HELP on healing damaged skin please :)
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Mon Apr 22, 2013 8:18 am

You all seem very knowledgeable, please can you help me on this matter Smile

I suffered from a severe acne breakout. From this breakout I was severely hyperpigmentated and scared.

I had been told that exfoliation with glycolic acid would improve my condition.

I over exfoliated way too much because I was desperate, skin became sensitive.

The wrong use of exfoliation made wrinkles appear on my forehead and two patches of weak scaly looking skin on either side of the forehead.

I also gained wrinkles under the eyes after using glycolic acid on them.

It's been a year and they and the damage from the acid peels still remain.

How can I heal this?

Extra Info:

I'm a 22yr old male, exercise plenty, eat mainly vegetables, fruits, fish and grains. Occasionally have other forms of meat. Drink quite a lot of water 3 litres a day. Do not smoke or drink. Keep refined sugars to a minimum and have a very low body fat percentage. Had perfect skin before he breakout last year.

free skin care · Mon Apr 22, 2013 11:25 am

What have you tried already, to heal your skin? And has your skin responded to what you have tried?

Mon Apr 22, 2013 12:41 pm

Thank you for your time Smile

I've tried castor oil and rose hip seed oil. Both oils seemed to decrease firmness and elasticity of skin even further. They did however get rid of scars and hyperpigmentation positively.

This maybe because the vitamin A in rose hip seed oil causes further exfoliation, when my skins already over exfoliated...Not sure though.

It's almost like the skins not regenerating as quick because of the damage.

I also tried colostrum power. Because of the growth factors in the powder the scars on my cheek rapidly started to disappear inside of 2 weeks on my cheeks.

however it ad no effect on the forehead damaged skin wrinkles and eye wrinkles.

Mon Apr 22, 2013 12:50 pm

please stop all the harsh chemicals and products. cut them all out.

try niacinamide powder in distilled water. let that help your skin barrier get healthy again. also add n acetyl glucosamine powder into the water. it's the best thing i have found that helps with damage like this.

i would recommend a sunscreen that is oil free & natural at the same time. you could try bare essentials because they have a powder sunscreen but it's colored, so it's like make up. i dont kno w how that will make you feel.

it will get better. don't worry. try these methods and ditch harsh products.

also, i will advice you not to use any oils or moisturizers because they cause skin to become dependent on them and stop producing its own moisture.

free skin care · Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:38 pm

Ok. My sense is that your skin needs some food. Try a honey mask each day, to it you can add cacao, or avocado, or some hydration with oat or rice milk.

Eat coconut oil and brazil nuts and green smoothies. Are you getting enough fats?

See if a few weeks or a month of feeding your skin starts to help.

Mon Apr 22, 2013 6:48 pm

All my macros (carbs,Fats,Protein) are above daily requirements due to athletic events, personal fitness and health goals.

Thank you for the advice, I've taken everything on board and started making changes Smile

free skin care · Mon Apr 22, 2013 11:35 pm

Faz, try upping your fat intake level a little. Your body is utilizing nutrition for your fitness goals.. some has to be factored in for your skin food.

Btw if you are running or swimming, both of those things create drying issues for the skin.

Tue Apr 23, 2013 5:34 am

I'm going to be rolling at 5% body fat for a while, is that detrimental to skin health?
I can only do the dietary changes after the fitness comp which is in two weeks.

Thank you catski:)

free skin care · Tue Apr 23, 2013 9:19 am

faz, no doubt you know you are playing at the margin. Under 5% is dangerous.

Your skin dryness could be part of the bigger picture here showing an issue you would want to resolve sooner rather than later.

I dont personally like that you are so low in body fat, but you didnt come here to hear that.. Wink

...

your skin dryness may resolve itself when your diet has enough nutrients/fats in it for your skin to benefit..

Good Luck.

Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:17 pm

op, i'm telling you. dont do honey masks or avocado masks or all the other stuff. it's not needed. none of that has been proven to give skin any beneficial results. i dont know where it comes from. niacinamide has been proven. glucosamine has been proven. and i have experienced the good results myself. dont cleanse too frequently. just like once a day or a few times a week. give your skin a chance to heal itself by spraying the serum on only twice a day, morning and evening. use sunscreen if you can without oils...and that use titanium dioxide (natural)...and that's it. keep it simple. also eat healthy of course....but topical things benefit you the most.

free skin care · Tue Apr 23, 2013 11:36 pm

Tamanu oil is very very healing ... smells awful though, its also good for acne and its does not dry out your skin...

free skin care · Tue Apr 23, 2013 11:36 pm

how rude...

free skin care · Tue Apr 23, 2013 11:39 pm

LoriA wrote:

how rude...

if you are referring to deertear, I dont think she meant to be rude , she is just passionate to help the op and just telling her opinion... it could have been said in a more subtle way though...

free skin care · Wed Apr 24, 2013 8:15 am

I reccommend to stop using foaming cleansers as they tend to aggrivate skin.

Try to find a soothing cream cleanser to use and a light toner to prep the skin. Also, try to avoid touching or rubbing your skin too much. I think a spray on toner is advisable here.

You could also try a soothing clay mask or something with shea butter as both have a history of helping to sooth irritations in skin.
I use the Calm Skin Arnica masque from Eminence if I get red/irritated. It works for me and I have thin/dry skin.

Remember that when the skin is inflamed, less is usually best. Good luck!

Wed Apr 24, 2013 8:53 am

Deertear don't worry, I've taken your suggestion of nacinamide and nag and bought some powders, Thank you for the suggestion read good things about them after you brought them up Very Happy

Catski's advice on diet will be put into practice after the competition I'm in is over. As a Pharmacy student, the advice she gave for fats and the skin seem spot on, I appreciate it Smile

Lightshox,I shall try and keep my fingers of my face. Another small habit I'll have to work on, Thank you Very Happy

Didn't think I'd learn so much from my first post, Extremely glad I joined up now haha Very Happy

free skin care · Wed Apr 24, 2013 10:59 am

deertear wrote:

op, i'm telling you. dont do honey masks or avocado masks or all the other stuff. it's not needed. none of that has been proven to give skin any beneficial results. i dont know where it comes from.

Hello deertear. I appreciate that you are a zealot on your own behalf, wishing to spread the word about your method. Terrific that you have found something that worked for you and that you believe in. Congratulations. To contradict another poster so abruptly and carelessly as you have done here in this thread is bad manners and insensitive.

free skin care · Sat Apr 27, 2013 11:57 am

I was once in the same situation- overexfoliation as a result of a really bad acne breakout. My jawline looked like it was chewed by rats, I had a dermatitis open sore on my cheekbone that required antibiotics and cortisone cream for, and my forehead was apple peel shiny from acid abuse. Super hot! This is what I did, and everyone's different so no one method will work for two people. For a while, I put all acids away and really focused on repairing the skin barrier. I found emu oil and used that as a moisturizer, got rid of soap and switched to almond butter and tea tree oil DIY (search for Dr Haushuka Cleansing Cream DIY on this forum, there are some other ingredients that I can't remember but the real store bought stuff had too much fragrance). At this point I figured out I had a peanut allergy. That's it. When the skin is healed and calmed, I began a retin a regimen, starting with the very weakest formula, it packs a punch. I moved from the almond butter to rhassoul clay. These two kept my skin clear forever forward. I have never been able to tolerate glycolic or salicylic acids, I just didn't figure this out until my skin was destroyed. From injured to healthy it took 2-3 years, please don't be discouraged but it is a journey and well worth it.

free skin care · Sat Apr 27, 2013 2:36 pm

Yes daler, my comment was directed at the "I'M telling you." post. I just didn't have time to respond. Tolerance is key here and I thought both the masks & sprays were good ideas.

Ava, what a story! chewed by rats, lol! Anyway, I find it fascinating.
Did you mean that your peanut allergy extended to the almond butter? Nightmare.
And do you not find clay a little drying? I used bentonite to cleanse for a while, but then got the feeling it might be a little too drying, even for my oily skin. Maybe I was wrong about that. Or perhaps I just massaged it in/left it on too long.

Tue Apr 30, 2013 8:31 pm

Feel good to know that there are people like me who have had the same experiences and conquered them. Thank you Very Happy

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