Just wanted to add my story here in case it helps another web searcher. I came across this board about two months ago after noticing a dent on my right upper thigh. It was about three inches down from the hip and ran from the centerline to the outside, about one inch high and three inches across. It sounds very similar to others described here. I am a 44 yr old female that works out regularly, and am not overweight. I "freaked" and did a lot of web searching when I first found the dent. I first noticed it two days after doing the elliptical machine for the first time in years. I did not feel a muscle strain at the time, but the area above and below the dent was very tender, including the top of the IT band. I went to an orthopedic doctor who x-rayed my hips, which were normal and diagnosed a probable hip flexor strain. He sent me to physical therapy. Neither he nor my PT had seen a dent like this before. After about a month of treatment at the PT, my dent is smaller but unfortunately is still there. I have been treating with stretching, ice, and Graston treatment. I do think it will eventually go away and that it probably was a muscle tear OR even something that was there all along (genetic) but somehow became aggravated. I do think there is a possible connection to the elliptical. As it was explained to me, elliptical machines are built for 5 foot 10 inch men. When a 5 foot 3 inch woman uses it, the stride length is too long which can cause injury to the hips or back on the "down stroke." Makes sense to me. I would love to see updates from the other "dented" people. But in the meantime, I will continue to stretch, massage, ice the area and hope for the best. I guess an MRI would definitively show a muscle tear but I wasn't in enough pain to justify it, in my opinion.
Leg Muscle "Dent"??
- Thread starter melliemay
- Start date
im not sure
Leg Dent
My massage therapist told me about this message board and I had to come and say that I have the same thing. And looking at pictures of Lipoatrophy, I have to say that I think this is what I have. I'm a 33 year old woman and I'm not overweight. My belief is that this happened from giving birth and being in the same position (women will know what I'm talking about) for a length of time and I think it actually changed my muscle and or fat distribution in my thighs.
I'm so glad that I'm not the only one and I'm hopeful when I read that there are those of you that have gotten rid of the 'dents'.
Thank you.
My massage therapist told me about this message board and I had to come and say that I have the same thing. And looking at pictures of Lipoatrophy, I have to say that I think this is what I have. I'm a 33 year old woman and I'm not overweight. My belief is that this happened from giving birth and being in the same position (women will know what I'm talking about) for a length of time and I think it actually changed my muscle and or fat distribution in my thighs.
I'm so glad that I'm not the only one and I'm hopeful when I read that there are those of you that have gotten rid of the 'dents'.
Thank you.
I never knew the "leg dent" was such a big issue so its kind of gives me hope that I'm not the only one 
I've noticed a pretty sizeable dent on my left thigh a couple of weeks ago... Its in the exact shape and angle from where I lean my thigh against my chair's arm rest, is it possible that the muscle could have.. rearranged itself from constant pressure? Kinda feels like some muscle/mass has been pushed down to accommodate the pressure. I guess I'll have to remind myself to not lean against the arm rest for a while... hopefully will go away D: good luck to everyone!
I've noticed a pretty sizeable dent on my left thigh a couple of weeks ago... Its in the exact shape and angle from where I lean my thigh against my chair's arm rest, is it possible that the muscle could have.. rearranged itself from constant pressure? Kinda feels like some muscle/mass has been pushed down to accommodate the pressure. I guess I'll have to remind myself to not lean against the arm rest for a while... hopefully will go away D: good luck to everyone!The Eliptical
Hello fellows with thigh dents. This has been an interesting thread to read as I have the same issue. I woke up literally overnight to the dents across my upper front thighs. I dont lean over against anything or sit at a desk all day so that theory didnt work for me but I definately noticed it after I started going to the gym where I pretty much started working on the Eliptical machine. I had not excercised in a couple of year and so rejoined the gym as my son is 21 month old now. I am 39 and needed to get my body back to some kind of fitness level. Because I hadnt trained in so long I am guessing my body went into shock as my muscles did and hence the "Semicircular Lipoatrophy" appeared. I am using stretching and also taking Magnesium powder in water before bed as this is a good muscle releaver. I am hoping they will disappear as quickly as they came thats for sure. Good luck!
Hello fellows with thigh dents. This has been an interesting thread to read as I have the same issue. I woke up literally overnight to the dents across my upper front thighs. I dont lean over against anything or sit at a desk all day so that theory didnt work for me but I definately noticed it after I started going to the gym where I pretty much started working on the Eliptical machine. I had not excercised in a couple of year and so rejoined the gym as my son is 21 month old now. I am 39 and needed to get my body back to some kind of fitness level. Because I hadnt trained in so long I am guessing my body went into shock as my muscles did and hence the "Semicircular Lipoatrophy" appeared. I am using stretching and also taking Magnesium powder in water before bed as this is a good muscle releaver. I am hoping they will disappear as quickly as they came thats for sure. Good luck!
My mother has had a dent in her thigh muscles since she was born, and we finally decided to see if we could figure out what is was by searching online. She's been to a few doctors, but since the dent wasn't painful, it's never been considered a problem. It's interesting that so many people have the same type of dent! However, are there any other people that have had the dent their entire lives? Here are some pictures, as well:
The Dent
So happy to find this message board. I'm 28 yrs old and I got "The Dent" a couple of months ago. I do Zumba and Dance class 2-3 times per week and I have never been on an elliptical. The dent is on the top of my thigh. I realized that when I do my hair and makeup, I sit on my bathroom sink. My thigh rests on the corner of the soap dish that is mounted on the wall. It matches up exactly with my dent! I will re-post if it goes away once I stop doing it!
So happy to find this message board. I'm 28 yrs old and I got "The Dent" a couple of months ago. I do Zumba and Dance class 2-3 times per week and I have never been on an elliptical. The dent is on the top of my thigh. I realized that when I do my hair and makeup, I sit on my bathroom sink. My thigh rests on the corner of the soap dish that is mounted on the wall. It matches up exactly with my dent! I will re-post if it goes away once I stop doing it!
indentation on back of thigh
I have an indentation similar to your mother's but a bit larger. Mine occurred in my late teens. I am now 59 years old. I am 5'2" and have weighed between 105- 125 lbs. all of my adult life. I am active, working out about an hour per day. I don't know why this dent appeared but it has never gone away all of these years. There has been nothing that I leaned on repeatedly and I've used many types of cardio equipment over the years. I just figured that for some reason there was a breakdown that occurred in that muscle even though I never experienced an injury to that leg. Very Odd!
I have an indentation similar to your mother's but a bit larger. Mine occurred in my late teens. I am now 59 years old. I am 5'2" and have weighed between 105- 125 lbs. all of my adult life. I am active, working out about an hour per day. I don't know why this dent appeared but it has never gone away all of these years. There has been nothing that I leaned on repeatedly and I've used many types of cardio equipment over the years. I just figured that for some reason there was a breakdown that occurred in that muscle even though I never experienced an injury to that leg. Very Odd!
Thanks to this forum I have discovered the cause of my leg dent - my computer keyboard tray extends out from under my desk and I rest it on my legs - one leg is longer than the other so my right leg takes all the weight - it's the EXACT spot of my indentation in my right thigh. Good to know!! Hope this helps others.
Holly crap! I'm sooo relieved to see many people have it! Phew! And I've figured out mine. Actually, my wife did it. I lean over the bathroom mirror often and there's a sink there. It's the same height as where the indentation is. I recommend you think of something you're going often that might be causing this.
I figured out why I had a dent in my right quad!
I'm so glad to hear that your "dent" went away! I, too, noticed a strange indentation (lipoatrophy?) in my upper left thigh a few days ago that I don't recall ever having seen before that time and just now got on the internet to figure out what might be the cause. It didn't take long before I came across a post relating to what its author referred to as the "vanident" (short for "vanity dent") phenomenon, and sure enough, when I went to check the possible validity of this theory, I found that the shallow groove in my left thigh aligned perfectly with the countertop in my bathroom that I lean against all the time when looking in the mirror. I think the fact that I always lean on my left side to look in the mirror on the medicine cabinet to my right may very well explain why I do not have a similar "dent" in my right thigh. Having additionally read your story, I am rather satisfied that my leaning against the countertop is the cause of this strange (though, thankfully, not too noticeable) deformity in my leg and am filled with hope that it will go away now that I will no longer be putting undue pressure on that area of my body! Thank you for your insightful and relieving input! : )
--Phoenix
Leg muscle dent
i have been searching online for an answer to this. I'm not a fitness freak, i have some scar tissue on my right thigh, but nothing really recent. Only thing i have been doing alot lately is fly. My GP is useless at best, and generally uninterested and told me to come back if it hurts.
it is a dent across the top of my right thigh, about a hand size across and now is quite prominent.
i will check out the vanity sink theory but i cant say i'm in front of it often enough to cause a DENT?
Please, is there nobody out there who can explain what this is or how to sort it.
i have been searching online for an answer to this. I'm not a fitness freak, i have some scar tissue on my right thigh, but nothing really recent. Only thing i have been doing alot lately is fly. My GP is useless at best, and generally uninterested and told me to come back if it hurts.
it is a dent across the top of my right thigh, about a hand size across and now is quite prominent.
i will check out the vanity sink theory but i cant say i'm in front of it often enough to cause a DENT?
Please, is there nobody out there who can explain what this is or how to sort it.
ChrisP, I agree with your findings. I have been noticing a dent in my lower thighs for weeks now and could not figure it out. I decided to Google it and saw this sight. I must say that I was glad to hear that I was not the only one with this issue. Reading everyone's statements made me think about what I have been doing that might have caused this. Then I read your quote and it made since. I sit with my lap top computer on the area that is now dented at least an hour or so a day. I check my email, pay bills and of course browse the internet and I can't leave out Facebook. I am going to be using my lap top different now and I will let you all know my progress. Talk with you guys soon.
Ok, the people posting they got it from leaning are idiots. I got these huge horizontal dents in the front of my thighs after I lost 31 lbs last year dropping from 147 lbs to 116 lbs. I was in great shape before and still continue to work out 6 days a week. I went to see my doctor about it. She said it is something that can occur after significant weight loss. The only way to fix it is by going to a plastic surgeon and getting fillers injected into the front of your thigh to return to a normal look. Otherwise, you have to learn to live with it. I am really bummed since summer will be here soon and I am too embarrassed to wear shorts now with these huge dents in my thighs. Hope this helped.
I also have a dent in the side of my thigh, it literally appeared over night about a week ago. My sister is a nurse and I asked her about it, because I have burning in my hip just above the dent in the muscle and tingling in my toes. I did not fall or anything and other than that it does not hurt. She said, that it is possible that it is a misalignment in the long bone to the hip, a pinched nerve causing the muscle to contract, or an auto immune disorder could be some possible causes the problem. But it may not be any of those, I am going to go to the doctor and have them xray my leg and hip. I feel better knowing that other people have this same problem, because it was really freaking me out. The counter thing does not apply to me, because it is to high on my leg from possible things to lean against and I sit to put my make-up on. If I find out anything I will post it back...=)
I am so pleased and relieved to come across this fascinating website with so many insightful comments. I too have recently found a large circular dent in my leg and was equally worried about the reasons for it's arrival. Having read some of your deeply scientific posts I deduced that my dent is also self-inflicted. However this is not from leaning against a counter at work or from applying make-up at the bathroom sink. I am an avid wine lover and the dent is a result of having a glass of "vino blanco or tinto" pressed against my thigh. I noticed that if I drink a heavy Barolo or Barbera D'Alba that the indentation is deeper and if I drink a Pinot Grigio or even an Asti Spumante that the indentation is more shallow.
I am rather reluctant to give up my wine drinking habits. I now have indenations on both thighs to even things up and have tried American Football thigh pads but am having trouble balancing my glass. Any thoughts or suggestions would be gratefully received.
I am rather reluctant to give up my wine drinking habits. I now have indenations on both thighs to even things up and have tried American Football thigh pads but am having trouble balancing my glass. Any thoughts or suggestions would be gratefully received.
Do Check!!
I came across this forum once I started searching for info on dents in thighs. I am slim, fit and very healthy, and the marks on my thighs had appeared gradually. I was extremely skeptical about the posts that claimed it was to do with leaning on something! However, as the 3" ish horizontal mark on my thighs was in the same place each side (very noticeable to look at, and you could feel it too) I did decide to check out the bathroom sink, kitchen sink at home and my desk at work. No joy. It wasn't until a few days later I realised that the handbasin counter in the ladies toilet at work is in the exact right place, and because the counter goes back for a bit before the basin and mirror, you end up leaning on it whenever you wash your hands, brush your hair, check your makeup or your contact lenses etc etc! I still wasn't sure this could be it, but I made a big effort to stop doing it, and the marks have gradually gone!! Yes I felt a bit silly - but when you have such a deep, unsightly dent in your skin/muscle that is making you feel self-conscious about wearing swimsuits, shorts etc, the last thing you would think is that that amount of damage could have happened just from leaning on something (albeit every day several times for 7 years...!)!! Anyway, I would just like to point out that those people for whom this type of cause IS the case, you are not in fact 'idiots' as one member said - and for the others who have dents for a different reason, I do hope you manage to find out what they are caused by, and a solution. If I hadn't read this forum I would still have mine!
I came across this forum once I started searching for info on dents in thighs. I am slim, fit and very healthy, and the marks on my thighs had appeared gradually. I was extremely skeptical about the posts that claimed it was to do with leaning on something! However, as the 3" ish horizontal mark on my thighs was in the same place each side (very noticeable to look at, and you could feel it too) I did decide to check out the bathroom sink, kitchen sink at home and my desk at work. No joy. It wasn't until a few days later I realised that the handbasin counter in the ladies toilet at work is in the exact right place, and because the counter goes back for a bit before the basin and mirror, you end up leaning on it whenever you wash your hands, brush your hair, check your makeup or your contact lenses etc etc! I still wasn't sure this could be it, but I made a big effort to stop doing it, and the marks have gradually gone!! Yes I felt a bit silly - but when you have such a deep, unsightly dent in your skin/muscle that is making you feel self-conscious about wearing swimsuits, shorts etc, the last thing you would think is that that amount of damage could have happened just from leaning on something (albeit every day several times for 7 years...!)!! Anyway, I would just like to point out that those people for whom this type of cause IS the case, you are not in fact 'idiots' as one member said - and for the others who have dents for a different reason, I do hope you manage to find out what they are caused by, and a solution. If I hadn't read this forum I would still have mine!