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Tue Jul 11, 2006 2:56 am  |
Hi everyone. I'll keep this as brief as possible but hopefully my story will strike a cord with some of you out there. I am a UK male of Afro Carribean extrect with previously very oily skin (I've had degrees of acne since 16 - I am now 40) At times my skin has been terrible and at some times pretty much perfect. One of the major improvements came over the last 3/4 years with the usage of acidophilus tablets (Holland and Barrett - apparently they help increase efficient food digestion. I started going to the toilet every 1-2 days instead of 3-4!) I can only assume the toxins stored in my body because of my inefficient digestion used to come through my facial skin. It reduced my acne problems by around 90% so all I had to do was concentrate on looking after my blemished skin. About 9 months ago I decided to buy chewable acidophilus instead of normal (there was only a extra big container of normal acidophilus available) This was the biggest mistake of my skin life in the last ten years. Over a three month period my skin got progressively worse and by the end of month 3 I was getting a boil every 2-3 days - with resultant blemishes that take MUCH longer to heal than normal spots. This was extremely depressing considering my skin had been virtually perfect for the last year. I then used a combination of Palmers skin success cream and Fade cream (both contain Hydroquinone) in my desperation to get rid of these blemishes. I've used them before but this time basically overloaded my skin with these creams. I used these for around two months and noticed areas of my skin where product was applied (about 15% of surface) had almost overnight turned blue/grey in colour. I have never been so depressed in years. I have stopped use of these products now and my skin 6 weeks later is about 30% better (still a way off my previous condition) I will now be trying a completely NATURAL product called Elicina cream (type into Yahoo) to help in the regeneration of my damaged skin cells. I'll tell you how I get get on. The bottom line is HydroQ can not only inhibit melanin production but actually damage your pigment cells - and carries on working for a while after you stop using it. I've learnt the hard way folks but I guess it could have been so much worse. Basically people with Black skin should use HydroQ extremely sparingly and watch for signs of odd greying - it will lead onto darkening!
Have any of you out there found a way of recovering quickly from this type of damage?? I reckon without a good product it will take me about 4-6 months to get back to normal. Not good.... |
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Tue Jul 11, 2006 3:25 am |
Hi
I've used the Elicina. It's nice enough, but it's just a mild glycolic which will turn over your skin's renewal a little more quickly but nothing miraculous or healing.
I wouldn't know what to suggest for your problem - it doesn't come up that often.
Have you tried this board
http://skincarerx.com/phorum/index.html
Their 'Melasma' board seems to be the hub of the universe as far as pigmentation problems are concerned and a lot of them have used HQ before.
HTH Molly  |
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Tue Jul 11, 2006 3:30 am |
| Thanks Molly!! |
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Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:48 am |
I also have used Elicina (2 jars), and also did not get too much out of it. It was really just a nice cream! No significant changes to my skin at all.  |
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51 years old/brunette/normal- oily medium skin. |
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Tue Jul 11, 2006 12:03 pm |
| Hmm... Not so good so far. How do these companies get away with it. Melederm sounds a really good skin fade cream but I'm leaving my skin alone for the 'far' future. I've done some extra research Sporty so think I'll be buying 120 MSM capsules (£12.99) from Holland and Barrett. Great for skin cell repair from all accounts- we'll see! |
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Tue Jul 11, 2006 3:01 pm |
beej - I agree on the MSM. I have been taking them for a couple of years now and will continue to. I think they're the reason I haven't developed any more hyperpimentation. Just trying to get rid of the old ones now!  |
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51 years old/brunette/normal- oily medium skin. |
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Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:01 pm |
| Hi beej - My husband will only take "Culturelle" brand acidophilus capsules. He even stores them in the refrigerator. I recently found out that hospitals and nursing homes use this brand as well. I don't know exactly what's so special about it, but I suspect potency may be a factor, since the amount of active bacilli varies among brands. |
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Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:36 pm |
| Quote: |
| Have any of you out there found a way of recovering quickly from this type of damage?? I reckon without a good product it will take me about 4-6 months to get back to normal. Not good.... |
Hi Beej
I saw from your other post you're going to take MSM supplements. Seems like a good move. I was waiting for someone with more oily/acneic skin to give you some general advice, but no-one has so I will.
You also need to look after your skin to promote healing. I'm assuming you're a bit ignorant about skincare only because you're a UK bloke  so forgive me if I'm wrong.
To promote healing you need to look after your skin barrier/acid mantle, reduce inflammation from breakouts and protect your skin from the environment.
Step 1 - find a good cleanser which doesn't contain harsh detergents and strip your skin's acid mantle. It's one thing I can't give you any advice on. do a search here.
Use something salicylic acid based to scour out pores and stop more breakouts. I'd recommend this, exfol serum
http://www.dianayvonne.com/product/SB86_1
it's very gentle. It's more powerful at cleaning out pores than an aspirin mask.
A lot of people on the board recommend Ylang Ylang oil for reducing oil production and subsequent breakouts - dunno about brands.
Step 2 - healing things - Emu oil. This might appear greasy, but people with acne seem to like it. It's highly anti-inflammatory and mimics the skin's natural lipids very closely. You can get this here
Ultra emu (absorbs best)
http://www.dianayvonne.com/product/LB002
but you can probably pick some up in a health food shop, although it might be a little less elegant.
Copper Peptide serum - you can also buy it from dianayvonne.com (smallest pot 1oz is enough)
Here's some info on CPswww.skinbio.com
copper peptides are a natural part of the skin's healing system and helps with balancing oil production
Step 3 - protection from the sun/environment
Use a topical anti-oxidant daily, e.g. Vitamin C serum - there are so many to choose from I wouldn't know which to recommend.
This neutralises free radicals produced by natural skin processes and environmental agressors plus increases collagen production. This leads to evening of the skin tone.
Sun screen - if your skin's busy fighting UV it's got less energy to heal. There is a very light but expensive (24 quid for just over 1oz) SS from Clarins UV Plus Protective Day Screen SPF 40. This is not the most protective sunscreen available but I'd recommend it for a bloke because it won't show on your face and it's good for oily skin.
These are just my suggestions for a few basic products. There are many ways to skin a cat.
OK, HTH Molly  |
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Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:50 pm |
On second thoughts Beej, I wouldn't buy some Clarins UV Plus Protective Day Screen SPF 40 without testing some in the shop first. I've only just started using this, but it occurs to me that it does have a slight hint of whiteness to it after all, which might look stronger on you.
just in case.... |
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Tue Jul 11, 2006 10:22 pm |
Wait a minute beej -- I just re-read your original post -- are you saying you only go to the bathroom every 3-4 days? I have a friend who was like that most of her life until she found out she had an intestinal volvulus. This is a condition where (in her case) the colon was twisted. When it became acute, she had to have emergency surgery! She'd always thought that going to the bathroom so infrequently was just "normal" for her.
My brother (born with cerebral palsy) is currently convalescing in a nursing home because he had emergency surgery for a gastric volvulus. Every physician I've talked with about his condition over the last 10 weeks has said that most people who suffer from volvuli were born with them, but that they can twist and untwist time and again before they become an acute or emergent condition. Of course, this may not be the case with you, but it's something to consider -- and a more important health issue than your current skin problem.
Take care! |
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Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:41 am |
| Molly April - you guys are Saints!!! April - acidophilus has regulated my toilet habits and improved against breakouts fantastically. Molly - being a bit vain I actually do have a skincare routine and would say an advantage of previous oily skin is that mine easily looks ten years younger - just ten years younger with blemishes! I only NOW realise I had a HydroQ warning a long while back (a grey mark that took about three months to fade) I am now using my girlfriend Bio-Oil tm (not that convinced but putting vitamins into the skin yadda,yadda) My left cheek has two thumb sized grey blotches and the right about 4 light grey smudges which now appear to be fading daily a little quicker than the left. Hopefully with a combination of Bio-oil, MSM , a little careful tanning and the skin's ability to repair itself I'll be back to top form in six weeks or so. Jeez the things we go through eh? |
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Wed Jul 12, 2006 11:30 am |
| Must say guys, after doing a lot of research over the last couple of days that a good few companies like to tell you to wait 2 -3 months before seeing results (alongside a sensible skincare routine) So often the skin can heal itself in that period - conveniently for them, I guess. Not to say some won't help of course! |
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Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:16 pm |
| I agree with your last point beej -- the body is designed to work hard to heal itself. Using too many or the wrong products can hinder healing in many ways. Sometimes less is more! |
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Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:44 pm |
| Hey April! Bought some MSM (top quality Molly ) mixed with vitamin e oil and Bio oil and put some in a small container to marinate. Just as a bit of fun (while I work away at my skin damage) Once I've applied directly to the affected areas I've taken the oil on the surface and rubbed into the left side of my face on the smile wrinkle under the eye. I will update you on any improvements next week. |
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Thu Jul 13, 2006 1:57 am |
Hi Beej
I half agree with you. If it's not broke don't mess with it, but the skin processes do slow down as you get older. Some things are very helpful in aiding this process and not harmful at all.
And I really have to disagree about the usefulness of putting vitamins into your skin though I can see where you're coming from. I would say the majority of high street products making vitamin claims are next to useless - they mostly add tiny percentages just to justify their marketing claims, but that's why I'm online. You need to know the percentages and the base it's delivered in and the smaller producers will give their customers that kind of information. This stuff works, but only the right kind of stuff. Look, here's a list of just some of the positive research into the topical application of Vit C (http://www.smartskincare.com/resabstracts/subjcategidx/vitamin-c/). Vit C's lovely because it stimulates collagen production and evens the skin - and you really can see the results. A lot of vitamins are just powerful anti-oxidants applied topically - you can't see that so it's not so exciting.
Anyway, you're a bit cheeky about the vitamins, but I'm glad you passed by because I hadn't realised how much success people seem to be having with the MSM supplementing. I'm going to give it a go too. |
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Thu Jul 13, 2006 2:46 am |
| Hi Molly, I've also noticed that my odd marinade of natural MSN and oil has another potential advantage. The MSN granules when applied to the skin are like a mild scrub which of course can only help in swkin ruvenation. I'll be back in a few weeks on this |
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Thu Jul 13, 2006 5:12 am |
I'd watch out with the home-brewed stuff beej. I thought you could just chuck Vit C and ALA supplements into anything and put it on your face when I first got interested in that kind of thing and somehow I really burnt myself 
If you have a browse through the DIY thread you'll see usually these things need to be at the right PH level to function and in the right base according to whether they're oil or water soluble to be active and penetrate the skin.
Anyway, it's all good fun - you might invent something by accident.  |
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Thu Jul 13, 2006 6:13 am |
| Believe me Molly, i know!! I have done the research to ensure there are no easy skin irritation/damage elements in my particular cocktail. Have a good day M's. |
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Sat Jul 29, 2006 4:06 pm |
| Hi all, Results with Bio Oil and MSM have not been great for the dark blotches - no longer grey blue (my skin quality is certainly very good though) Off to see a dermatologist next week re: a treatment that really gets to the root of obvious melanocyte cell damage. If anyone has any previous experience of useful solutions please write in! P.s the Elicina snail cream has only really been good for mosquito bites |
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Wed Aug 23, 2006 4:21 am |
| Thought I'd give you all an update. After much trial and error it would appear the large bulk of my skin problems were from using a very, very old container of sunblock cream (may have reacted with the hydroquinone. I discovered this when I noticed the corners of my arms were slowly turning grey/blue where I'd applied some lotion. Bottom line is whatever chemicals they had in this thing was poisoning my skin. Unbelievable! I'm still taking MSM and now stopped using elicina as it seems to have no viable effect apart from drying the skin of affected areas. Things are at last getting a lot better but what a waste of six months!!! |
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Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:28 am |
| BTW for anyone interested I have found an excellent solution to my skin 'staining' problem. I found that the damage to my skin was improved in natural daylight but still very prevalent under harsh/ ultra violet type lights. An acquaintance recommended I use a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda with a teaspoon of natural yoghurt and apply to the damaged areas. Apparently this remedy fades acne scars etc very well. I can tell you in three weeks my skin has improved 100%. Now it simply looks as if I have darker patches (by a couple of shades) on my skin. I have been leaving this on overnight with no ill-effects to my skin. This is just brilliant after 18 long months of frustration. Just make sure you don't use too much bi-carb. Spread the word folks and good luck!!! |
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Thu Oct 01, 2009 5:31 pm |
Further to my earlier posts I wanted to inform ofsome dangers some of you may want to look at closely. For the sake of succinctness I'll abreviate where possible:-
After using youghurt plus Bi-carb on dark grey areas I noticed a good improvement but after about a year (too long!) wanted to speed things up. I went to a doctor who pescribed a corticosteroid called Eumovate (encourages cell turnover). This started having a decent effect on the grey areas and in my desperation I was using this heavily each day...for 8 MONTHS!!(Yes, I have since found out this should only be used for 2-3 wks and ideally NOT on the face but my doctor never told me this!)
Problems with Eumovate by end of 8 months; Thinned skin, steroid acne,easy bruising, eczema rash, decreased healing abilities and worst of all to come...steroid rebound in the form of perioral (mouth) and periocular (around the eyes) darkening / hypopigmentation. The bottom line on my findings is this:-
Rogue suncream poisoned my skin and gave E/O (which will NOT fade naturally!)
Using the HQ fade cream (I'd used very sparingly for a few years with NO problems) only 'happened' to double the E/O!! (You couldn't make this up!)
Steroid cream Eumovate overuse - initially helped fade darker areas to a degree and then caused even more problems on top of existing ones - and when stopped there was a steroid rebound dark pigmentation on bottom corners of mouth initially.
Since May 09 Have severely reduced steroid use (tapering off in attempt to avoid rebound) and taking tetracycline antibiotic pills. Skin has been trying to naturally heal in all this time and I count myself fortunate to be in the position of 85% normal skin (with a 50% improvement since May!)
Ultimately, the severeness of EO creates desperation as it simply doesn't fade if you don't know what to use on it.So for me some incredibly bad luck to use HQ directly afterwards, a GP who allowed me to overuse a steroid cream meant through a terrible trial and error I've had to personally work out how to sort things.
In a nutshell I would say to anyone with E/O- . Use bicarb of soda with yoghurt on the actual areas of damage and Retin- A 'CREAM' (helps collagen production and cell rejuvenation and is easier to apply than the gel version (they also lighten skin (bring freaher new skin) but the gel easily spreads past the damaged 'spot areas' you may wish to treat) These solutions should see you resolve your issues in six - nine months rather than the horror story 2 1/2 worth of damage I've gone through before finding a solution myself. I wouldn't wish this on anyone (and I'm still working on clearling the hypopigmentation /steroid rebound on my eyelids - (which is fading) so hopefully much less steroids and the tratracycline will control that!
Hope it helps. |
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Thu Oct 01, 2009 5:41 pm |
In a nutshell I would say to anyone with E/O: Use bicarb of soda with yoghurt on the actual areas of damage and Retin- A 'CREAM' (helps collagen production and cell rejuvenation and is easier to apply than the gel version (they also lighten skin - bring fresher new skin - but the gel easily spreads past the damaged 'spot areas' you may wish to treat) These solutions should see you resolve your issues in six - nine months rather than the horror story 2 1/2 years worth of damage I've gone through before doing enough research trial and error to find a solution myself. I wouldn't wish this on anyone (and I'm still working on clearing the hypopigmentation /steroid rebound on my eyelids - which is fading - so hopefully much less steroids and the tetracycline will control that while my skin keeps fighting ever more effectively!!
Hope it helps.
N.B. At one point about nine months ago I briefly experimented with a non- HQ fade called Melederm. That brought up an E/O grey area so discontinued immediately.
Elicina snail cream - just something that peels skin - nowhere near as great as their claims ! |
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bren1234
New Member
 
Joined: 08 Aug 2011
Posts: 3
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Mon Aug 08, 2011 11:18 pm |
| [i]Hi has any 1 had any luck with treating e/o as it sees most post were from 200x and it is now 2011 |
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brenyah |
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Tue Aug 09, 2011 3:20 am |
Hi Bren,
After FOUR years : EO, fade cream compounding of the problem, steroid overdoses, steroid eczema, tetracycline overdose, tetracycline poisoning (dark marks on neck around eyes and mouth!!!!!! Over the last two years I have effected a CURE!
It's the hardest thing i've ever done as so much didn't work for three years! Keeping the nightmare short. I decided to go *completely natural* and deal with all the side effects of what has gone before. These four things are effective (will mark out of ten as some take time); Natural yogurt / or baby lotion and bicarb of soda (too much bicarb and you'll burn skin) placed on skin issues overnight (6) - Steaming - STEAMROOM (not sauna)/ bowl (4/5) - Elidel cream (7) - APPLE CIDER VINEGAR (use 60% ACV to 40% water)and dab on affected areas with cotton bud(10) use more dilution if too strong for your skin! ACV has improved my skin by 100% in the last year and I am now at 95%. I wouldn't wish my trial on my worst enemy so really hope this helps! x |
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