Rhinoplasty Q&A

80%

WORTH IT RATING

1,003 Reviews

Ask a Question

View Before and Afters

Average Rhinoplasty Cost: $5,975

Learn about Rhinoplasty

5,053 people and 803 doctors are talking about Rhinoplasty

Get Free Email Updates

What Can I do for Indentation on Nose After Kenalog Injection?

asked 7 months ago by lala5 in Chicago, IL
Latest answer by Richard W. Fleming, MD
Question viewed 751 times
Tags: nose tip, 3 months post-op, kenalog

Four days ago I had a kenalog injection around the tip of my nose -- I had rhinoplasty 3 months ago. Now I've developed an indentation. I've lost confidence in my surgeon after experiencing one problem after another. (I also have eyelid retraction from bleph that hasn't resolved and a horrible columella scar). Can indentation heal on its own? Will it get worse and can it be fixed via revision? He wants to inject saline. Please help.

14 answers to What Can I do for Indentation on Nose After Kenalog Injection?

Nasal Dent after Kenalog Injection

The dent apparently caused by steroid (Kenalog) injections will not spontaneously resolve. This can be improved with placement of your own tissue, such as cartilage or soft tissue (fascia) or the injection of fillers such as Radiesse which will last 12-24 months.

Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Indentation after Kenalog

If you have an indentation on your nose or face, you may consider injection of dermal fillers such as Juvederm or Restylane. However, if you post pictures, we may be able to give you more specific advice. Good Luck.

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Steroid injection after rhinoplasty

The effect of Kenalog can be quite good for thickened, inflamed tissue, or thickened scar tissue that is very dense, but can be very deleterious to normal tissue. There would possibly be a dissolution of normal tissue, resulting in a hollow, indented area as you have experienced. I would not believe that an injection of water would have any positive result, and would caution you to simply let this heal up with no further treatment at this time. Perhaps fillers will be... more

Francis (Frank) William Rieger, MD
Tampa Plastic Surgeon

www.riegercosmeticsurgery.com

What Can I do for Indentation on Nose After Kenalog Injection?

Stop having the kenalog injections for the next few months which typically allows some internal scar tissue to fill in the indentation. This is the main reason, I don't use kenalog beyond the typical Rhinoplasty healing phase or use kenalog 40 as this can cause more indentations..

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Dent in nose

I'm sorry to hear of all the problems you are having. At this time it seems best to wait another couple of months. At that time you can reassess the dent and the scar. Fillers may be helpful or a graft if you need to have the scar revised. Best of luck.

Michael L. Schwartz, MD
West Palm Beach Plastic Surgeon

www.palmbeachface.com

Steroid injections for scar tissue can create their own problems!

I am one of the plastic surgeons who advocate [judicious, careful, precise, and gradually-increasing strength] steroid injections for excessive subcutaneous scar tissue after rhinoplasty (or other scar-causing operations or injuries). Your example is why the part in bold is the important part. When excessive scar tissue forms, there are only 3 options: Live with it. The scar may soften and fade over time, but too much scar remains too much scar . Re-operate (Hope it... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

Nasal dent after rhinoplasty steroid injection.

Nasal dent after rhinoplasty steroid injection can be treated with your own tissue put in thru a tiny incision inside the nose. You should wait at least 2-3 months before doing this to see if the dent subsides.

Toby Mayer, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Fixing divots on the nose

One of the risks of steroid injections to the nose is that you can get contour depressions where there was a fullness previously. The way that steroids work is to thin out and soften all tissues that it comes into contact with. This can include fat, scar, cartilage and even skin. In the worst case scenario, you can sometimes develop an ulceration of the skin due to excessive thinning of the tissues. Your contour depression or divot is likely the result of this process. Typically, an... more

Andre Panossian, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Steroid injections

Steroid injections have a 4-6 wk lasting effect, so the dent may or may not get deeper. From your description it sounds like waiting may be your best option at this point. Once the steroid has taken full effect, again 4-6 wks, a plan can be made. At that point cartilage can be used, or perhaps a filler. Saline in my opinion will not acomplish anything. Best of luck,

Michel Siegel, MD
Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon

houstonfaces.com

Steroid injections to nose

The use of steroids post rhinoplasty surgery is quite common. It is extremely important to use a lower concentration of steroid such as Kenalog 10, and a conservative amount of the steroid to avoid potential complications to the nose related to the steroid injection. I am not certain that the indentation will resolve over time. If the indentation in your nose is very obvious, there is no harm in injecting a dermal filler to the nose in order to fill in the indentation... more

Philip S. Schoenfeld, MD
Chevy Chase Facial Plastic Surgeon

An indentation on your nose after Rhinoplasty is easier to treat than a bump.

You probably had a steroid injection to your tip to treat an area of fullness. If this has left an indentation, this may be treated with an Injectable Filler in many cases. Without a photo or examination, it's impossible to advise you regarding your condition. I have had good success filling indentations related to steroid injections: typically from injecting facial scars or acne. If your surgeon is not experienced in using fillers for nasal indentations, you may want to find one who... more

Eric M. Joseph, MD
West Orange Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.ericmjoseph.com

Indentation

You have hit on the major problem with steroid injections> They are uncontrollable. I think you need to allow more time and then perhaps a filler would be best

David A. Bray, Sr., MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Nasal dents from steroid injections

Seems we hear more about steroid injections in the nose after rhinoplasty, though the dark side is dents and skin blemishes from the steroids. We think the steroids are best avoided. For the present it is possible for some recovery in your dent as the steroid wears off. Best of luck, peterejohnsonmd.com