Will My Hips Return to Their Original Shape After Recovery?
Hello, I'm a 19-year-old female, and I once had curvy hips. Unfortunately, I experienced cellulitis that resulted in significant open wounds on my sides. As I continue to recover, I’ve observed an inward curve at my hips near the area of the wound, creating what appears to be a pronounced hip dip. Could this be attributed to skin maceration, or might plastic surgery be a necessary option for me?
Answers (1)
8/2/2025, 9:10:37 AM
OpenHealth AI
It's understandable to be concerned about changes in your body shape after experiencing cellulitis and the resulting impact on your skin and hips. Healing after an injury can lead to temporary changes, and many people find that their body returns closer to its previous state over time.
Understanding Your Concerns: The inward curve or hip dip you notice could stem from several factors related to your recovery process, including skin texture changes, swelling, and underlying muscle or tissue healing. Skin maceration (softening and breaking down of the skin) can also contribute to changes in how surrounding tissue looks and feels.
What You Can Do Next:
-
Give Yourself Time to Heal: Recovery can be a slow process, and many changes will continue to improve as your body heals. Check in on your progress over the next few months.
-
Moisturize and Care for Your Skin: Keeping the area moisturized can help in healing the skin and may assist in improving its appearance over time. Look for creams that are gentle and suited for sensitive skin.
-
Notice Changes Over Time: Keep track of your healing progress. You might find that your body starts to regain its previous shape as swelling goes down and skin repairs itself.
-
Consider Gentle Exercise: As your wounds heal, gentle exercises can help strengthen the muscles around your hips and improve the overall appearance of that area. Activities like walking or swimming can promote circulation, which aids in healing.
-
Monitor for Changes: If you notice significant discomfort, persistent concerns about your skin, or if the shape doesn't improve in several months, seeking a professional assessment may be beneficial.
-
Avoid Making Rush Decisions: Cosmetic surgery should be a last resort, especially if you might see improvements naturally with time.
It's important to give your body the chance to recover fully before considering more invasive options. If you have any specific concerns about your healing process, pay attention to those and consider discussing them further in a supportive environment. Always remember, healing is a unique journey for each person.
Related Questions
Strange Jelly-Like Substance Observed from Wound
I’m a 21-year-old female living with an auto-inflammatory condition known as hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Recently, I've experienced a concerning issue with one of my wounds. This particular wound causes significant pain and excessive bleeding. However, whenever I attend to it, I tend to find this unusual jelly-like substance present within it. Interestingly, this phenomenon has only occurred with this one wound and not any of the others I have. The bleeding seems to persist until I manage to remove this jelly substance, after which it typically slows down and comes to a halt completely. I’m seeking insights into what this might signify so that I can effectively discuss it with my healthcare provider.
Healing Progress Post-GBS: Toe Concerns
I am a 28-year-old male, measuring 5 feet 10 inches and weighing 131 pounds. My current medications include Fomadatine and Zyrtec, prescribed due to my ongoing battle with Chronic Gastritis and SIBO. I maintain a healthy lifestyle, abstaining from both smoking and alcohol. My health concern revolves around the toe adjacent to my pinky toe on my left foot, as well as my pinky toe on the right foot. Since August of last year, I have been on the mend from Guillain Barre Syndrome. Recently, I've noticed that at night, the skin on my feet tends to turn a reddish pink, although this usually improves after I walk around. However, two of my toes have remained red, with one appearing slightly swollen. Generally, my pinky toes are quite thick, but the condition of my left foot's toe is worrisome for me. It seems that I'm unable to upload an image to illustrate my issue.
Swelling Beneath My Chin Near the Jawline
18-Year-Old Male: I'm reaching out to any medical professionals who might provide insights into my situation. I've been using marijuana since I was 14, but now, at 17, I'm making an effort to stop and have been clean for 18 days. Recently, I've discovered an unusual swelling located just beneath my chin, behind my jaw. It causes some discomfort when I move, yet it doesn’t feel painful continuously. I'm somewhat anxious that this could be indicative of a more serious issue, especially considering it's positioned near my chin's lymph nodes. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated as it might help alleviate my worry.
Seeking Insights: My Journey with Undiagnosed Neurological Symptoms
Hello everyone, I'm a 34-year-old female grappling with neurological symptoms that first appeared in October, and I’m eager to hear from anyone who might have faced similar challenges. My journey began with unexpected migraines, blurred vision, and an ongoing sensation of being off-balance or intoxicated. Gradually, I began experiencing mainly sensory-related symptoms, such as tingling and burning sensations, feelings of extreme heat and cold, sharp pains radiating in my arms and back, as well as discomfort in my hands and toes, alongside intermittent numbness. I also endure varying degrees of weakness and heaviness in my right side, specifically my arm and leg, although I haven’t suffered complete functional loss. The nature of my symptoms is erratic; they fluctuate rather than consistently deteriorate. An MRI revealed mild, scattered lesions in the white matter, which were deemed nonspecific. Further tests from a lumbar puncture returned normal results, showing no markers of inflammation, and the oligoclonal bands were not present. A thorough range of lab tests yielded no significant findings. After evaluating my case, the neurology team suggested a possible diagnosis of MS and administered a three-day course of intravenous steroids. While I noticed a slight improvement in some sensory pain, my symptoms persist and continue to vary day by day. I still experience headaches and pressure in my head along with episodes of blurred vision, but there have been no new deficits since treatment. I am reaching out to connect with others who have had similar experiences. I would like to learn about the insights or diagnoses you encountered and what treatments proved beneficial (such as those related to migraine disorders, dysautonomia, or sensory neuropathy, for example). If you have navigated a similar path, I would greatly appreciate your sharing your story. Thank you!
Unusual Heart Sensation
I’m an 18-year-old, weighing 50 kilograms and standing at 170 centimeters (and yes, I’m aware that I’m quite slender). For the past couple of years, I’ve developed a habit of smoking about half a pack of cigarettes each day. So, the other day I was lying on my left side, relaxing, when I stumbled upon an unusual sensation. It felt as though my heart was pulsating so intensely that it was almost outside my body. Out of curiosity, I pressed a bit on the area and was instantly hit with a rush; my head started to tingle, my vision momentarily blurred, and it felt as though my heart dropped. It was as if my entire system had malfunctioned. Just for context, I’ve experienced something similar before after a ketamine overdose, and it persisted for about a month afterward, occurring occasionally while trying to sleep or during random moments in bed. This current episode has me quite anxious, especially since it hasn’t happened in a while, but this time felt particularly alarming.