I Have a Chicken Pox Scar on the Middle of my Forehead, It is Deep (Basically a Dent)? (photo)

There are a number of methods for improving chicken pox scars. Through the years I have found the subcision, which takes only minutes to perform, to provide relatively rapid and gratifying and long-term improvement.

Subcision, a procedure, performed under local anesthetic, that entails using a sharp needle-like device is first inserted to break up the scarred, heavily fibrotic tissue that makes up the base of the scar. Immediately following, a small amount of volumizing material is injected into the potential space just created by the prior procedure. An immediate lifting is seen and the area can be smoothed flush with the surface resulting in the immediate, gratifying improvement seen. As an added plus, six to eight weeks later, neocollagenesis (new collagen formation) occurs in response to both the subcision procedure and the presence of the volumizer--contributing to a  much longer lasting improvement. The entire procedure takes no more than five minutes to perform, requires no scalpel cutting or stitches and entails no significant downtime.

Alternatively, an entirely surgical approach, which entails some downtime, may be used. Following local anesthesiia, the pock scar is "punched" out, using a cookie-cutter like instrument known as a punch and then stitched together. This is then followed in eight to twelve weeks by a technique known as manual scarabrasion, in which sterilized sandpaper is essentially used to blend the edges of the wound, allowing the area to eventually heal with little evidence of scarring. 

Surgical scar excision of the chicken pox scar is an excellent option to reduce the appearance of your chicken pox scar. 


I would perform this procedure under local anesthesia. 

I would say that you have two options to improve the depressed chicken pox scar on your forehead.  You could try have a filler injected under the scar to raise it, which should make it less noticeable.  There are different types of fillers that could be used, but these most likely would not give you permanent results.  The other method that could be used would be surgically removing the scar.  Basically, you would be trading up for a better scar that would be less noticeable.  This would give you a permanent result.  

I treat a lot of patients with chicken pox scars.  The best combination is subcision with fillers such as Bellafill or Restylane.  The fillers will produce new collagen and over time require less filler and smooth out the scar.  When there is a lot of scarring I recommend eMatrix to treat these scars.  Best, Dr. Green