# Why Do Some Men Have Pitted Faces? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 6, 2007, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940 "2007-04-06T02:52:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/1 "2007-04-06T02:52:26Z")
I’ ve noticed that a small percentage of men, perhaps 0.5% or so, have several small indentations in their face, usually around their jawline and upper neck. I’ve only observed this condition in adult Caucasian males. What medical condition causes for these facial indentations? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/2 "2007-04-06T03:12:55Z")
[QUOTE=Surreal] What medical condition causes for these facial indentations? [/QUOTE] Assuming you’re not seeing superannuated smallpox victims, I’m going to suggest acne scars, but it could also be chicken pox. ---
**Author:** ![MizGrand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@MizGrand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizGrand)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/3 "2007-04-06T12:27:36Z")
I agree with the acne mention, but will also add that chemical use (crank and such) leads to the marks on the necks of some individuals. Not me of course - my skin is sweet and smooth - EVERYWHERE! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/4 "2007-04-06T13:39:58Z")
Referencing previous post about crank. crank = meth (speed) My input: Bad acne and shaving don’t mix real well. Causes scarring, pitting, etc. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/5 "2007-04-06T14:09:19Z")
I have a couple of cousins with the “craggy face look”. Both suffered from severe acne as teenagers, they were even hospitalized a couple time because it was so bad. Doug has had a couple of plastic surgeries to fix some of his problem areas, Jim has had a beard since he could grow one to cover up his. ---
**Author:** ![happywaffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ee59a6/32.png) [@happywaffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happywaffle)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/6 "2007-04-06T14:26:22Z")
[QUOTE=Surreal] I’ve only observed this condition in adult Caucasian males. [/QUOTE] Obviously you don’t watch Battlestar Galactica… [http://home.planet.nl/~m-a-d/Photos/Edward\_James\_Olmos\_2\_s.jpg](http://home.planet.nl/~m-a-d/Photos/Edward_James_Olmos_2_s.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/7 "2007-04-06T16:18:18Z")
[QUOTE=racer72] Both suffered from severe acne as teenagers, they were even hospitalized a couple time because it was so bad. [/QUOTE] Out of curiosity, why would hospitalization be necessary? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/8 "2007-04-06T17:05:24Z")
Infection ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/9 "2007-04-06T17:38:47Z")
[QUOTE=happywaffle] Obviously you don’t watch Battlestar Galactica… [http://home.planet.nl/~m-a-d/Photos/Edward\_James\_Olmos\_2\_s.jpg](http://home.planet.nl/~m-a-d/Photos/Edward_James_Olmos_2_s.jpg) [/QUOTE] Oh..kay… You made it seem like you were linking to an exception rather than another adult Caucasian male. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/10 "2007-04-06T17:40:07Z")
That said, I’ve noticed the condition plenty of times, and IME it’s neither that rare nor race and sex specific. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/11 "2007-04-06T18:02:06Z")
I’ve seen it more often on dark-skinned people and thought it might be a leftover from smallpox cases in South Asia. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/12 "2007-04-06T18:21:11Z")
Sounds a lot like [razor bumps](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Razor_bumps). The Black man’s burden. (I have it, though careful shaving and a tolerance for fuzzy-facedness does a lot to reduce.) But if I shave with one of those “close shave” blades, I will have red bumps all over my neck. I know guys who have really bad scars from constant shaving - they actually turn into keloids. Ick! ---
**Author:** ![BlakeTyner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@BlakeTyner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlakeTyner)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/13 "2007-04-06T18:24:29Z")
Out of curiosity, are we thinking about the type of thing seen on Edward James Olmos? He (and the fellow from “Die Hard” that played one of the FBI agents) are the faces that come to mind when I think of facial pitting. I’ve always figured it was due to acne. I think Brad Pitt has some pretty decent acne scars up on his cheeks. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/14 "2007-04-06T19:41:36Z")
[QUOTE=pizzabrat] Oh..kay… You made it seem like you were linking to an exception rather than another adult Caucasian male. [/QUOTE] I think Edward James Olmos is actually hispanic, but it might depend on how you define “caucasian”. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/15 "2007-04-07T00:53:17Z")
[QUOTE=lorene] Out of curiosity, why would hospitalization be necessary? [/QUOTE] Pimples the size of silver dollars, pimple near the eye, in the nose, on the ear. My aunt said the doctor deep root pimples, some would burst and drain in the inside of the skin causing nasty infections. Besides the face, they both suffered severe acne on the neck, shoulders, back and their butt. A typical hospital stay involved warm compresses, lancing and a lot of antibiotics. I don’t know if it was hereditary either, I only met their father a few times when I was a kid and he seemed to have a normal complexion. My aunt’s 4 other sons (from 2 other guys) had none of the problems with acne like their brothers. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/16 "2007-04-07T01:05:49Z")
My brother(and I’m sure he’d love me sharing this story, heh) had horrible acne when he was a teenager. He went on the Boy Scout Jamboree and naturally couldn’t follow his face-washing regimen as dilligently as he had at home. He came home with spots on his shoulders that were infected with Staph. He ended up in the hospital for about a week. Fine now though, still got backne. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/17 "2007-04-07T02:47:04Z")
[QUOTE=pizzabrat] Oh..kay… You made it seem like you were linking to an exception rather than another adult Caucasian male. [/QUOTE] Well, if hispanic is too caucasian for you, how 'bout [this guy?](http://www.facade.com/celebrity/photo/Laurence_Fishburne.jpg)😉 ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/18 "2007-04-07T02:57:24Z")
Here’s one too. > **[Latest Stills - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/gallery/rg1859820288?path=pgallery&path_key=Liotta,%20Ray)** > > IMDb: Movies, TV, Celebs, and more... ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/19 "2007-04-07T03:00:32Z")
[QUOTE=Zeriel] I think Edward James Olmos is actually hispanic, but it might depend on how you define “caucasian”. [/QUOTE] Caucasian is anyone who is “racially” “white.” Hispanics are people from certain countries, not people of a given “race.” This means you can be both. You can also be Hispanic and “Black.” ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2007, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940/20 "2007-04-07T03:21:25Z")
[QUOTE=percypercy] …backne. -Lil [/QUOTE] Great word!! Thank you! Can’t believe I never thought of that one myself, considering that I suffered badly from acne on my back and shoulders as a teenager and into my 20s. On my cheeks and neck as well, though not as severely. So yeah, here’s one more saying the answer to the OP is acne. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-men-have-pitted-faces/398940.md?page=2)