Damage to Skin Due to Over-exfoliation from procedure-Articl
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free skin care · Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:59 am

Any opinions from the MD's, PhD's and skin care experts on this forum about the following article I copied from the UK's Daily Mail? Since I am a newbie, I could not post the link to the article.

Quote:

The facials that ruin your skin: They promise to leave you looking peachy – but expensive anti-ageing facials can wreck your looks
By Leah Hardy

Model Sophie Anderton’s face was her fortune. In her early 20s she earned £30,000 a week and was the poster girl for Gossard.

Her skin was clear and blemish-free, and she wanted to keep it that way. So as the years went by, it’s no surprise that she booked in for regular salon treatments — anti-ageing ‘super-facials’ that would help keep her skin looking young and fresh.

Anderton’s favourites were microdermabrasion — an exfoliating facial that promises to remove fine lines, make skin clearer and prevent ageing — alongside glycolic acid peels, another treatment that takes off the top layer of skin and stimulates collagen production to ‘plump up’ the new skin underneath.

Yet, as 34-year-old Anderton recently revealed, instead of making her skin look younger and brighter, these salon beauty treatments thinned the skin on her face and caused it to ‘turn black’. The ‘miracle’ anti-ageing treatments she was paying thousands of pounds for were having precisely the reverse effect.

Sophie is not alone. Thousands of women now book in for similar super-facials which are available in beauty salons on many High Streets. But dermatologists, including Dr Nick Lowe, director of the Cranley Clinic in London, are becoming increasingly worried about the long-term damage these treatments may do to skin.

They believe that after experiencing the instant ‘brightening’ effects of microdermabrasion and chemical peels (including glycolic, lactic acid and salicylic), some women become hooked and start having them more frequently — as often as once a week or more. Then like Sophie, they are left with broken veins, uneven lined skin, dark pigmentation spots and acne.

Read the full article here: bit.ly/I2tiZe

free skin care · Thu Apr 26, 2012 6:10 am

It may be helpful to search the forum archives for threads dealing with the differences between acute inflammation and chronic inflammation, the spacing of treatments, barrier repair, etc..

BFG

Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:40 pm

Thank you for posting this article. It tells my story exactly except for the "my skin is better" part.
Still trying to find a solution.

Today I'm using copper peptides and bho. I way over did a lactic acid peel a few days ago and have all the signs of thinned skin.
As a result of the peels I've done following the advice of trained professionals to following advice from fourum members from different places my skin has very large pores, all are pretty much congested. Lines that dot to dot from pore to pore. An orange peel dented texture with ridges. Before peels i had slightly oily skin with a few blackheads, very smooth. Peels have not been good for my skin:(
Has anyone else had this problem? And have you reversed it??
Thanks for any help.

Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:59 pm

Joyfulgirl, I had the exact same problem. I wasn't using peels, but I was mechanically exfoliating my face to death. Huge pores, connected pores, oiliness, fine lines, etc. etc.

After finding this forum, I have completely quit exfoliating while doing only things that nourish and repair the skin barrier. You can see my little explanation here in the thread "Barrier Repair, Recommendations and Thanks" (I am not allowed to link, too new of a member).

It is going to take time. I have been working on barrier repair for about 3 weeks now, and have seen significant improvements. My pores are shrinking with every new, hydrating change I make, and my typical breakouts are disappearing. No exfoliation, no harsh soaps, nothing drying. My face did go through an adjustment period...the first week I quit exfoliating I had tons of small pimples here and there, but since then, it has been relatively smooth sailing, and everything is looking way better. I recently added the OCM to unclog pores, which immediately helped.

You can fix this! You just need to find the products that nourish and maintain your skin barrier, which you have stripped off, and eliminate anything that removes or irritates the barrier.

Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:26 pm

Thanks so much sekhmet1! Your success inspires me. How do you formulate your ocm? I tried it once before but didn't find it helpful, on the other hand I was prolly doing other harsh things at the time. And thank you for the tip to read about barrier repair. Going to read that next! Thankyou:)

free skin care · Mon Jun 18, 2012 11:48 pm

Joyfulgirl360 wrote:

Thank you for posting this article. It tells my story exactly except for the "my skin is better" part.
Still trying to find a solution.

Today I'm using copper peptides and bho. I way over did a lactic acid peel a few days ago and have all the signs of thinned skin.
As a result of the peels I've done following the advice of trained professionals to following advice from fourum members from different places my skin has very large pores, all are pretty much congested. Lines that dot to dot from pore to pore. An orange peel dented texture with ridges. Before peels i had slightly oily skin with a few blackheads, very smooth. Peels have not been good for my skin:(
Has anyone else had this problem? And have you reversed it??
Thanks for any help.

Any product or gadget that exfoliates thins the epidermis temporarily. Your skin sounds dehydrated and stressed, maybe switch all your products - including your cleansers - over to ones which are super gentle and hydrating? Copper peptides are really not suited for use on stressed skin IMO: I don't know what you mean by BHO.

I have sensitive, eczematous skin and regularly do light lactic acid peels at home. IMO it is not the peels that are the issue, it is how strong they are, how often you do them, and how they interact with your cosmetics, skincare products or gadgets. Newly peeled skin is very prone to dehydration and to irritation because part of the barrier has been destroyed. This means it is wise to only use 'conservative' actives that nourish the skin rather than 'aggressive' ones.

Tue Jun 19, 2012 6:30 am

Thanks Firefox for your help. For cleansers I've been using the mad hippie cleancer or just cool water then using either emu or celes oil for moister.
My skin is way over done. Had I read this article before I started with peels I probably would have went a different rout wih my skin. I kept getting the impression with peels you had to do stronger peels, build up to them, in order to get past the damage. I didn't have any damage to get past before starting peels and microderms. It has left me with a lot of problems.
I did try ocm 50/50 co and gso last night and my skin feels much more hydrated this morning, will continue with that for sure:)

free skin care · Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:34 am

Joyfulgirl360 wrote:

Thanks Firefox for your help. For cleansers I've been using the mad hippie cleancer or just cool water then using either emu or celes oil for moister.
My skin is way over done. Had I read this article before I started with peels I probably would have went a different rout wih my skin. I kept getting the impression with peels you had to do stronger peels, build up to them, in order to get past the damage. I didn't have any damage to get past before starting peels and microderms. It has left me with a lot of problems.
I did try ocm 50/50 co and gso last night and my skin feels much more hydrated this morning, will continue with that for sure:)

Try not to stress about your skin, remember that it has an amazing ability to repair and regenerate even from the deepest phenol peels applied by a dermatologist. Wink

Are you not using any sunscreen or cosmetics? Do you consistently meet or exceed all your government's recommendations for healthy eating?

Oils are emollients/ occlusives, but they don't actually hydrate the skin and are not moisturisers without the addition of water-based humectants. Furthermore most natural oils don't contain the lipids found in a healthy stratus corneum so won't directly assist in repairing your skin barrier. Research suggests oleic acid may irritate and contribute to abnormal keratinisation so you might be safest limiting this fatty acid. Sad

IMO switch to a moisturiser containing ceramides, cholesterol and/ or the saturates stearic acid and palmitic acid. If you prefer natural ingredients look for medical grade lanolin, lecithin or West African shea butter - some also benefit from the GLA in borage oil. For humectants aloe vera would be worth considering because it has proven anti-inflammatory, healing and collagen inducing properties. If you like your Celes oil you might try emulsifiying that in the hand with some organic aloe vera gel right before applying.

Once your skin is not red, sore or visibly irritated you might consider DragoN's KinNiaNag serum - gentle enough even for rosacea, contains actives proven in acne and anti-ageing and can help normalise sebum production. As well as the main three actives the formula includes lecithin which contains compounds that are precursors of ceramides so should complement your Celes oil. Cool

free skin care · Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:00 pm

Its easy to over-exfoliate without knowing. You think its a good thing, since exfoliating/encouraging turnover is talked about so much, but so many treatments (retin-a, vit c, cp's? ) we're encouraged to use for longterm gains already do that. You think you're training/strengthening your skin with tough love, but...

I didn't realize my skin was hurting until I finally (after months/years) started peeling. My brown skin doesn't show redness very easily, and my hyperpigmentation was fading & skin was looking clearer, but I'd grown unaware of the slight, but constant burning sensation. Luckily I've been too lazy to do any serious peels, or even any light/natural, regular ones.

One thing I've done is added poly80 to my ocm mix so I can rinse it off, which has made the process of taking off my makeup etc. much gentler. And I love the cooling effect of splashing water on my face! Not really doing any massage while it heals, cut back entirely /and then on the frequency of treatments, and have added nourishing serums.

By the way, I have oily skin and find 50% castor WAY too drying so take it down to 20%, if that. And in my mind grapeseed seems a little harsh if your skin needs repairing?

And you really must use sunscreen.
Thanks for posting the article Debb3485. Its good to have this kind of thing come up on eds from time to time while we're all whipped up in a "skincare" frenzy! Laughing

free skin care · Tue Jun 19, 2012 3:08 pm

I overdid it with microfiber, and that hurt. My new best friend is Sudocrem. Looks weird, white patches of cream, but helps like a dream.

Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:05 pm

Thanks again firefox, sorry it took so long to write back I needed to reseach some of the terms you used. I was unaware that the emu could be damaging, so many people say is great for healing?
I'm trying to adjust to a more mediterranean diet(coffee and chocolate are hardhardhard!! to part with) I'm out of sunscreen so wearing hats. Cosmetics are minimal and all moisture seems to double my pore size. I've read a lot about dragons knikknag(sp) and would love to try:)

Today was my 3rd day of ocm and my skin doesn't feel as good as the first two days so going to stop with that and maybe do it once a week? Maybe switch to avacado oil. It's nice because it did loosen a lot of my clogged pores and a milia I've had for years surfaced and is gone. Do these oils remove the acid mantel and act as an exfoliater as well??? My skin does feel tight and warm today:(

Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:22 pm

Hi lori,
I'm unfimiliar with poly80 but sound handy, will research. What oils do you use for your ocm?
I'm feeling like I need to stop everything for a couple weeks perhaps, would that be the best way for the epidermis to rebuild? Maybe just stick with the mad hippie cleanser once a day and diluted super co in hopes of skin remoddling for wrinkles and scars. Seems every time I try something it's all bad. Trying not to stress. The cps haven't seem to have any negatives so far...

free skin care · Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:11 pm

Joyfulgirl360 wrote:

Thanks again firefox, sorry it took so long to write back I needed to reseach some of the terms you used. I was unaware that the emu could be damaging, so many people say is great for healing?
I'm trying to adjust to a more mediterranean diet(coffee and chocolate are hardhardhard!! to part with) I'm out of sunscreen so wearing hats. Cosmetics are minimal and all moisture seems to double my pore size. I've read a lot about dragons knikknag(sp) and would love to try:)

Today was my 3rd day of ocm and my skin doesn't feel as good as the first two days so going to stop with that and maybe do it once a week? Maybe switch to avacado oil. It's nice because it did loosen a lot of my clogged pores and a milia I've had for years surfaced and is gone. Do these oils remove the acid mantel and act as an exfoliater as well??? My skin does feel tight and warm today:(

Much irritation or inflammation takes place at the cellular level so is invisible. Do be aware that oftentimes the product or technique that appears to be causing the irritation is not the culprit. Sometimes it is a combination, sometimes one sets up a sensitivity such that whatever you apply next - even chlorine or fluoride in tapwater - will aggravate.

My reservations about some of the emu oil claims http://www.skincaretalk.com/t/31022/stitches-on-my-forehead#post_547297
The effect of the oleic acid content will be more or less important from person to person. Delighted OCM has dislodged some clogging already: which oils are you currently using? Avocado is rich in oleic acid. Any cleansing will remove some of the acid mantle, but oils have no pH so cannot change the pH of the skin. The oils don't exfoliate but the cloth you are using to remove the oil will do. Adding in an emulsifier reduces the need for repetitive wiping. Some find too much massage irritates their skin so maybe be conservative with time initially. Also castor oil can be drying/ irritant if you use too high a percentage for your skin type.

Coffee and chocolate: can you switch to decaffeinated coffee and dark, low sugar (diabetic) chocolate? There are healthy antioxidants in both coffee and cocoa so you don't necessarily need to go cold turkey. It's the caffeine and sugar that cause blood sugar peaks and troughs, and can contribute to the systemic inflammation which is implicated in numerous health complaints. Sad

Wed Jun 20, 2012 4:32 pm

Very interesting read, thanks for the link. I do have some aloe lavendering gel from MUAC. That may be the safer bet for cooling my skin down and for healing.
The ocm that I'm using is caster oil and grape seed oil, was doing 50:50 but this morning did more like 30:70. My skin is oily to super oily if messed with, congestion, with very large pores after peeling. They shrink quite a bit if I don't do anything with my skin and aren't congested.

Decaf doesn't quite hit the "yay I'm going to the gym!" button as well as a quad shot:)) but I do like a more even flowing natural energy so would be worth it for sure to switch.

Thanks for all your help firefox!!! Smile

Fri Jun 29, 2012 4:07 pm

sekhmet1 wrote:

Joyfulgirl, I had the exact same problem. I wasn't using peels, but I was mechanically exfoliating my face to death. Huge pores, connected pores, oiliness, fine lines, etc. etc.

After finding this forum, I have completely quit exfoliating while doing only things that nourish and repair the skin barrier. You can see my little explanation here in the thread "Barrier Repair, Recommendations and Thanks" (I am not allowed to link, too new of a member).

It is going to take time. I have been working on barrier repair for about 3 weeks now, and have seen significant improvements. My pores are shrinking with every new, hydrating change I make, and my typical breakouts are disappearing. No exfoliation, no harsh soaps, nothing drying. My face did go through an adjustment period...the first week I quit exfoliating I had tons of small pimples here and there, but since then, it has been relatively smooth sailing, and everything is looking way better. I recently added the OCM to unclog pores, which immediately helped.

You can fix this! You just need to find the products that nourish and maintain your skin barrier, which you have stripped off, and eliminate anything that removes or irritates the barrier.

I have very dehydrated skin from over exfoliating and acne products.I just started using calendula on my face and taking fish oil 3g a day for the first time.What did you do to help you skin barrier? I think I destroy my skin lipids that hold water.any ideas?

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