Raw skin on cheeks - need help with healing
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Thu Feb 07, 2013 7:54 pm

Hi there. To give a quick background, I'm 18 years old, and I went on a heavy round of harsh acne creams (retinoids) a year and a half ago, which made the skin on my cheeks really red, raw and dehydrated. I spent all of 2012 trying to heal my cheeks with natural healers and moisturizers such as aloe vera, emu oil, rosehip, msm, atopalm, etc... I saw a lot of surface improvement, but the underlying sensitivity didn't get healed. Even by the end of 2012 my cheek skin was still incredibly sensitive (they get really red just from going out in the cold for a few minutes) and the healing is incredibly slow.

I decided the only thing I could do would be to leave my skin alone. By not washing or applying any products at all, I could allow my skin to breathe easy, readjust, and rebuild it's protective barriers.

I've been doing this for the last 2 and a half months. The results have been quite something. Both my forehead and jaw (which were covered in acne 2 months ago) are completely clear and the skin in those places has regained so much moisture and glow.

My cheeks however, immediately built up this incredible dead skin mask as soon as I stopped washing. I decided to leave the dead skin mask on because I figured it might act as sort of a blister for my raw cheek skin as it heals itself. However yesterday I removed some of the dead skin and saw that the skin underneath looks a lot more raw and irritated than it did when I started this, which was disappointing. It also looks quite shiny and the texture is pretty slimy - likely from all the sebum and stuff that was trapped under the dead skin

Does my dead skin theory sound correct to anyone else? Or should I just remove it and keep my cheeks clean of any buildup. I figure what needs to happen is that my cheeks need to rebuild their barriers, and to do that they probably need a lot of moisture. I'm sure that leaving them alone is the right thing to do, but maybe the dead skin is a bad idea?

Also, are there any things I can do to try and add moisture to my face without washing it or using any products? I'm already drinking a ton of water, but is there anything else I should consider?

Thank you

free skin care · Thu Feb 07, 2013 9:05 pm

I can't even begin to imagine what exactly is happening with the skin on your cheeks. I am so sorry you are going through all this. I would just suggest you use some Aquaphor Healing Ointment on your cheeks.
One of the ingredients is petrolatum and regardless of the bad rep this products gets from a lot of people it has been proven to immediately help in the repair of the skin barrier. There are some studies posted on pubmed you can search for. It also has panthenol which has also been shown to help with wound repair and it has glycerin which is a skin identical ingredient and it helps to repair the skin. It's a simple formula, but it may be just what your skin needs at this time.

Good luck.

free skin care · Thu Feb 07, 2013 10:38 pm

only for short term usage, try using an OTC hydrocortisone cream, that stuff is amazing to heal inflamed, raw skin.. but don't use it for more than few days.... u can reuse after taking a break..

by the way, retinA is great if used wisely.. i m sure the doc who prescribed it to you was an idiot and gave you no directions..

Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:49 pm

daler wrote:

only for short term usage, try using an OTC hydrocortisone cream, that stuff is amazing to heal inflamed, raw skin.. but don't use it for more than few days.... u can reuse after taking a break..

by the way, retinA is great if used wisely.. i m sure the doc who prescribed it to you was an idiot and gave you no directions..

I don't think that's a good idea. It's a steroid and after looking it up I found a bunch of things saying not to use it on delicate skin. I really think I shouldn't be using anything on cheeks, cause washing it and applying topicals just strips it of it's acid mantle and lipid barrier. I'm really thinking of just removing this dead skin, letting my skin breathe, and sleeping with a humidifier

free skin care · Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:55 pm

biotin23 wrote:

daler wrote:

only for short term usage, try using an OTC hydrocortisone cream, that stuff is amazing to heal inflamed, raw skin.. but don't use it for more than few days.... u can reuse after taking a break..

by the way, retinA is great if used wisely.. i m sure the doc who prescribed it to you was an idiot and gave you no directions..

I don't think that's a good idea. It's a steroid and after looking it up I found a bunch of things saying not to use it on delicate skin. I really think I shouldn't be using anything on cheeks, cause washing it and applying topicals just strips it of it's acid mantle and lipid barrier. I'm really thinking of just removing this dead skin, letting my skin breathe, and sleeping with a humidifier

I made my skin raw with RetinA as well, at the corners of my mouth and nose ( where RetinA should not be used per instructions from the manufacturer) and the steroid cream healed in couple of days... but it's upto you if u want to use it or no... i hope u resolve your issue soon, good luck!

free skin care · Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:24 pm

If your skin is still irritated and inflamed then you need to get that under control. I would use a cortisone cream as suggested by Daler for a few days to a week - this will not thin the skin over such a short duration. Irritated skin is highly aging and also causes imbalances in your skin mantle as you are seeing now.

I suggest cleansing for a minute twice a day with a ph balanced cleanser for sensitive skin. Then exfoliating off that dead skin and applying products that will help heal, such as ceramides and antioxidants. Vitamin C serum is good for healing if you can handle any acids. Olay makes a good ceramide moisturizer as well as Cerave. These will help replicate your natural skin barrier so your cheek skin can get in balance again. Mist occasionally with a hyaluronic acid spray for moisture replenishment.

Seal it with Egyptian Magic Cream or a Decleor Balm. Aquaphor is excellent when you use Retin-A to protect the sides of your nose, lips and ear creases.

If you don't get rid of the dead skin then the products cannot penetrate and start healing. A skin cycle is 6 to 8 weeks so if this has not cleared up in 2.5 months of not washing then you need to change the strategy. Go slow.

Good luck!

Fri Feb 08, 2013 9:03 pm

denisiel wrote:

If your skin is still irritated and inflamed then you need to get that under control. I would use a cortisone cream as suggested by Daler for a few days to a week - this will not thin the skin over such a short duration. Irritated skin is highly aging and also causes imbalances in your skin mantle as you are seeing now.

I suggest cleansing for a minute twice a day with a ph balanced cleanser for sensitive skin. Then exfoliating off that dead skin and applying products that will help heal, such as ceramides and antioxidants. Vitamin C serum is good for healing if you can handle any acids. Olay makes a good ceramide moisturizer as well as Cerave. These will help replicate your natural skin barrier so your cheek skin can get in balance again. Mist occasionally with a hyaluronic acid spray for moisture replenishment.

Seal it with Egyptian Magic Cream or a Decleor Balm. Aquaphor is excellent when you use Retin-A to protect the sides of your nose, lips and ear creases.

If you don't get rid of the dead skin then the products cannot penetrate and start healing. A skin cycle is 6 to 8 weeks so if this has not cleared up in 2.5 months of not washing then you need to change the strategy. Go slow.

Good luck!

Well my skin is not exactly inflamed. The exposed parts of my cheeks that I can see are actually not red at all, they're just a light pinkish color. While I'm not completely against products, I can't help but feel that since products are what irritated my skin in the first place, it doesn't make sense to keep using products since I'll just continue to strip my barriers away every time I cleanse. I did try gentle healing products for a year after all and got only superficial results

Like I said, my forehead and jaw are completely clear now, something which I haven't been able to say in 3 years, and this is after 2.5 months of not washing.

I guess I just made this topic cause I'm a bit confused about the dead skin. When I started this, I figured the dead skin would act as a protector and healer for my cheeks, but now I'm not sure if that's the case or if it might be causing irritation. I do feel that it has protected my skin nicely from the cold Canada air. But I suppose I'll just continue to monitor things on my cheeks.

free skin care · Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:57 pm

I would not be messing with any dead skin, until you are certain that your skin barrier is fully restored. I found this sentence a bit alarming:

Quote:

However yesterday I removed some of the dead skin and saw that the skin underneath looks a lot more raw and irritated than it did when I started this, which was disappointing. It also looks quite shiny and the texture is pretty slimy - likely from all the sebum and stuff that was trapped under the dead skin

I find it highly unlikely that the slimy texture is due to trapped sebum...it sounds more like it might be highly irritated and on the verge of possible infection.

If you have messed up your skin barrier, a protective, non irritating product that can help really REPAIR the skin barrier is your best bet. The requirements for that repair are a specific ratio of fatty acids, cholesterol, and ceramides.

Consider the product below, which is designed for skin barrier repair after very ablative laser treatments. This line was developed by a top dermatologist with extensive clinical study background in preventing inflammation and restoring the skin barrier. I would only use it on your cheeks, as it might be too heavy for the rest of your face.

http://www.lovelyskin.com/details.asp?PID=117903

Please proceed with caution, as continuing to irritate the skin by removing dead skin, etc. could end up causing post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (aka brown patches or spots).

Sat Feb 09, 2013 12:25 am

bethany wrote:

I would not be messing with any dead skin, until you are certain that your skin barrier is fully restored. I found this sentence a bit alarming:

Quote:

However yesterday I removed some of the dead skin and saw that the skin underneath looks a lot more raw and irritated than it did when I started this, which was disappointing. It also looks quite shiny and the texture is pretty slimy - likely from all the sebum and stuff that was trapped under the dead skin

I find it highly unlikely that the slimy texture is due to trapped sebum...it sounds more like it might be highly irritated and on the verge of possible infection.

If you have messed up your skin barrier, a protective, non irritating product that can help really REPAIR the skin barrier is your best bet. The requirements for that repair are a specific ratio of fatty acids, cholesterol, and ceramides.

Consider the product below, which is designed for skin barrier repair after very ablative laser treatments. This line was developed by a top dermatologist with extensive clinical study background in preventing inflammation and restoring the skin barrier. I would only use it on your cheeks, as it might be too heavy for the rest of your face.

Please proceed with caution, as continuing to irritate the skin by removing dead skin, etc. could end up causing post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (aka brown patches or spots).

Thanks for the advice, I'm a bit confused by your post though. When you say I shouldn't be messing with dead skin, are you saying I should just leave it be, or that I should not allow it to stay on my face? Cause later in your post you said removing it could further irritate my skin

free skin care · Sat Feb 09, 2013 6:57 am

biotin23 wrote:

However yesterday I removed some of the dead skin and saw that the skin underneath looks a lot more raw and irritated than it did when I started this, which was disappointing. It also looks quite shiny and the texture is pretty slimy - likely from all the sebum and stuff that was trapped under the dead skin

Hi and welcome to the forum!

You didn't mention what you used to remove the dead skin?

It sounds to me like too much skin was removed. Perhaps use a gentler exfoliater next time? I too think you should use a barrier cream for now though.

As for your dead skin theory. I deal with eczema and sensitive skin in general and believe in the importance of removing dead skin, but only done gently. The built up layer of dead skin, if not given some help to come off, can trap bacteria and make things worse. The keyword is gentle, you don't remove more than necessary.

free skin care · Sat Feb 09, 2013 10:12 am

biotin23 wrote:

bethany wrote:

I would not be messing with any dead skin, until you are certain that your skin barrier is fully restored. I found this sentence a bit alarming:

Quote:

However yesterday I removed some of the dead skin and saw that the skin underneath looks a lot more raw and irritated than it did when I started this, which was disappointing. It also looks quite shiny and the texture is pretty slimy - likely from all the sebum and stuff that was trapped under the dead skin

I find it highly unlikely that the slimy texture is due to trapped sebum...it sounds more like it might be highly irritated and on the verge of possible infection.

If you have messed up your skin barrier, a protective, non irritating product that can help really REPAIR the skin barrier is your best bet. The requirements for that repair are a specific ratio of fatty acids, cholesterol, and ceramides.

Consider the product below, which is designed for skin barrier repair after very ablative laser treatments. This line was developed by a top dermatologist with extensive clinical study background in preventing inflammation and restoring the skin barrier. I would only use it on your cheeks, as it might be too heavy for the rest of your face.

Please proceed with caution, as continuing to irritate the skin by removing dead skin, etc. could end up causing post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (aka brown patches or spots).

Thanks for the advice, I'm a bit confused by your post though. When you say I shouldn't be messing with dead skin, are you saying I should just leave it be, or that I should not allow it to stay on my face? Cause later in your post you said removing it could further irritate my skin

I think it is key to understand exactly how much dead skin you are talking about, and to Circus' point below exactly how you are removing it and how often.

But if it is as irritated and slimy as you mentioned, I would not be messing with any dead skin removal in the immediate future.

Sat Feb 09, 2013 6:02 pm

bethany wrote:

biotin23 wrote:

bethany wrote:

I would not be messing with any dead skin, until you are certain that your skin barrier is fully restored. I found this sentence a bit alarming:

Quote:

However yesterday I removed some of the dead skin and saw that the skin underneath looks a lot more raw and irritated than it did when I started this, which was disappointing. It also looks quite shiny and the texture is pretty slimy - likely from all the sebum and stuff that was trapped under the dead skin

I find it highly unlikely that the slimy texture is due to trapped sebum...it sounds more like it might be highly irritated and on the verge of possible infection.

If you have messed up your skin barrier, a protective, non irritating product that can help really REPAIR the skin barrier is your best bet. The requirements for that repair are a specific ratio of fatty acids, cholesterol, and ceramides.

Consider the product below, which is designed for skin barrier repair after very ablative laser treatments. This line was developed by a top dermatologist with extensive clinical study background in preventing inflammation and restoring the skin barrier. I would only use it on your cheeks, as it might be too heavy for the rest of your face.

Please proceed with caution, as continuing to irritate the skin by removing dead skin, etc. could end up causing post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (aka brown patches or spots).

Thanks for the advice, I'm a bit confused by your post though. When you say I shouldn't be messing with dead skin, are you saying I should just leave it be, or that I should not allow it to stay on my face? Cause later in your post you said removing it could further irritate my skin

I think it is key to understand exactly how much dead skin you are talking about, and to Circus' point below exactly how you are removing it and how often.

But if it is as irritated and slimy as you mentioned, I would not be messing with any dead skin removal in the immediate future.

I'm talking about a very thick, gross looking dead skin mask on my cheeks. Not something subtle at all, like it literally looks like I'm wearing a mask, my cheeks look completely golden. It also seems to be coming off pretty easy when I try, all I have to use is the edge of my finger.

Anyway the part of my cheek that I said looked really gross when I took the dead skin off - it looks a lot better now after just 3 days, it's looking kind of healthy even

free skin care · Sat Feb 09, 2013 11:06 pm

biotin23 wrote:

I'm talking about a very thick, gross looking dead skin mask on my cheeks. Not something subtle at all, like it literally looks like I'm wearing a mask, my cheeks look completely golden. It also seems to be coming off pretty easy when I try, all I have to use is the edge of my finger.

Anyway the part of my cheek that I said looked really gross when I took the dead skin off - it looks a lot better now after just 3 days, it's looking kind of healthy even

That is great news. I would still use the barrier cream, and consider a more gentle exfoliation method like The Cure Aqua Gel going forward.

free skin care · Sat Feb 09, 2013 11:34 pm

I was in the same situation 10 years ago. Shiny red skin = overexfoliation. I did have to resort to a prescription cortisone cream as well as a course of oral antibiotics, and I did have to use it for almost a month. Mine was an extreme case of contact dermatitis from overexfoliation from acne products containing salicylic acid though, you may not have to go this route. I used Dermalogica Barrier repair and a greasy moisturizer after I was done with the round of cortisone. It took about a year and a half to repair itself and was sensitive in those patches for about five years afterwards. I have no further issues nowadays. Hang in there, I know how devastating it is to have an angry raw face.

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