How does one know if they injured the dermal layer of the nose skin?

Question

If someone had a scrape on their nose, how would they know if they injured only the epidermis vs the dermal layer? Are the layers different in texture? The scrape has not healed in one year, but there was no blood for it to be a scar. Would the nose skin need more time to thicken?

David M. Kowalczyk, MD, MBA, FACS · Answer

Hi there! Thanks for your question. The epidermis is the thin layer on top that should regrow after a superficial scrape. The dermal layer tends to be thicker in consistency and damage to this layer may cause scarring. If it's been a year, I would have it looked at to determine the course of healing. By 8-12 months, most scars are fully healed. If treatment is needed, there are many options from subcision and excision to chemical peels or microneedling. Hope this helps!

How does one know if they injured the dermal layer of the nose skin?

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