Toothpaste. Crushed advil. Honey masks.
I've tried everything to get rid of a pesky pimple overnight — especially when it appears right before a special event (gala, prom, dinner— it always happens). It's always so unexpected, even more inconvenient, but after years of trial-and-error I know nothing from the drugstore can eliminate it.
But then, I discovered cortisone injections.
It's not as scary as it sounds. These shots contains a diluted corticosteroid to reduce the swelling, redness and pain of a zit, according to Healthline. Unfortunately, this can't be done at home: You have to go to your local dermatologist, which can be covered by insurance. Depending on your provider and insurance, it can be free and affordable ($5-15). Other times, you may have to pay out-of-pocket, which I hate to admit I've done before ($181 for ONE cortisone injection... desperate times call for desperate measures!!)
Was it worth it? Here are my thoughts.
The pros
It may seem like a gimmick, but it actually really works for swollen, deep cystic pimples. You know, the ones you know will take forever to go away.
I've gotten these shots 7 times, so I'm no newbie to cortisone injections. After 24 hours, I immediately see a decrease in the size and redness of my zit. It's usually flat and gone within 3 days— no scars. No redness. A miracle!
"A cortisone shot is the injection of a synthetic hormone. It’s used for short-term relief of inflammation and to shrink large cysts." - Healthline
Because a cortisone injection is an actual medical procedure (one that shouldn't be taken lightly,) it's much safer (and more sanitary) than popping it myself from home. And let's face it: Some people (me) can't wait weeks, months for a deep zit to go away on its own.
I'm no professional, but I'd personally recommend cortisone injections for you if:
Your zit doesn't seem like it'll go away on its own any time soon.
It's causing you pain, discomfort or disrupting your daily life in some way
You have an important event (wedding, gala, etc) and just got a deep cystic pimple
The cons
Whenever I get a cortisone injection, my dermatologist prefaces our appointments with possible, typically rare, side effects like atrophy.
Skin atrophy is what happens when your dermatologist injects too much cortisone, or injects it too deeply. This occurs because sometimes, the steroid may be too strong, causing the tissue around the area to thin and resulting in a visible indentation or divot in the skin.
While it does happen, Dr. Mona Gohara told Cosmopolitan this is not common and is quite rare.
"Though denting is a potential risk, it’s pretty uncommon and usually goes away on its own after a few months,” - Dr. Mona Gohara, Yale-trained dermatologist
So, I thought I would be safe— and for the first 6 injections, I was. But most recently it finally happened: Two weeks after the shot, my skin was sinking in and a dent-like crater formed where my pimple once was.
I won't lie: This dent is honestly more annoying than the pimple itself. While it is colorless, it's really noticeable in certain lighting and can't be covered by makeup in a way that a scar or hyperpigmentation can. It literally looks like a dent.
I've desperately tried DIY solutions to reverse it: Collagen supplements. Facial massages. I've also heard microneedling can speed up the healing process, though I haven't done that one.
For most people, time will make it naturally go away– typically a few months. My dermatologist has been trying to treat the atrophy with saline injections, which are meant to dilute any remaining corticosteroids in the skin. He has kindly been injecting it into my dent every 2 weeks, for 5 total sessions, and I've definitely been seeing a slow yet steady improvement. However, it's still a months-long process towards improvement.
I learned that the hard way.
So would I recommend it? Here's the TL;DR
While cortisone injections used to be my holy grail, my experience with atrophy taught me to use it as a last resort, only for emergencies.
The risk of another divot has been deterring me, and instead I've been learning to be patient with even the nastiest of pimples to naturally resolve themselves. Sometimes, hydrocolloid bandages help them come to a head faster. But cortisone injections should be an occasional treatment, not a regular component of your skincare routine.
Thank you again for reading this far— and I hope you all enjoyed the holidays! I celebrated this year at home with my family, per usual.
For presents, I didn't ask for much this year. I honestly couldn't think of anything I wanted or needed, which I fear is a sign that I'm getting older and lamer. But for Christmas, I received an Olaplex gift set, Tiffany's bracelets, a sweatshirt, pilates grip socks, a Tory Burch bag and leather gloves for the winter!
For next week's blog, I'll be covering some viral makeup products that might be causing you to break out (looking at you, Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter).
See you next year on Monday— and have a Happy New Year!
Jenna
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