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schmie2
New Member
 
Joined: 10 Jul 2011
Posts: 8
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:36 am  |
| Hey everyone. I am in distress right now. My skin is completely out of wack. It is as rough as sandpaper and is reddish and sensitive. It burns and hurts to even touch it in the area under my eyes (sunburn area). Mind you, I do not have a sunburn and I never go outside without sunblock. Not even aquaphor can help make it feel moist. My skin will literally peel off in little flakes all over. If I use an oil cleanser it makes the flakes come off but they come right back. I have been like this for over 6 months. It started after I got the Vi peel and facial fat grafting to my eye hollows and cheeks. I look like I am sunburned all the time. 6 weeks after the peel I started NuvaRing and my skin broke so I started using retin-a micro over my already dry, flaky skin. Then, I used glycolic acid 10% peel pads because the BC was causing cyctic acne. Then I did a few mint julep masks and used sulfur gel. I barely used moisturizer during this time. I did all these things together for a few weeks to a little over a month, I am not exactly sure. My skin was already dry and reptile like before all these things but not before the chemical peel. Now, it's just all red and crazy. I feel like my skin is forming a callus or something, so weird. I can't wear makeup to cover it because it just sits on top of my reptile skin. So, as of a few weeks, I have not used anything except moisturizer (CeraVe) and sunblock (CeraVe) and gentle soap-free cleanser (CeraVe). The derm gave me some ointment called desonide (steroid) and it helped for a little but now it's back. A few days ago I started aquaphor because I can't take this dryness and roughness. I can literally layer the aquaphor on and nothing happens it still feels rough. Will my skin ever go back to normal? I am so distraught over this. Any advice, similar experiences, or general comments would help greatly. Thanks a lot! |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 10:41 am |
| I think you're already doing the best thing, which is keeping your skincare routine basic. Don't add anything else to it like you did before. It seems like your skin suffered a lot of damage from everything you used on it, so it will take some time for new skin to surface. You should try to eat more fruits and vegetables to re-hydrate your skin. It's better to get hydration from food as opposed to just drinking water. I would try to stay out of the sun for as long as you can too. I know this isn't ideal for anyone, which is why I said for as long as you can. |
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schmie2
New Member
Joined: 10 Jul 2011
Posts: 8
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:01 am |
| You are definitely right about eating more fruits and vegetables. I have been doing that. I am taking fish oil supplements and a multivitamin as well. In your honest opinion, do you think my skin can ever recover from this? At this point, I have little hope, since it has been like this for 6 months. |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:07 am |
| schmie2 wrote: |
| You are definitely right about eating more fruits and vegetables. I have been doing that. I am taking fish oil supplements and a multivitamin as well. In your honest opinion, do you think my skin can ever recover from this? At this point, I have little hope, since it has been like this for 6 months. |
It's hard to say since each individual is different. I don't want to make any claims about your skin because of that. What have you been doing in those 6 months? Would you say your skin is similar to eczema or psoriasis? |
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schmie2
New Member
Joined: 10 Jul 2011
Posts: 8
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:12 am |
Definitely more similar to eczema. I have some youtube videos that can maybe give you a better idea as to what my skin looks like. You can't really see the dryness but you can see the redness.
Type dermlover1 in the youtube search and all my videos will come up. |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:51 am |
Cerave contains quite a few ingredients. It is possible that something on the list is causing the irritation. The product may have been okay before you damaged your skin, but since it is sensitive now you may not be as tolerant.
I would recommend stopping the Cerave and trying a very basic oatmeal wash for at least a few days, just to rule out the possibility that the product is contributing to the irritation. You can take a cup of boiling water (pref distilled) and add a tablespoon of oatmeal. Let it cool, then strain out the oatmeal and just use the liquid as a gentle cleanser.
Aquaphor has fewer ingredients and is less likely to cause irritation. I would probably use the oatmeal wash and aquaphor to rule out issues. Another option would be to switch out the aquaphor for pure aloe (no mixed gels - they often contain alcohol). |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:21 pm |
Have you ever considered it might be an allergic reaction? It's not uncommon to develop an allergy to something that you eat regularly, so maybe you can look into that.
And since you brought up youtube, I suddenly remembered something: a makeup guru by the name of bubzbeauty had broken out with a very serious allergic rash on her face and so she used natural unflavoured yogurt as a mask. She posted before and after pictures and the results were remarkable. The pictures are on her blog too, so just youtube her and you'll find something.
Also, aquaphor healing ointment broke me out whenever I put it on my face for whatever reason. I always got a whitehead on the places that I spot-treated with. |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:53 pm |
It sounds like you were really using aggressive products after your peel, and damaged your skin barrier. What has your derm said about all of this and what have they recommended you do?
When I damaged my skin barrier, I used Evan Healy (you can get this at Whole Foods) in the morning, and I used Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrate at night. I swear by these products for repairing the skin barrier. The EL product stings when it goes on if your barrier is damaged. It took about 2 weeks before it kicked in but by the 21st day (you only use this nightly for 21 nights), my dryness and redness were gone.
ETA: I just looked a 1 of your videos. I am curious if the derm thinks you might have rosacea? |
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schmie2
New Member
Joined: 10 Jul 2011
Posts: 8
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 2:29 pm |
| Yes, I have definitely contemplated that it is an allergic reaction to something in a product. I just find it weird that I have used CeraVe for years and now all of a sudden they are causing an allergic reaction. I see your point in that my skin is sensitized now from all the product overload. But the thing is, my skin became reptile dry a week or two after i completely peeled. My skin looked great for a week or two after the peel, then it was like the Geico gecko! At that point, all I had used was sunblock and barely even used the CeraVe lotion. My face did not become red until I added retin-a and glycolic. I saw it becoming more red and chapped looking but kept going because my acne was getting bad. I dunno maybe I have rosacea or something. I was thinking that too. I wish I could post a picture on here to show you guys. |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 2:50 pm |
| schmie2 wrote: |
| I dunno maybe I have rosacea or something. |
Check with your derm, schmie2. From the breakouts to the redness across the butterfly area, to the sensitivity - those are all classic rosacea symptoms. (Do you have broken caps across the cheeks?) |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 2:56 pm |
| rileygirl wrote: |
| schmie2 wrote: |
| I dunno maybe I have rosacea or something. |
Check with your derm, schmie2. From the breakouts to the redness across the butterfly area, to the sensitivity - those are all classic rosacea symptoms. (Do you have broken caps across the cheeks?) |
I don't think her derm would suggest she has rosacea since he/she did prescribe a cream for her skin. The derm probably would've said something by then. Or you can also get a second opinion by a different derm. It certainly doesn't hurt.
And by allergy, I don't mean the cleanser, but possibly the food that you're eating. It's not uncommon for allergies to show up out of nowhere. Some people aren't born with their allergies, but instead, develop it out of nowhere. |
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Sun Jul 10, 2011 11:05 pm |
You must not use Retin-A and Glycolic at the same time while your skin is healing from peeling. Only 1 product at a time, but only when your skin is healed. Allow your skin to heal first.
| schmie2 wrote: |
| Yes, I have definitely contemplated that it is an allergic reaction to something in a product. I just find it weird that I have used CeraVe for years and now all of a sudden they are causing an allergic reaction. I see your point in that my skin is sensitized now from all the product overload. But the thing is, my skin became reptile dry a week or two after i completely peeled. My skin looked great for a week or two after the peel, then it was like the Geico gecko! At that point, all I had used was sunblock and barely even used the CeraVe lotion. My face did not become red until I added retin-a and glycolic. I saw it becoming more red and chapped looking but kept going because my acne was getting bad. I dunno maybe I have rosacea or something. I was thinking that too. I wish I could post a picture on here to show you guys. |
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schmie2
New Member
Joined: 10 Jul 2011
Posts: 8
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Mon Jul 11, 2011 7:25 am |
| I have also considered an internal allergy to something I am eating, but why, if that, would it only manifest itself on my face? The rest of the skin on my body is perfect. It is not dry or flaky or red. Also, I have no chest or back acne. Regardless, I cut wheat out of my diet as of a few days ago to make sure it is not that. If there is no avail, then I will also cut out dairy. I did not want to cut out both at the same time because then it would be harder to deduce which, if any, is causing the problems. FYI, I did the VI peel on my neck, chest, and hands too. My neck and chest did not peel anything remotely close to my face but I have no problems with those areas at all. I never used retin-a or glycolic on my neck or chest either. Even when I go to sleep with the aquaphor on my face, I wake up with rough, sandpaper skin on my entire face. Oh yeah, I use all the same lotions and sunblocks on my eyelids and below my eyes and those areas are fine and not dry or red. The redness and roughness (dryness) starts after the area where you would put eye cream. |
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schmie2
New Member
Joined: 10 Jul 2011
Posts: 8
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Mon Jul 11, 2011 7:32 am |
[quote="jade-1234"]You must not use Retin-A and Glycolic at the same time while your skin is healing from peeling. Only 1 product at a time, but only when your skin is healed. Allow your skin to heal first.
I agree with you, but I at least waited 6 weeks before using these products. 6 weeks post-peel that is. But, I did not wait until the dryness, flaking and roughness went away.
I am not sure if it is healing. I have not used those products in at least 2 weeks or more. People have told me the redness is getting better (the sunburned look), but the roughness, flakiness, and dryness has gotten worse. So basically, when the redness started to dissipate, the sandpaper skin became more prominent.
There was one point after the chemical peel but before the retin-a and glycolic that my skin was literally like a reptile, no joke. I could feel my skin cracking when I smiled, laughed, or winked. It was terrible BUT it was not red. As of now, I am going to continue with the aquaphor and gentle cleansing. The only thing that has helped with the dryness as of yet is the mild steroid ointment the dermatologist gave me. Desonide ointment. it was in a petroleum jelly base and I used it 2 a day for 7 days. Dryness about 50% better with that. |
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Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:10 am |
| Certain allergic reactions do only manifest in an isolated area of the body, which can be your face as well. However, after watching your videos, I don't think it is an allergic reaction. But like I said, the best thing to do right now is to just keep it simple. Do not try anything else like Retin-A until your skin has regained its moisture back. At this point, I don't think your skin is capable of absorbing those types of products anyways. You could try carrier oils like coconut oil or jojoba oil which are very emollient and could help with the dryness. You can also try pure aloe vera gel since it seems like your skin is similar to a sunburn as you described. But I would only do this to a small 1 inch x 1 inch part of your face in case it aggravates your dryness - this way, you don't affect your entire face. |
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schmie2
New Member
Joined: 10 Jul 2011
Posts: 8
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Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:25 am |
| oasisjc wrote: |
| Certain allergic reactions do only manifest in an isolated area of the body, which can be your face as well. However, after watching your videos, I don't think it is an allergic reaction. But like I said, the best thing to do right now is to just keep it simple. Do not try anything else like Retin-A until your skin has regained its moisture back. At this point, I don't think your skin is capable of absorbing those types of products anyways. You could try carrier oils like coconut oil or jojoba oil which are very emollient and could help with the dryness. You can also try pure aloe vera gel since it seems like your skin is similar to a sunburn as you described. But I would only do this to a small 1 inch x 1 inch part of your face in case it aggravates your dryness - this way, you don't affect your entire face. |
Thanks. I tried aloe and it burned when I applied it and then just dried on my skin and felt weird. I have some jojoba oil in my cabinet. I tried it but it broke me out. But I guess at this point, breakouts should be the last of my concerns. I do not want to keep changing my routine because then I will never know if something is working or not. I am going to keep with the aquaphor and try to be as patient as I can be. If it is not helping, then I will move on to jojoba oil. I have another dermatologist appointment July 27th. I have my cousin's wedding September 24th and I just want to look normal by then. I want to be able to wear makeup and look polished but at this point, I am not sure if that can happen. I guess patience is what I need to be focusing on here. My skin may be far beyond simple repair at this point and it may take a year or more to see any results....
Thank you for the link. |
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schmie2
New Member
Joined: 10 Jul 2011
Posts: 8
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Mon Jul 11, 2011 4:01 pm |
| So, I have been reading a lot and it could be rosacea. It says in many cases the patient gets really rough, dry skin and that is what I have. I also have the breakouts and the sunburned looking skin that burns when every product touches it. I never had it, to my knowledge, but maybe all the chemicals caused a bad flare. Anyways, if all I do is wash my face with water and reapply aquaphor a few times a day it feels relief, but when I wake up in the morning all the aquaphor has rubbed off and my skin is back to being rough, sandpaper-esque. BTW I am 26 years old. If the doctor gave me rosacea medication, I would be so scared to apply it because my skin feel so hot, burnt and sensitive right now. I do not want to risk injuring it more in the case it is not rosacea. My skin does feel flushed and hot, tingly, and kinda painful to the touch though, especially the area under my eyes where you would normally see a sunburn. This is my 2nd day using aquaphor. I am going to stop all lotions too. Just aquaphor now. I am going to avoid going out during the day for a few days to just let the aquaphor hopefully aid in my skin healing. I can stay home because I am an aspiring grad student so all I really do is study for GRE and MCAT. |
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Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:32 am |
| I've just started using Tretinoin micro gel .025% and did it three days in a row. I always use my Clarisonic at night to remove makeup. This morning I have red spots where I took the skin right off. The rest of my skin looks very smooth and shiny. So I think I'll just do the Tretinoin every other day and see how it goes. Meanwhile I used my copper peptides every morning but have dabbed extra on the raw spots to heal them faster. |
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Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:48 am |
| SoftSkin wrote: |
| I've just started using Tretinoin micro gel .025% and did it three days in a row. I always use my Clarisonic at night to remove makeup. This morning I have red spots where I took the skin right off. The rest of my skin looks very smooth and shiny. So I think I'll just do the Tretinoin every other day and see how it goes. Meanwhile I used my copper peptides every morning but have dabbed extra on the raw spots to heal them faster. |
Was this a good or bad kind of "smooth and shiny" |
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Wed Jul 20, 2011 10:23 am |
I feel that one of the most healing things you can do for yourself is something quite simple. At night, just break open a capsule of Vitamin E and rub it all over your face. It is extremely soothing and healing. It doesn't matter whether or not your problem is an allergic reaction, rosacea or anything else, the Vitamin E is healing. Also, a capsule of Vitamin E contains nothing but Vitamin E. There are no added ingredients. You want to use as little as possible right now while your face begins to heal itself.
Several years ago I irritated my skin quite badly by using glycolic acids and other products that contained ingredients which were too harsh for my very sensitive skin. My problems did not start immediately. But slowly as time went by my face became extremely dry with very deep dehydration lines. It burned after I washed it and nothing helped it. I tried everything. As a last resort I broke open a Vitamin E capsule and after several seconds I finally felt a soothing relief of that awful burning feeling. Slowly, my skin healed. I also just used Macadamia Nut Oil to cleanse my skin and Creme de la Mer as a daily moisturizer. That was it.
The face has the ability to repair itself, but only if you use the right products and stop irritating it with harsh ingredients. At this point your skin will start to mimic all sorts of problems which could lead you to think you have an allergy or rosacea or some other dermalogical problem. I feel your skin is probably just very stressed out by having too many harsh things done to it.
That being said, though, I am not a dermatologist. It's just my opinion.
Good luck. |
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Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:13 pm |
Sorry for bringing this old thread, but I need help! I (inadvertently) damaged my eyelids and under eyes by using the MUAC lactic acid peel. I'd used that peel several times with no issues, so I thought I was good to go. But I think I used other actives too soon after this peel, because now my under eyes and eyelids are like reptile skin! They're so severely dry, cracked, chapped, flaky and NUMB. I'm freaking out because I didn't put the peel anywhere near my eyelids (maybe I rubbed my eyes when I still had some on my fingers?) and the rest of my face is fine!
Right now Im just using green tea face wash, green tea and green tea moisturizer. I also have bacetracin around my eyes because they were SO CRACKED that they hurt terribly. That seems to have helped the pain but that also made them numb.
Am I doomed for life? How'd this even happen? Someone help! |
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Thu Sep 22, 2016 4:34 pm |
| Just wanted to mention that if you are getting used to Retin A, you may find a sonic scrub brush like Clarisonic or Soniclear to be too harsh on your face. Put it aside for a while. |
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Fri Sep 07, 2018 10:07 pm |
| My skin is also damaged, and it is easy to get red. It is a long process to repair it. I haven't found a good solution yet. Only some mild cosmetics can be used, absolutely can not exfoliate, for our damaged skin. |
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Sun Sep 09, 2018 6:38 am |
| Repair the lipidic barrier of your skin with ceramides (AnneMarie Borlind, Ceramide Vital Fluid or Dr Jart+ Ceramidin) |
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