of the blue I have two deep indentations, one on my cheek and the other on my forehead; these scars weren't preceded by acne or pimples, I simply woke up to hellacious pockmarks. The scars are more circular, and noticeable. I'm curious to know if it is part of withdrawal...I too, haven't come across anyone else suffering from this affliction. Hopefully, it doesn't affect us anymore than it has...How have you been holding up? Any cures or ways to stave off further indentations that you know of?

Hi Klonniekid,

 

It's been a long time since I wrote this post Thank you for sharing your experience also. Mine are definitely more linear although the one on my forehead did start off looking like an indentation. I now believe them to be schleroderma. If you google frontal linear schleroderma, you'll see pictures of a very extreme form of what I have by my left eyebrow. The one across my right cheek  I think is the same sort of thing. I recently saw a functional medicine chiropractor who agrees with me. When you palpate the area you can feel a clear depression in the skin/tissues and swelling on either side. She believes it will improve once I get all my autoimmunity under control. Schleroderma is an autoimmune disease and it's not the only sx of AI that I have. I also have bad rashes and multiple chemical sensitivities. Also, the right side of my face shows mild signs of Parry-Romberg syndrome. Actually googling for that was what led me to the schleroderma realization.

 

So there's new hope for me. I am just starting to implement her program. She did lots of bloodwork on me and I am very depleted in many nutrients. A comparison of my bloodwork from last year shows it is getting worse, not better. I am going on a comprehensive gut healing program because there's really no reason for me to be anemic from B-12 deficiency for example. I am only 30yo, I eat fish and animal products, etc. So she believes I'm not absorbing nutrients from my food. She does believe that this condition was worsened by psych meds as they create imbalance and also further deplete nutrients. Anyway I'm just trying to improve at least somewhat.

 

When did your scars first appear? When you press on them what do you feel?

I think I got this! (Feels good to remember something as potentially complicated as I am going to go into here.) All has to do w/ the deleterious effects of the glucocorticoid cortisol, which is secreted by the adrenal glands in times of extreme stress and anxiety.

 

I am twenty years your senior, but looked about thirty six until I had, after 2 disastrous cold turkeys, to taper a year ago. Knee deep in the process, and having lost about twelve pounds on purpose, I noticed that my face looked gutted somehow, beginning to jowl up one side, and immeasurably older. From frowning a lot throughout my life, a downturn on the right side began to take on the appearance of a scar, as though I'd been knifed there. Someone else actually asked me if that had happened, although it did occur to me first. Long story short, I found a post here about accelerated aging. Forget its title. In brief, it said that under stress, the body produces an overabundance of "stress hormones", cortisol being one such agent. It breaks down the collagen and fibrin components of skin. Facial volume is depleted. Dents, gashes, and scarlike things can happen. there's stuff out there in health food stores that can reduce blood cortisol levels; Vitamin C is pretty cheap and comes first to mind. Also, stress-reducing techniques abound. I inagine you will find something soon that might help you, and if not, you might consider filler, as I am now. Good luck to you in this mess.

I think I got this! (Feels good to remember something as potentially complicated as I am going to go into here.) All has to do w/ the deleterious effects of the glucocorticoid cortisol, which is secreted by the adrenal glands in times of extreme stress and anxiety.

 

I am twenty years your senior, but looked about thirty six until I had, after 2 disastrous cold turkeys, to taper a year ago. Knee deep in the process, and having lost about twelve pounds on purpose, I noticed that my face looked gutted somehow, beginning to jowl up one side, and immeasurably older. From frowning a lot throughout my life, a downturn on the right side began to take on the appearance of a scar, as though I'd been knifed there. Someone else actually asked me if that had happened, although it did occur to me first. Long story short, I found a post here about accelerated aging. Forget its title. In brief, it said that under stress, the body produces an overabundance of "stress hormones", cortisol being one such agent. It breaks down the collagen and fibrin components of skin. Facial volume is depleted. Dents, gashes, and scarlike things can happen. there's stuff out there in health food stores that can reduce blood cortisol levels; Vitamin C is pretty cheap and comes first to mind. Also, stress-reducing techniques abound. I inagine you will find something soon that might help you, and if not, you might consider filler, as I am now. Good luck to you in this mess.

 

they sell a vit c cream.....i wonder if it helps?

ive aged so much during this ordeal. it started right away.

I do think this process is very aging! I feel like I look so much older than I did before benzo w/ds . But then again I don't do anything for myself. No makeup only moisturising cream.

      I don't have what you have all described, but I do have small blister like bumps all over me . Not as many as say chicken pox, but say about 10 each arms and legs and a few on my torso. Also dry and rough. If I scrape them they peel like a blister. Pale in colour. I saw some pics of scleroderma on the web and it looks very familiar. I think it's definitely related to benzos.

        Hears hoping we all get over these skin probs and heal,well.I had more to say but my mind has gone blank.     Hugs Pinkee

Hi Juliad, where exactly is your "scar"? Here is a picture of Parry-Romberg which isn't overly gross (you can get thrown off by the really severe pix online) Mine isn't even near this severe or noticeable. Similar to the picture though, I don't have any sagging. Just a change in shape and the skin feels emptier/smaller due to lack of fat. The disease often starts with the appearance of linear schleroderma. http://www.e-ijd.org/articles/2011/56/5/images/IndianJDermatol_2011_56_5_557_87155_f3.jpg

 

Note I'm not saying I have Parry-Rombery but some kind of auti-immunity with similar sxs. We know from anecdotal experience that benzos and ssri's disrupt the body's immune and inflammation response.

 

So really it could be cortisol like most people on here but if you have both changes to the appearance of one side of the face AND vertical bands that look somewhat like scars, you should do some reading on PR.

 

I guess we will never know. My "scars" have swelling of the surrounding tissues and they are both about an inch in length. One is vertical (forehead) and one is horizontal (above my cheek bone). The vertical one is deeper and better defined and you can fit your finger into the ridge of the scar. When I raise my eyebrow I can feel the tissues there tugging. My doctor agrees mine is not scarring and she says she expects it to improve once I get my immune system under control. I can only cross my fingers.

P.S. Hormonal imbalance is another potential culprit as a decrease in estrogen for e.g. is often accompanied in a decline in facial volume and onset of aging such as in menopause. I don't know that it would affect only one side though.