Please help me
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

Fri Apr 11, 2014 5:27 am

Hi there

I have joined these boards today in search of desperate help. I hope this post is in the correct place.

I am 39 years of age and my skin is in such a state and damaged beyond repair. Along with severe scarring from cystic acne, the whole texture is like orange peel (I am unable to post pictures as I am new). My whole face contains huge holes/severe wrinkling and a dried out look, even though I have oily skin. I have the skin of weathered 70 year old. Every day it gets worse. My face seems to have a dirty look to it as well - I can only describe it as 'dead'.

I have never had any treatments such as dermabrasion/lasers/chemical peels or used Retin A# I also eat healthy#

I feel like I am having a nervous breakdown, I cannot understand what has happened to my skin# Each day I wake up I prey for night time# I am socially withdrawn#

Could somebody please help me to understand what is happening to my face?

Many Thanks

free skin care · Fri Apr 11, 2014 6:58 am

Lisa I would love to help you but without being able to take a full history and see in person what is going on Im at a loss.

Have you seen a Dermatologist who can try to sort out any problems you may be having? IANAD

free skin care · Fri Apr 11, 2014 7:21 am

Bless your heart, Lisa! Please don't feel that it's hopeless; it's not. There are many things that can be done to improve/restore your skin. Your skin constantly sheds and recreates itself (for lack of a better term) so if you start on a good regime you should see improvement. It certainly won't be overnight - nothing save surgery or fillers can offer instant gratification (and not surgery really, because healing takes time) - but it will be worth the wait.

I agree that you should see a dermatologist. He or she can recommend the best course of action for your skin. A lot of people make the mistake of doing too much too soon and end up damaging their skin even further.

Cheer up, hon! You've found the best place for advice outside of a licensed aesthetician. My skin loves Essential Day Spa, and so do I! LOL

Fri Apr 11, 2014 7:39 am

Thank you Immacolata and Fawnie for your kind words.

The last time I saw a Dermatologist was to get treatment for cystic acne. I was put on tetracycline and have been on and off this medication for many years.

At this time I can't afford to pay privately to see him again as I am unemployed at present. I will try to be referred on the NHS, but my GP's are not very understanding/knowledgeable.

I just can't understand what is happening as the texture of my skin is similiar to severe laser damage. The acne scarring alone is horrific, but at least I know how this happened.

Thanks again, I am glad I have found this forum and I hope somebody out there may be able to give suggestions Smile

free skin care · Fri Apr 11, 2014 4:36 pm

Hey Lisa!

There are sooooo many things that you can do for your skin that can help! And all the peeps on EDS are awesome. Everyone offers different a different perspective. So the good news is that aside from a derm, you are in the right place Smile

About your skin, based on your description, I think you might benefit from:

(1) LEDs. Check out the ones in blue wavelengths. There is some good science behind them for reducing acne and inflammation, e.g., http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16249142

(2) Massage to improve the health of your skin and give it more circulation and luster.

(3) Topicals, such as Copper peptides or isotretinoin might be good for you.

(4) Light exfoliation. Carole Maggio of Facercise has a facial mitt that I love.

(5) I love this product for spot treatment of acne: Euro Natural Oil.

https://www.morroccomethod.com/raw-store/conditioners/euro-natural-oil-conditioner-and-moisturizer-detail

I know it's a funky product, but I've honestly not found anything better, and I love it (have been using it for 8 years now). I apply at night, if I ever have a problem, and then it's virtually always smaller or gone by the next day.

(6) I wonder if changing your pillowcase every night would help. I know a couple people on this forum who do that, and say that it helped their acne a lot.

(7) I can't help but wonder about diet and hormones. I know that you said that you eat healthy, but I wonder if there might be things in your diet that may be making it worse. Do you drink lots of water? One thing that made my skin really soft was cutting down my salt consumption, eating lots of fruits and veggies (60-75% of my calories), not eating refined sugar and oils, etc. For instance, oil is a refined food that is often oxidized or molecularly damaged, so I try to eat my fats in whole-food form. Also, are you consuming dairy? Some people can be sensitive to the hormones in dairy. Or maybe you have an allergy? Just brainstorming aloud...

(8.) Laser resurfacing may also be a good option: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19839167

HTH. Hugs Smile

free skin care · Sat Apr 12, 2014 9:04 am

Even if money is tight, there are things you can do. I'm on a fixed income myself, but the things I use are pretty inexpensive. Copper peptide serum is around $40 but it lasts a long time. I am going to formulate my own copper peptide cream next - I can get a lot more bang for my buck there. I make my own Vitamin C serum for pennies, literally. I just bought a tube of Retin-A cream from an ebay seller for $16.97. Of course, I was careful. The seller had a 100% feedback score and I read all the feedback - several positive reviews were about the cream so I was comfortable buying it. But my point is that there are corners you can cut, price wise.

I've used LED too but I didn't buy an expensive wand, I bought one from Amazon (again, read the reviews!) for about $85. I had to scrimp a little to save for that, but I feel it was worth it, even though I've been slacking off on it. Sad

As far as your dermatologist, can you plead severe emotional pain? Or even physical pain - tell him your skin HURTS!

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.