Skin Depressions or Holes

About the Symptom

Skin depressions present with a concave shape that can look like holes or indentations in the skin, and can be due to pores of oil glands, certain skin cancers, infections, and acne scarring.

When to See a Doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

• Recent weight loss
• Erythema

Possible Causes

Generally, Skin depressions or holes can be related to:

• Cutaneous Lupus

  Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune condition where your body's immune system mistakenly attack its own tissues, causing widespread inflammation and damage in affected organs. It can affect the skin, joints, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels. The exact cause is unknown but may involve environmental, genetic, and hormonal factors.

• Breast Cancer

  Breast cancer is a malignancy that arises in the breasts of men or women. It can arise from ducts or lobules. Patients either find a lump or have an abnormal mammogram. Risk factors include being female, having breasts, have a genetic predisposition (eg a gene you inherit from a parent), family history of breast or ovarian cancer, getting older, personal history of breast biopsies, dense breasts on mammography, or ovarian cancer, alcohol, and obesity. Protective factors include pregnancy, especially at a younger age, weight maintenance especially after menopause, and exercise.

• Traumatic Fat Necrosis

  Injury to the fat-containing cells beneath the skin. The most common cause is blunt injury to the area, typically in the breast or thighs.

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

• Do you have sunken or depressed skin areas?
• How long have you had sunken/depressed skin areas?
• How has the sunken/depressed skin changed since it started?

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