Sarah Vaughter answers questions about OwnDoc products

Forums => Dermarolling / Microneedling => Topic started by: Rollin on September 21, 2010, 04:40:24 PM

Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 21, 2010, 04:40:24 PM
They're not actual stretchmarks, but they are somewhat like stretchmarks (without the "scarring"). It started with me getting neckfolds all of a sudden that looked a lot like stretchmarks; they appeared over the course of a few weeks. Now, much later, I'm starting to get some strange lines of "sunken skin" on my face.

These are not stretchmarks, but as I'm not english I have no better word to describe them. They are basically somewhat short lines of "sunken skin" but without the scarformation, though a couple of them look a bit "brownish/purpleish". They are almost all where my beard is, and they're definately not a very big deal yet, but I'm wondering why these do appear. Two of them are fairly noticable and the rest are very very minor, but those two are quite noticable.

The real question is this though: would it help to dermaroll these parts? I've only rolled my face once so I doubt it's the cause of these marks, in fact I think I rolled it as I saw them beginning to appear hoping it would stop the process, but I'm not sure now (I rolled over a week ago)...

Do you think it could hurt to roll these (with the methods you recommend)? Should I see a skindoctor?

Sincerely,

- David
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: gmt2458 on September 22, 2010, 06:20:09 PM
Hello

 I had something similar happpen and that's why I quit rolling after just a few times.

  I am going to ask about my experience here. I thought perhaps I wasn't doing it right or did not have the correct length needl but there was a paucity of information/instruction where I got my roller.

   Anyway, after I did the dermaroller, not too hard or long because I did not numb up my face (though the .75 mm needle) did hurt a bit. I thought it made my pores look bigger, and I also thought my skin looked a little saggy so I stopped.

 After reading the instructions here and focus on two eight month old trauma scars. I would really appreciate if anyone could hazard a guess what might be going on?

 My skin care regimin is consistent: I have used Retin-A 1 percent for about 12 years now. I never go anywhere without at least 45 spf sunscreen. I also exfoliate with crystals myself so I would think I was a good candidate. I plan to buy the vitamin C ingrediance and also the copper peptide pack (I've been looking for a good copper peptide product for six months since I read it actually will help the skin.)

  Thanks in advance to anyone who might shed some light on this.

 gmt
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 23, 2010, 02:01:46 AM
Ok, this is strange that I found this because I have had this same problem for the past 5 months and I have been in contact with a few others who are experiencing this as well. Mine started after I took a vitamin a supplement for two weeks. It altered my skin somehow and now it gets these random scar type of lines out of nowhere. They are not wrinkles (I'm 30 and have taken good care of myself, no wrinkles prior to 5 months ago). They are all on my cheeks and about as deep as a fingernail indent maybe a bit less deep in some cases, and some lines have that reddish/purplish coloring that you have described. Some of these lines form shapes like triangles and circles, and some resemble pores that have connected together to form patterns. It is bizarre. Others I have spoken with have had this happen after taking the acne drug Accutane (years after in most cases), and others have had it happen while using retin-a or other retinoids. It seems to be connected to underlying dermal inflammation, and I can verify this as scars start popping up on my face within hours if I use anything that irritates it. I tried dermarolling some of the scars once and although the original scars were altered somewhat, new ones popped up, most likely due to the slight inflammation that dermarolling causes. The good news is that they are fairly shallow and one other person who has had this issue had good results individually needling the scars with needles, and also using a dermaroller once his face wasn't as sensitive. I just want you both to be aware that  retinoids seem to be connected to this problem, at least in many of the people I have spoken with, although I'm not sure about topical vitamin a, as it is slightly different in action than prescription retinoids. There have been some reports that fish oil causes it as well, which may be valid.

With that said, I am going to be ordering a shorter dermaroller through this site and also some needles to have handy once I feel it is safe to proceed again with the scar removal.  Apparently they can be removed very well this way once the underlying dermal inflammation is resolved. Hope this helps, if not, just disregard...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on September 23, 2010, 10:54:15 AM
In order to identify exactly what marks we're talking about and how they came about, we ideally would need this information:

1. Sharp, hi-resolution closeup photo's of the marks, photo's of the entire cheek and of individual marks.

2. A comprehensive list of all treatments (mechanical and chemical) performed on the skin prior to the appearance of the marks, say in the preceding six months.

3. Accurate treatment schedules performed, as in how often you micro-needled with what needle-length device, what was your technique etc.

An aquaintance of mine is a dermarolling expert (plastic surgeon and co-inventor of the dermaroller who does little else but microeedling nowadays). I can forward the pictures to him and ask what he thinks of it.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 23, 2010, 02:33:38 PM
SarahVaughter;610 wrote: In order to identify exactly what marks we're talking about and how they came about, we ideally would need this information:

1. Sharp, hi-resolution closeup photo's of the marks, photo's of the entire cheek and of individual marks.

2. A comprehensive list of all treatments (mechanical and chemical) performed on the skin prior to the appearance of the marks, say in the preceding six months.

3. Accurate treatment schedules performed, as in how often you micro-needled with what needle-length device, what was your technique etc.

An aquaintance of mine is a dermarolling expert (plastic surgeon and co-inventor of the dermaroller who does little else but microeedling nowadays). I can forward the pictures to him and ask what he thinks of it.

 

Right now I don't have the equipment to get high-resolution photos, but I would be interested to see if the others could. I can say that prior to the marks appearing 5 months ago I had not had any chemical or mechanical procedures performed on the skin whatsoever, I never have. I tried dermarolling a small patch 4 weeks ago however this was long after this scarring process was underway and I did it in an attempt to see if it had an impact on the scars. I used a 1mm dermaroller on a localized area. I used the directions supplied by the retailer (which weren't very detailed and I won't be ordering from them again). I went over the area several times in different rolling directions.

I am interested if the others are experiencing something similar or if my situation is completely different. Thanks for your interest in helping us!
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on September 23, 2010, 05:09:51 PM
To clarify: I meant by "chemical treatments" just plain old cosmetic/vitamin creams, sorry if I wasn't clear enough :-)

Have you used any such creams prior to the appearance of the marks?
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 23, 2010, 07:15:52 PM
SarahVaughter;612 wrote: To clarify: I meant by "chemical treatments" just plain old cosmetic/vitamin creams, sorry if I wasn't clear enough :-)

Have you used any such creams prior to the appearance of the marks?

 

No problem. Prior to this issue, I had not used any cosmetics. I was using the oil cleansing method to cleanse my skin as well as the occasional use of a non-chemical natural sunscreen, as needed. My skin looked great and was clear and radiant. It has been at least 4 years since I have used any type of commercial cream preparations.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 25, 2010, 05:39:00 AM
LaurieR;609 wrote: Ok, this is strange that I found this because I have had this same problem for the past 5 months and I have been in contact with a few others who are experiencing this as well. Mine started after I took a vitamin a supplement for two weeks. It altered my skin somehow and now it gets these random scar type of lines out of nowhere. They are not wrinkles (I'm 30 and have taken good care of myself, no wrinkles prior to 5 months ago). They are all on my cheeks and about as deep as a fingernail indent maybe a bit less deep in some cases, and some lines have that reddish/purplish coloring that you have described. Some of these lines form shapes like triangles and circles, and some resemble pores that have connected together to form patterns. It is bizarre. Others I have spoken with have had this happen after taking the acne drug Accutane (years after in most cases), and others have had it happen while using retin-a or other retinoids. It seems to be connected to underlying dermal inflammation, and I can verify this as scars start popping up on my face within hours if I use anything that irritates it. I tried dermarolling some of the scars once and although the original scars were altered somewhat, new ones popped up, most likely due to the slight inflammation that dermarolling causes. The good news is that they are fairly shallow and one other person who has had this issue had good results individually needling the scars with needles, and also using a dermaroller once his face wasn't as sensitive. I just want you both to be aware that  retinoids seem to be connected to this problem, at least in many of the people I have spoken with, although I'm not sure about topical vitamin a, as it is slightly different in action than prescription retinoids. There have been some reports that fish oil causes it as well, which may be valid.

With that said, I am going to be ordering a shorter dermaroller through this site and also some needles to have handy once I feel it is safe to proceed again with the scar removal.  Apparently they can be removed very well this way once the underlying dermal inflammation is resolved. Hope this helps, if not, just disregard...

 

Yes this all sounds very much like me. now the only thing I've done besides rolling my face once is taking a vitaminsuppplement, but I have taken that one in the past without a problem that I know of. I've stopped taking anything like that at the moment though. I used a 1.5mm dermaroller this time and it did draw a little blood but mostly on my forehead, not sure it drew any blood on my cheeks where it's all at. Well it's between cheeck and jawline mostly, where my beard is, so in worst case I'll just have to wear a beard I guess. And yes some of these have weird shapes and others are straight. I'm afraid that more will be forming because it seems they might if I look closeup.

I'm feeling quite down over this, not knowing why it happens and fearing I'll get more of the same stuff. at this point it's not looking great but it's not a big deal in reality although I'm quite selfconscious about these things... I think I'll try to do the individual needle thingy if this stops, cause I don't dare to dermaroll my entire face again, not knowing if this contributed (again I'm not sure if these weren't forming already when I rolled, I'm pretty sure I had one of them at least).

What I did was this:

I rolled my face per instructions here. I didn't use numbingcream but pressed down a fair bit, and drew a little blood (but very little). I might have rolled a few areas a little more than just 5 times each way, but not sure I rolled more on the area in question.

I then used infadolan immediately after, which I applied a couple of times a day on the most noticable "stretchmark". I stopped doing that after 3 days and used a fatfree moisturizer which ive used for about two years one night, I then continued with infadolan for about 4-5 more days (only infadolan), and now I've stopped with both for the time being.

Kinda annoying when you try to fix one thing then another problem appears. :(

I can take some highres photos in about a week. I'll give you all an update then.

Thanks -

David
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 25, 2010, 10:16:05 PM
I find it amazing that I have found so many others suffering from this very same mysterious scarring yet I have been to three dermatologists and not one of them could tell me what was going on. I have been tested for every autoimmune disease as well as some other rare diseases, all have come back negative. It must be more common than we think, yet doctors are in denial or people aren't reporting it. David, are you sensitive to the sun? I ask because some of my scars seem to show up after I've been exposed to light, even just visible light makes my skin feel like it's burning and then these scars show up for days afterward. I have become a prisoner in my house and have to cover my face with several layers if I am to go outside during the day. I purchased some red and yellow LED's which are supposed to help rejuvenate skin and build collagen yet just a couple of minutes with them made my skin burn like the worst sunburn of my life and scarring showed up within minutes. I have been tested for the photosensitive condition Porphyria and came back negative so I have no idea what is going on but I am losing my mind here. My face looks worse every day. I look forward to seeing your pictures to see if your scarring is similar to mine...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 26, 2010, 05:21:16 AM
LaurieR;618 wrote: I find it amazing that I have found so many others suffering from this very same mysterious scarring yet I have been to three dermatologists and not one of them could tell me what was going on. I have been tested for every autoimmune disease as well as some other rare diseases, all have come back negative. It must be more common than we think, yet doctors are in denial or people aren't reporting it. David, are you sensitive to the sun? I ask because some of my scars seem to show up after I've been exposed to light, even just visible light makes my skin feel like it's burning and then these scars show up for days afterward. I have become a prisoner in my house and have to cover my face with several layers if I am to go outside during the day. I purchased some red and yellow LED's which are supposed to help rejuvenate skin and build collagen yet just a couple of minutes with them made my skin burn like the worst sunburn of my life and scarring showed up within minutes. I have been tested for the photosensitive condition Porphyria and came back negative so I have no idea what is going on but I am losing my mind here. My face looks worse every day. I look forward to seeing your pictures to see if your scarring is similar to mine...

 

Gee. Is that supposed to make me feel better?  Lol. In all honesty it sounds like you have it much worse than I do, of course only time will tell (and I will certainly obsessivelly watch out for new formations). Perhaps you could share a pic too, might shed some more light.

by the way I'm 23 years old.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 26, 2010, 01:04:02 PM
oh and also, have you tried applying any topical antiinflammatory such as ibuprofen cream/gel? Assuming some sort of inflammation is causing this I figure that might help, but I'm not in the mood for "experimentatioN" at the moment lol.

My "marks" are still nothing to really worry about, but I'd hate to see more appear as they're annoying enough as it is (and I'm quite self-conscious about these things, not having the best self-confidence in the world).

- David
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 26, 2010, 01:18:55 PM
Rollin;622 wrote: oh and also, have you tried applying any topical antiinflammatory such as ibuprofen cream/gel? Assuming some sort of inflammation is causing this I figure that might help, but I'm not in the mood for "experimentatioN" at the moment lol.

My "marks" are still nothing to really worry about, but I'd hate to see more appear as they're annoying enough as it is (and I'm quite self-conscious about these things, not having the best self-confidence in the world).

- David



I didn't mean to scare you lol!

 

Yeah, I have tried all kinds of anti-inflammatory topicals but my skin is reactive to everything now so everything topically just makes it worse. I think your issue is minor compared to mine, but it's interesting to see that it can happen and isn't all that rare.  Doctors have treated me like I am insane because they haven't seen anything like it. Just keep on an eye on your skin. Try to keep it calm - that should keep any new marks from forming. If I can get ahold of a good camera I will try to post some pics...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 26, 2010, 03:16:16 PM
yeah I'm only using a normal moisturizer and some "bath-oil" so I hope to keep my skin moist and safe. No more dermarolling for now that's for sure, not sure that was the cause though.

That other guy you heard about, he had found success using the single-needle, yes? Was it after his "problem" seemed to have calmeddown or could he just use it on the marks that appeared?

I hope you see an end to your problem soon, doesn't sound very nice at all. Just remember there are much much worse things out there!

- David
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 26, 2010, 05:53:05 PM
oh and also, have you tried taking an oral antiinflammatory instead? Perhaps taking ibuprofen or some other nsaid for 5-10 days would help, if this indeed is due to inflammation (which it probably isn't if topical nsaids made it worse)?

what about copper peptides?

- David
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 26, 2010, 06:04:22 PM
Rollin;625 wrote: yeah I'm only using a normal moisturizer and some "bath-oil" so I hope to keep my skin moist and safe. No more dermarolling for now that's for sure, not sure that was the cause though.

That other guy you heard about, he had found success using the single-needle, yes? Was it after his "problem" seemed to have calmeddown or could he just use it on the marks that appeared?

I hope you see an end to your problem soon, doesn't sound very nice at all. Just remember there are much much worse things out there!

- David

 

He actually dermarolled and single-needled after his inflammation calmed down. So unfortunately patience is key! I have trouble remembering that!
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 26, 2010, 06:14:19 PM
Rollin;627 wrote: oh and also, have you tried taking an oral antiinflammatory instead? Perhaps taking ibuprofen or some other nsaid for 5-10 days would help, if this indeed is due to inflammation (which it probably isn't if topical nsaids made it worse)?

what about copper peptides?

- David

 

Thanks for your kind thoughts :) I try to treat myself holistically since I don't react well to drugs of any kind, so I am using every natural anti-inflammatory out there. Things like ibuprofen cause my liver to freak out, and I suspect that is why I'm in this situation in the first place (I think the vitamin a I took for two weeks stressed my liver too much). I used copper peptides for about a week when this first started happening, and I didn't notice much although my skin wasn't as sensitive at that time. I then read some research suggesting that some people have a reverse reaction to the copper peptides, causing them to break down collagen faster than it can be built. With my luck, this would be the case with me so I stopped using them. I may start up again once my skin stops showing signs of continued scarring...Have you tried them? Let me know if they seem to help you

David, when you dermarolled you did seem to get more of these marks, correct? I had mine before I dermarolled but the rolling definitely brought more out, I could actually see them forming as I rolled which is unbelievable. I should've known. It's terrible because I am desperate to get rid of these lines yet the options I have for doing so only seem to make things worse!The only thing keeping me going now is the thought that one day my skin will be stabilized enough to dermaroll and needle and that my skin will be somewhat back to normal. I just don't know how long this is going to take :(
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 26, 2010, 06:43:28 PM
First off I doubt very much that liverproblems would cause lines to form in your face.

Second, Yes I think rolling may have contributed to me getting more of these lines, but I believe I had a few even before. It's been almost two weeks now since I rolled so I hope I won't see continued damage from now on because of the rolling (I pressed down fairly hard with my 1.5mm not knowing the effects, though without numbing so it wasn't superhard as it didn't hurt TOO much).

I couldn't see these forming while I was rolling, though I didn't pay that much attention. Rolled then applied infadolan then went to bed. Didn't think of it the next day, but then I thought "hey, did I really have that line?" and more seemed to appear.

one thing you could try is "manukah honey". A friend of mine uses it for her face and she calims it works very well and it's supposedly anti-inflammatory. I may try some myself if this doesn't stop, but of course it's a bit scary trying things without knowing how one will react anymore :( using moisturizer but my face still feels dry and sorta "itchy" :S

Will see if I can get an appointment with a dermatologist.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 26, 2010, 07:19:02 PM
Rollin;630 wrote: First off I doubt very much that liverproblems would cause lines to form in your face.

Second, Yes I think rolling may have contributed to me getting more of these lines, but I believe I had a few even before. It's been almost two weeks now since I rolled so I hope I won't see continued damage from now on because of the rolling (I pressed down fairly hard with my 1.5mm not knowing the effects, though without numbing so it wasn't superhard as it didn't hurt TOO much).

I couldn't see these forming while I was rolling, though I didn't pay that much attention. Rolled then applied infadolan then went to bed. Didn't think of it the next day, but then I thought "hey, did I really have that line?" and more seemed to appear.

one thing you could try is "manukah honey". A friend of mine uses it for her face and she calims it works very well and it's supposedly anti-inflammatory. I may try some myself if this doesn't stop, but of course it's a bit scary trying things without knowing how one will react anymore :( using moisturizer but my face still feels dry and sorta "itchy" :S

Will see if I can get an appointment with a dermatologist.



Well, here's the thing...if I have some form of porphyria (causing the sensitivity to light and fragile skin) then that can be caused by a toxic exposure to the liver. Since this all started after the vitamin a (which is harsh on the liver), I think I have a mild form of porphyria combined with this fragile skin causing me to scar. I had the sensitivity to light show up a few years ago after I took a harsh antibiotic that did cause some temporary liver damage, however at that time I did not have scarring showing up and the sensitivity went away after about 3 months.So the lines aren't directly caused by liver problems, but if the liver damage did cause porphyria for me then that is the connection. This is something I've had to piece together myself over time...

You probably had some of the lines before you rolled, but the inflammation caused by rolling may have triggered a few more. I am wondering if icing or cooling the skin prior to and after rolling would minimize this effect. Sometimes my marks seem to show up when my face feels really hot and inflamed, much like it felt after rolling. If I were to keep the inflammation minimal after rolling perhaps I could get away with a light roll. Right now I'm not going to take the chance. I'm going to order a new roller this week just to have for when I'm ready.

Don't expect much out of the dermatologist...just a warning. However if you do hear anything, be sure to let me know! Please don't let them tell you that you are just aging...aging isn't supposed to happen this fast or this young lol!

 

Oh yes, I love the Manuka Honey! I use it on pimples. Sometimes it makes me a bit itchy though. Be careful with it until you know how you react to it...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 26, 2010, 07:30:56 PM
I see. I won't check out what porphyria is as I may just worry if I have it or whatever, so I'll just take your word that you've done your homework. If I idneed have the same issues you do (seems so) then I can say that I have no liverproblems whatsoever that I know of.

Also, have you tried aloe vera on the skin?

And indeed this shouldn't happen at age 23, and not just like that. It just started coming, or so it seems at least. Over a period of maybe 2 weeks.

I wouldn't roll at this point if I were you. The point with rolling IS to trigger microinflammation which then heals = more collagen. if inflammation is causing this issue for you then it wouldn't help. Wait till things calm down at least. Could you tell me anymore about this guy who had success with single-needling? You mentioned him in your first post here.

Sorry for all these questions, lol. I'm just never getting a break these days it seems, having had to dela with many illnesses and physical injuries for the last couple of years, I was finally hoping for a break... And now this! Bah!

- David
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 26, 2010, 08:01:11 PM
Rollin;632 wrote: I see. I won't check out what porphyria is as I may just worry if I have it or whatever, so I'll just take your word that you've done your homework. If I idneed have the same issues you do (seems so) then I can say that I have no liverproblems whatsoever that I know of.

Also, have you tried aloe vera on the skin?

And indeed this shouldn't happen at age 23, and not just like that. It just started coming, or so it seems at least. Over a period of maybe 2 weeks.

I wouldn't roll at this point if I were you. The point with rolling IS to trigger microinflammation which then heals = more collagen. if inflammation is causing this issue for you then it wouldn't help. Wait till things calm down at least. Could you tell me anymore about this guy who had success with single-needling? You mentioned him in your first post here.

Sorry for all these questions, lol. I'm just never getting a break these days it seems, having had to dela with many illnesses and physical injuries for the last couple of years, I was finally hoping for a break... And now this! Bah!

- David



Nah, you would know if you had porphyria. It makes you super sensitive to light and causes changes in your skin due to that reaction. I don't even know that I have it, but it's the only thing that makes sense right now and explains why I react to visible lights (not just UV) by burning and then scarring.

This stuff seems to start out of nowhere, so I'm sure you are correct in that it happened in a short period of time. These don't even look like wrinkles. I look at my skin closely (as you do I'm sure) and you know what has been there and what is new. Most of my marks right now are in the area that you describe, in the area between my cheeks and chin. The marks there are those reddish purplish lines, on other areas of my face they look more like connected pores or something.

The guy I talked about has a whole thread devoted to dermarolling and needling over at a popular acne web forum. The thread is titled "Ok guys..." You should be able to find it through a web search. I don't want to violate any terms of this site by posting the link, but it shouldn't be hard to find. I am also active on a thread there regarding this spontaneous scarring, which quite a few people seem to have.

David, have you taken any medications in the recent past? Antibiotics? Do you have autoimmune disease like lupus in your family? Just wondering. It helps me to figure out why this is happening with you. I am doing a lot of research and I'm going to find a link, it's only a matter of time.

You're right, I'm gonna hold off for awhile with the roller. I really shouldn't have done it this time, but I broke down and thought things really couldn't get any worse for me with this. Well, I guess it did. I know this won't last forever and I will fix the damage.

I do use pure aloe vera, sometimes it stings, and sometimes it doesn't. Right now I am using pure vitamin E oil on some of my scars. I never know if and when I will start to react so I have to be cautious...

I hear you, I have been through a lot too before this happened. This just tops it off, really. It will get better for us though :)

Laurie
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 28, 2010, 06:35:35 AM
LaurieR;633 wrote:

David, have you taken any medications in the recent past? Antibiotics? Do you have autoimmune disease like lupus in your family? Just wondering. It helps me to figure out why this is happening with you. I am doing a lot of research and I'm going to find a link, it's only a matter of time.


 

a) Not really, ofc I've taken some standared-medications but nothing I haven't taken for years and no antibiotics in many years. I have however taken a multivitamin at highest recommended dose for a little while now. I stopped when I read about your experiences. But I'm doubtful that explains it, as my friend has taken the same thing without any issues. I was taking it however when I got similar "scarrings" on my neck a couple of months back.

b) nope. I however seem to have a general problem with inflammation. I have inflammation in my nose (for which I take nasonex-spray) and my eyes easily get inflammed if I spend too much time at the computer.

Could anyone recommend me anything that would soothe the skin? It feels a bit "stingy" at the moment. I tried just putting on some olive oil (nothing to irritate the skin in that from what I know) but it doesnt seem to get "into" the skin.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 28, 2010, 02:45:49 PM
again if I could be recommended something to soothe the skin that would be great. I've tried putting on bath-oil and olive-oil and my fat-free moisturizer but they all make the skin sting a little bit and it looks just as dry afterwards (had olive-oil on for hours for example).

Man what's going on :(

ps. for anyone reading this I doubt very much this is caused by dermarolling as I've only done it once and I've never heard of a similar experience.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 28, 2010, 04:21:06 PM
Rollin;641 wrote: again if I could be recommended something to soothe the skin that would be great. I've tried putting on bath-oil and olive-oil and my fat-free moisturizer but they all make the skin sting a little bit and it looks just as dry afterwards (had olive-oil on for hours for example).

Man what's going on :(

ps. for anyone reading this I doubt very much this is caused by dermarolling as I've only done it once and I've never heard of a similar experience.



The only thing I can use on my face to soothe it right now is raw coconut oil...most other oils sting my face. Coconut seems to sink in pretty well. Shea butter is nice but it clogged my pores up very quickly. Emu gave me a massive stinging red allergic reaction so personally I can't recommend that. If you can tolerate fresh aloe that is good too, but in my case it often causes the stinging. Hope you find something that works.

Sorry man, this isn't fun. I wonder why your face hurts now? Is it only in the spot where you dermarolled?
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on September 28, 2010, 04:31:00 PM
To soothe the skin, try a cream or ointment containing Dexpanthenol or Pantothenic acid.

For example http://www.amazon.com/Bayer-Bepanthen-Ointment-ea-tube/dp/B0006NXVIE

     Or take a cotton pad, wet it with tap water, add almond oil and spread it on your skin without any harsh rubbing. Almond oil is very soothing and it penetrates the skin.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 28, 2010, 04:31:26 PM
LaurieR;642 wrote: The only thing I can use on my face to soothe it right now is raw coconut oil...most other oils sting my face. Coconut seems to sink in pretty well. Shea butter is nice but it clogged my pores up very quickly. Emu gave me a massive stinging red allergic reaction so personally I can't recommend that. If you can tolerate fresh aloe that is good too, but in my case it often causes the stinging. Hope you find something that works.

Sorry man, this isn't fun. I wonder why your face hurts now? Is it only in the spot where you dermarolled?

 

I dermarolled my entire face. I don't know what's going on either, this is scary! :(

I'll buy coconut-oil tomorrow. Also, have you tried applying hydrocortisone to your face? I'm thinking it may have been the infadolan that prevented this burning sensation, but I haven't taken that for the last 5 days as you hinted vit A may be part of the problem somehow...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 28, 2010, 04:32:00 PM
SarahVaughter;643 wrote: To soothe the skin, try a cream or ointment containing Dexpanthenol or Pantothenic acid.

For example http://www.amazon.com/Bayer-Bepanthen-Ointment-ea-tube/dp/B0006NXVIE

     Or take a cotton pad, wet it with tap water, add almond oil and spread it on your skin without any harsh rubbing. Almond oil is very soothing and it penetrates the skin.

 

thank you very much, I'll try it tomorrow then.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 28, 2010, 04:49:17 PM
Rollin;644 wrote: I dermarolled my entire face. I don't know what's going on either, this is scary! :(

I'll buy coconut-oil tomorrow. Also, have you tried applying hydrocortisone to your face? I'm thinking it may have been the infadolan that prevented this burning sensation, but I haven't taken that for the last 5 days as you hinted vit A may be part of the problem somehow...

 

How long since you dermarolled? Does your skin look red or irritated?

I can't use hydrocortisone because I have mild rosacea and hydrocortisone can turn that into a severe case pretty quickly. It also thins the skin which is no good...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 28, 2010, 05:02:22 PM
LaurieR;647 wrote: How long since you dermarolled? Does your skin look red or irritated?

I can't use hydrocortisone because I have mild rosacea and hydrocortisone can turn that into a severe case pretty quickly. It also thins the skin which is no good...

 

About 2 weeks since I rolled and my skin doesn't look very red or so, it just feels irritated and looks very very dry. Parts of my beard seem to have disappeared, omg :(
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 28, 2010, 05:17:50 PM
Rollin;648 wrote: About 2 weeks since I rolled and my skin doesn't look very red or so, it just feels irritated and looks very very dry. Parts of my beard seem to have disappeared, omg :(

 

Yeah my skin felt the same way about two weeks after rolling. I think I rolled on August 31 so it's been almost a month now and my skin is slowly getting it's moisture balance back but these weird scars are still there. Hey if the Infadolan was working for you stick with it. It contains vitamin A, but it's not the same as a retinoid. It is much milder so you should be fine with it. The people I have spoken with who had gotten this problem had used retinoids for years and then rolled and got these weird lines, or the retinoid itself brought on random scars without rolling. I guess if you try another topical and this clears up then you know that you might be sensitive to the vitamin a. It's hard to tell though, there are so many variables.

David, how did your skin seem to heal from rolling? I know it is still in the process, but if you look closely, is new healthy skin growing? Is the texture decent? I ask because about a week after rolling as my skin remodeled I noticed some small pitted scars showing up (I guess these are buried scars that get better with continued rolling) but the texture of the skin where I rolled is different than it was before. It seems like some of the collagen grew in in some areas more than others giving a wavy look to my skin if you look closely. Also, some of my previous scars look like they got stretched out and are now white and crepe-y looking, almost like the crepe-y skin inside of a stretch mark after it has faded from purple. It looks like if I rolled again this texture issue would straighten out as I think it was caused by not pulling the skin taut as I rolled. I'm just not sure. Of course like you I don't blame rolling either for this, I guess my skin was just too sensitive for it this time. I think most people get awesome results with rolling.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 28, 2010, 05:32:27 PM
Could this be an infection? I forgot to properly steralize the roller before using it, but I did rince it thoroughly under very hot water as well as cleaning my face. I assume if this were a bacterial-infection then one would see typical signs of infection? Sarah Vaughter, what do you think? I'll go see my GP tomorrow but I feel so anxious now :(
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 28, 2010, 05:39:59 PM
Rollin;650 wrote: Could this be an infection? I forgot to properly steralize the roller before using it, but I did rince it thoroughly under very hot water as well as cleaning my face. I assume if this were a bacterial-infection then one would see typical signs of infection? Sarah Vaughter, what do you think? I'll go see my GP tomorrow but I feel so anxious now :(

 

I would be interested to see what Sarah has to say. To be honest, my roller didn't even say to sterilize it in the directions, just to rinse under hot water after using and maybe use disinfectant once every few uses. I think if you had an infection there would be obvious signs like major swelling, redness, heat, and maybe bumps.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 29, 2010, 05:45:27 AM
LaurieR;651 wrote: I would be interested to see what Sarah has to say. To be honest, my roller didn't even say to sterilize it in the directions, just to rinse under hot water after using and maybe use disinfectant once every few uses. I think if you had an infection there would be obvious signs like major swelling, redness, heat, and maybe bumps.

 

I saw a GP today and she dismissed me having an infection. That was a relief at least. It seems that if I don't apply anything at all, then the "burning" sensation stays quite minor. In any case I was prescribed an antifungal & mild cortisone-cream, to use for a couple of days. I'll start with just using a very mild cortisone-ointment to see if that helps.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on September 29, 2010, 06:37:24 AM
I'm sorry but I am at a loss what this could be. It was mentioned at the top of this thread that three dermatologists had no idea either. For science's sake it would be very useful to know what you have in common. High levels of a certain orally administered vitamin for example? Especially vit. A, some people are allergic to vit. A. We have sold dermarollers (often more than one) to a few thousand people. This is the first time we hear of this. But you reported that those marks were already present in some form before rolling. So my wild guess is vitamin A allergy. You could try stopping all skin treatment and all oral supplements and see whether the situation improves over the months that follow.

About it being a bacterial infection: I don't think so. Infections color the skin red, they hurt, smell, produce pus etc. However, as we write in our instructions, it is very important to sterilize long-needled rollers after each use, not sometimes but always. Otherwise infections can indeed occur. That roller you bought from another company did not have such a recommendation? That's pretty bad :-(
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 29, 2010, 07:52:45 AM
SarahVaughter;655 wrote: I'm sorry but I am at a loss what this could be. It was mentioned at the top of this thread that three dermatologists had no idea either. For science's sake it would be very useful to know what you have in common. High levels of a certain orally administered vitamin for example? Especially vit. A, some people are allergic to vit. A. We have sold dermarollers (often more than one) to a few thousand people. This is the first time we hear of this. But you reported that those marks were already present in some form before rolling. So my wild guess is vitamin A allergy. You could try stopping all skin treatment and all oral supplements and see whether the situation improves over the months that follow.

About it being a bacterial infection: I don't think so. Infections hurt, smell, produce pus etc. However it is very important to sterilize your roller after each use, not sometimes but always. Otherwise infections can indeed occur.

 

Thank you for your reply. Yes it was present in some form before rolling, but now I have more of them + I feel a "burning" sensation on my skin, sort of like a (not too major) sunburn. I just applied some cortisone-ointment and it stings right now, but we'll see I guess. It's indeed scary trying anything fearing it will just make matters worse.

Laurier, did your skin also feel "burnish" for a while after rolling? Has it passed now that it's been over a month? I didn't feel this way just a week ago, and I rolled two weeks ago. I saw the marks appearing then too but I didn't feel a burning-sensation like this. If this cortisone-ointment doesn't help I think I'll just have to let it be and not apply anything whatsoever for a week to see if that will help...

- David
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 29, 2010, 01:47:26 PM
Rollin;656 wrote: Thank you for your reply. Yes it was present in some form before rolling, but now I have more of them + I feel a "burning" sensation on my skin, sort of like a (not too major) sunburn. I just applied some cortisone-ointment and it stings right now, but we'll see I guess. It's indeed scary trying anything fearing it will just make matters worse.

Laurier, did your skin also feel "burnish" for a while after rolling? Has it passed now that it's been over a month? I didn't feel this way just a week ago, and I rolled two weeks ago. I saw the marks appearing then too but I didn't feel a burning-sensation like this. If this cortisone-ointment doesn't help I think I'll just have to let it be and not apply anything whatsoever for a week to see if that will help...

- David



David, the problem is that my skin has had this "burnish feeling" on and off for the past 5 months. Often it seems to be in response to light or topicals. When it burns it scars, so I assume it is some kind of inflammatory response that is breaking down my skin. I had the burning for about two days after rolling, and then it went away and hasn't returned in that spot.

Perhaps in your case it is continued inflammation as your skin heals. It is also possible that you are just reacting to something topically. Whichever it is, I hope you get some relief soon...

Laurie
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 29, 2010, 02:55:51 PM
LaurieR;658 wrote: David, the problem is that my skin has had this "burnish feeling" on and off for the past 5 months. Often it seems to be in response to light or topicals. When it burns it scars, so I assume it is some kind of inflammatory response that is breaking down my skin. I had the burning for about two days after rolling, and then it went away and hasn't returned in that spot.

Perhaps in your case it is continued inflammation as your skin heals. It is also possible that you are just reacting to something topically. Whichever it is, I hope you get some relief soon...

Laurie

 

Hi; yeah it might be burning because I've been trying to "battle dryness" with applying various topicals. I'll try applying this cortisone-ointment I got now on just half my face or so, and leave the other part entirely alone for 2-3 days. Then I can evaluate what works best.

I did not have much burning at all after rolling.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 29, 2010, 05:51:02 PM
Rollin;659 wrote: Hi; yeah it might be burning because I've been trying to "battle dryness" with applying various topicals. I'll try applying this cortisone-ointment I got now on just half my face or so, and leave the other part entirely alone for 2-3 days. Then I can evaluate what works best.

I did not have much burning at all after rolling.

 

Yep I have found that the less I apply the better. To be honest after rolling I didn't even apply anything to the skin for a few days in fear of inflaming it and making it worse. In hindsight I really should have put something on to combat the dryness, but I just never know when I will react...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 29, 2010, 07:02:33 PM
SarahVaughter;655 wrote: I'm sorry but I am at a loss what this could be. It was mentioned at the top of this thread that three dermatologists had no idea either. For science's sake it would be very useful to know what you have in common. High levels of a certain orally administered vitamin for example? Especially vit. A, some people are allergic to vit. A. We have sold dermarollers (often more than one) to a few thousand people. This is the first time we hear of this. But you reported that those marks were already present in some form before rolling. So my wild guess is vitamin A allergy. You could try stopping all skin treatment and all oral supplements and see whether the situation improves over the months that follow.

About it being a bacterial infection: I don't think so. Infections color the skin red, they hurt, smell, produce pus etc. However, as we write in our instructions, it is very important to sterilize long-needled rollers after each use, not sometimes but always. Otherwise infections can indeed occur. That roller you bought from another company did not have such a recommendation? That's pretty bad :-(



Thanks Sarah. I would never expect you to have an answer as to what is going on here with the scarring. I know that it was the vitamin a that I took for two weeks. It altered my skin and immune system in some way that has triggered near constant inflammation and breakdown. The dermatologists that I saw said that vitamin a couldn't have done this, but really nothing else makes sense as that was the only thing that changed in my life prior to this occurring. I don't take anything with vitamin a in it, and haven't in 5 months. I do eat a ton of veggies but that isn't an issue as beta-carotene only converts to vitamin a as needed in the body.

Yes, I am very disappointed with the company I ordered my dermaroller from. The instructions for care and use were terrible and possibly harmful. It was Scientia, and I'm sorry that I fell for the marketing. They obviously dominate the search engines.  I wish I had found your site sooner as I appreciate that you offer such detailed instructions and support and also your products are extremely affordable. I spent $100 on my 1.0 dermaroller which I have already thrown in the trash because I noticed quite a few slightly bent needles a few days after using it. I am praying that these needles bent because somehow I wasn't careful with the storage (I put it into a glass jar after using it) and weren't bent on arrival. I had no idea that these needles could bend so easily and it didn't occur to me that the needles could even arrive slightly bent from the factory. What a mess.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on September 30, 2010, 03:59:28 AM
I remember that a long time ago (more than ten years IIRC) that a company called Essential Organics was forced (by the FDA?) to drastically reduce the amount of vit. A in their "Mega Vites". The reason was that it was proven, also in animal tests, that large doses of vit. A could cause serious birth defects. I think that some people are very susceptible to vitamin A and that vitamin A causes wrong tissue formation somehow in those people. Vitamin A is essential for proper skin formation in all people, only perhaps in around 0.1% of people when they take too much - for them at least- it causes tissue malformation. Just a postulation of course. Everything has a cause and perhaps in some cases this is the cause. We need more data.

Self-promotion ahead.. About bent needles: All rollers are made in SE-Asia, and all rollers are relatively cheap to produce. Even the ones with LED lights, which are a useless gimmick, used to justify a ridiculous price. A roller subjected to rigorous quality control should cost not too much more than the worst rollers. The most expensive rollers are always a "scam" in that sense, because you pay through the nose for no reason. The cheapest rollers on eBay and Amazon are the bottom of the barrel, basically brand-less rollers that came from batches that failed QC sampling tests. We are not unscrupulous sales agents for any factory. We regularly buy new types of rollers, test them and sell the ones that we know will give us the least customer support issues, the most sales due to optimal price/quality factor and hence the most positive word-of-mouth. We order our rollers directly from the factories in batches made for us. They start up production for us. Rollers are not automatically produced, they are hand-assembled! So it can take one month before we receive our order of 1000+ dermarollers. And we always make it clear that we expect quality or there will be no next order. This is how we can offer good quality for a good price. You can see that we started to sell a new type of roller. We're phasing out our old types. That's because we found a slightly better one. It is in our best interest to keep researching the market for the best value for money because our business model is all about filling the niche with the best quality for the lowest price for everything we sell. We don't even waste money on advertising. A good product sells itself through word of mouth. We compete on expertise, customer support and price/quality.

All dermarollers can theoretically get a needle or two bent when they arrive at your home. Ours too. However, at least with our rollers it's so rare that when a customer says: "My roller arrived with bent needles" we simply refund them without further questions (well, occasionally we may ask for a picture, for quality assurance reasons).

The needles should definitely not bend when you place the roller head-down in a glas jar! If you don't chuck it in with great force, it should be no problem.

Again about dermarolling companies: I can only speak for ourselves when I say that I am constantly researching micro-needling. I'm preparing an article about Hyaluronic acid at the moment. I am very sure that 99% of the other companies that sell dermarollers are scammers, basically. They are just PR-agencies attached to Chinese factories, or some young "search engine optimizers" interested in "making money online". They always advertise like crazy on Google. We don't need to - we use word of mouth. I haven't seen a single respectable company out there, it's all totally disinterested money-grubbers, promising the moon. If you know an exception, let me know. Even "Dr. Roller" only tries to keep up a respectable appearance to justify their inflated price. We sell the exact same roller for half the price. They are all sales companies, not skin experts or employing anybody even remotely interested in the skin. They have advertizing folks, forum SPAM folks and sales page design folks but skin folks are ominously absent, which becomes noticeable when you ask them a difficult "skin question". When I don't know the answer, I sometimes spend half a day on the net, hunting for a cross-verified, evidence-based answer. John spent hours, some weeks ago, in figuring out how to make rounded corners on our sales page, lol.. We came to the conclusion that having a fancy-looking site is pointless. It's competency and reliability that people are interested in. So we focus our attention mainly on that. It's not easy to compete with companies who's net profit is many times ours, and who invest a large part of that into ads and web design.

The only people you can trust are dermatologists and plastic surgeons, basically. Those who offer the treatment in their clinics. There are also many amateurs out there without skin expertise - in that case you better home-roll after reading the instructions :-)
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 30, 2010, 06:14:17 AM
I would be wary of blaming vit-A, just because you took it prior to developing this. If there's anything I've learned it's that correlation usually doesn't imply causation, in other words just because your skinproblem started after taking vit-a supplements for 2 weeks, it doesnt have to mean anything.

I did not take any vit-a supplements and I got these lines on my face anyway, the multivitamin I took only contains betacarotene and not in very large doses either. I drink milk with vit A & D, but that's the milk I've been drinking all of my life.

I'm also very thankful for your help and for this page, Sarah Vaughter.

I have an appointment with a dermatologist in three weeks. I hope this problem has subsided by then.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 30, 2010, 05:07:04 PM
I don't know anymore...I had other signs of vitamin a toxicity as well around the time this started like joint and bone pain, stomach pain, kidney pain, muscle stiffness, insomnia, and my eyes dried up and I would wake up in the middle of the night with them stuck shut. This eye issue actually is just starting to get better now, but the skin is still a mess. All other symptoms subsided rather quickly. I have had my liver and kidneys checked and they are functioning well so no permanent damage there.  I would actually rather believe that this was random, because I am beating myself up over having taken the vitamin a in the first place and it leading to this mess. I took the high-dose as recommended by Linda Page (holistic practitioner) to get rid of stubborn warts that I have had for 8 years now and have been resistant to all treatments thus far. I was supposed to stick with the a for 2 months, but dropped  out at two weeks because I had a feeling something wasn't right. Perhaps if I had kept going I would be dead right now...

David, let us know how your skin is doing and what the dermatologist thinks is going on...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on September 30, 2010, 05:21:18 PM
LaurieR;672 wrote: I don't know anymore...I had other signs of vitamin a toxicity as well around the time this started like joint and bone pain, stomach pain, kidney pain, muscle stiffness, insomnia, and my eyes dried up and I would wake up in the middle of the night with them stuck shut. This eye issue actually is just starting to get better now, but the skin is still a mess. All other symptoms subsided rather quickly. I have had my liver and kidneys checked and they are functioning well so no permanent damage there.  I would actually rather believe that this was random, because I am beating myself up over having taken the vitamin a in the first place and it leading to this mess. I took the high-dose as recommended by Linda Page (holistic practitioner) to get rid of stubborn warts that I have had for 8 years now and have been resistant to all treatments thus far. I was supposed to stick with the a for 2 months, but dropped  out at two weeks because I had a feeling something wasn't right. Perhaps if I had kept going I would be dead right now...

David, let us know how your skin is doing and what the dermatologist thinks is going on...

 

I'm sorry to hear you've been having such problems, and I totally hear you about not wanting to have in some sense "caused this" oneself. I keep beating myself up for rolling without first asking about this; had I started this thread before rolling and seen your answer then, I wouldn't have rolled or at least would only have rolled a very small area on my face just to check. Now my hope just lies that this subsides entirely for me very soon and that no more damage will be done, which is already kinda bad actually but what can one do... (I feel quite depressed at the moment let me tell you that; I'm just 23 I don't want to have these scars on my face). I'm just wondering why eating vit A would cause htis issue for you only on your face; if you had this issue from vit A shouldn't it happen all over your body then?

Laurier, could I perhaps get your emailadress? I'd love to ask how you are doing in maybe 6 months or a year. A) i'd like to hear if you can get rid of your problem with time, and b) If you find something that helps you get rid of your lines once this passes for you (I'm sure it will), I'd be very happy to hear that. I'm thinking dermabrasion would probably help a "normal person", in particular since all these "scars" are, albeit visible, quite on the surface and not very deep at all by the looks of it. BUT... I'm not sure I'd dare go through with anything on my skin again, feeling this way after just rolling my face once which so many people do without the slightest problem, what would happen if I got problems from something like dermabrasion? Maybe I should try to settle with what I've got and not get more depressed from failed attempts of fixing things...

My biggest fear right now is that this will continue for me, with more burning and more scars. I really really hope I'ts over in another two weeks (without more scars), and that I can see my skin look & feel more like it's old self in the months to come.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 30, 2010, 06:46:31 PM
Rollin;673 wrote: I'm sorry to hear you've been having such problems, and I totally hear you about not wanting to have in some sense "caused this" oneself. I keep beating myself up for rolling without first asking about this; had I started this thread before rolling and seen your answer then, I wouldn't have rolled or at least would only have rolled a very small area on my face just to check. Now my hope just lies that this subsides entirely for me very soon and that no more damage will be done, which is already kinda bad actually but what can one do... (I feel quite depressed at the moment let me tell you that; I'm just 23 I don't want to have these scars on my face). I'm just wondering why eating vit A would cause htis issue for you only on your face; if you had this issue from vit A shouldn't it happen all over your body then?

Laurier, could I perhaps get your emailadress? I'd love to ask how you are doing in maybe 6 months or a year. A) i'd like to hear if you can get rid of your problem with time, and b) If you find something that helps you get rid of your lines once this passes for you (I'm sure it will), I'd be very happy to hear that. I'm thinking dermabrasion would probably help a "normal person", in particular since all these "scars" are, albeit visible, quite on the surface and not very deep at all by the looks of it. BUT... I'm not sure I'd dare go through with anything on my skin again, feeling this way after just rolling my face once which so many people do without the slightest problem, what would happen if I got problems from something like dermabrasion? Maybe I should try to settle with what I've got and not get more depressed from failed attempts of fixing things...

My biggest fear right now is that this will continue for me, with more burning and more scars. I really really hope I'ts over in another two weeks (without more scars), and that I can see my skin look & feel more like it's old self in the months to come.



Hi David,

If I could advise you anything right now it's don't try to fix things yet! If I hadn't tried so many topicals trying to fix this problem in the beginning the damage probably wouldn't be half as bad as it is now. I thought about dermabrasion as well, but that is major injury to the skin, which is more inflammation, which means that most likely the scarring will increase. My scars are also really shallow, some look like very fine lines, so I have hope that they will diminish in time. My skin did go from super oily to somewhat dry after the vitamin a so that probably has a hand in making all of the tiny lines on my face look even worse...all of my pores look stretched out into lines as well, it's awful. My body skin has suffered as well, but because it is thicker and I have never applied topicals there it is not as damaged. I can tell there is a texture change though, and it looks to have lost some elasticity...

My e-mail address is angelfire5980@hotmail.com (angelfire5980@hotmail.com...keep) ...keep in touch

One more thing, most of my life I had not so great skin...pimples, some acne scars, poor texture...In March of 2008 I embarked on a 100% raw foods diet in hopes of some major transformation and I will tell you that it took time, but my skin for the first time in my life glowed. The texture was amazing, I still got pimples ocassionally but they healed quickly and without scarring...and I actually got compliments on my skin. I followed this diet until about a year ago when I started working, got lazy at home and started adding some cooked food back...no obvious issues came up, but gradually I did notice my skin falling back into its old ways. By the time this skin issue came up, I was back to eating only about 30% raw, and I was eating lots of canned coconut milk, organic grass-fed beef, cooked veggies, etc. I have thought about going back 100% raw since this started but it is hard when you are super depressed and don't want to prepare food for yourself. Well, as of two days ago I decided that it is time to give it a chance again because it can only serve to improve my skin from where it is now. Also it does improve my mood drastically. So that may be something to consider, it is rejuvenating and can heal, I will testify to that. Right now I am drinking two fresh green juices a day, eating raw chocolates enhanced with bee pollen which I make myself, lots of spirulina and chlorella, making green smoothies, raw breads, raw seed pates and lots of salads. I did this for almost two years so it is easy to get back to it but at the same time it is a lot more work. If nothing else maybe you can consider adding some fresh vegetable juice and spirulina to your diet? These two things alone can work wonders. I know the raw diet isn't appealing to everyone as I've been on both sides, but when you are in a difficult situation it can really help. People have healed from "incurable" diseases through this lifestyle. I plan to beat this one way or the other, and this is part of my strategy. This diet seems to calm inflammation and is loaded with anti-oxidants. You can even add raw animal products if you desire, but that is a bit more complicated. I just wanted to throw all of this out there because you should know that there are many ways to get out of these seemingly hopeless situations - I just wish I had been motivated sooner to do this.

I think eventually when you can handle it needling is your safest and best bet for these lines. I think your skin just wasn't ready for it this time, mine obviously wasn't. In time it will be though.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on September 30, 2010, 08:16:11 PM
Hey David,

I also wanted to add that you should really give yourself a couple more weeks before you panic about what rolling may have done to your skin. I have been noticing over the past couple of days that the area where I rolled looks like it is changing and what looked like new scars are softening a bit. It has been exactly a month since I rolled so maybe the collagen is still remodeling and in the end the results will be decent. There is no doubt that we have a scarring problem, but when I first rolled my skin looked terrible and now that I look things are blending in a bit better. Maybe time is the only answer with this
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on October 03, 2010, 09:47:59 AM
LaurieR;672 wrote: I don't know anymore...I had other signs of vitamin a toxicity as well  around the time this started like joint and bone pain, stomach pain,  kidney pain, muscle stiffness, insomnia, and my eyes dried up and I  would wake up in the middle of the night with them stuck shut. This eye  issue actually is just starting to get better now, but the skin is still  a mess. All other symptoms subsided rather quickly. I have had my liver  and kidneys checked and they are functioning well so no permanent  damage there.  I would actually rather believe that this was random,  because I am beating myself up over having taken the vitamin a in the  first place and it leading to this mess. I took the high-dose as  recommended by Linda Page (holistic practitioner) to get rid of stubborn  warts that I have had for 8 years now and have been resistant to all  treatments thus far. I was supposed to stick with the a for 2 months,  but dropped  out at two weeks because I had a feeling something wasn't  right. Perhaps if I had kept going I would be dead right now...  


     Taking high oral doses of vit. A is dangerous because vit. A accumulates in the body. Excessive intake manifests itself amongst other things by skin dryness/peeling and skin rash.

   

  Taking too much vit. A can be fatal. It happened to Scott's polar expedition, who ate too much polar bear liver. But adverse effects of vit. A occur much sooner, and likely even sooner in sensitive individuals. The problem with vit. A is a cumulative toxin and that its elimination takes months. It is an important vitamin for a healthy skin, but when you take too much, it totally destroys the skin. Scott lost the soles of his feet, his nails fell off and finally he turned blind - all due to vitamin A poisoning. Yes, his skin fell off completely. Also the skin of his hands. One day he took off his gloves and he stared at raw meat. The skin of his fingers remained inside the gloves.

If any strange skin effects occur and vit. A has been supplemented orally, then vit. A sensitivity should be the first and foremost suspicion.

Vitamin A is not going to make your warts disappear either.

  I had problems with reccurring warts on my feet soles. I solved it by applying one drop of 16% sulfuric acid every day.  I applied it with a toothpick. Just to the wart itself, not to the skin around it.  After a while it destroyed the wart. I continued for a while with this remedy, to destroy any deep residues. The wart hasn’t reappeared in ten years.  You can buy 16% sulfuric acid on Internet but be careful with it..
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on October 03, 2010, 03:37:59 PM
SarahVaughter;683 wrote:

     Taking high oral doses of vit. A is dangerous because vit. A accumulates in the body. Excessive intake manifests itself amongst other things by skin dryness/peeling and skin rash.

   

  Taking too much vit. A can be fatal. It happened to Scott's polar expedition, who ate too much polar bear liver. But adverse effects of vit. A occur much sooner, and likely even sooner in sensitive individuals. The problem with vit. A is a cumulative toxin and that its elimination takes months. It is an important vitamin for collagen synthesis, but when you take too much, it totally destroys the skin. Scott lost the soles of his feet, his nails fell off and finally he turned blind - all due to vitamin A poisoning. Yes, his skin fell off completely. Also the skin of his hands. One day he took off his gloves and he stared at raw meat. The skin of his fingers remained inside the gloves.

If any strange skin effects occur and vit. A has been supplemented orally, then vit. A sensitivity should be the first and foremost suspicion.

Vitamin A is not going to make your warts disappear either.

  I had problems with reccurring warts on my feet soles. I solved it by applying one drop of 16% sulfuric acid every day.  I applied it with a toothpick. Just to the wart itself, not to the skin around it.  After a while it destroyed the wart. I continued for a while with this remedy, to destroy any deep residues. The wart hasn’t reappeared in ten years.  You can buy 16% sulfuric acid on Internet but be careful with it..

 

I don't know if this is supposed to make me feel better, but I already feel severely depressed over what has happened and the fact that there are no answers to this for me and no way out. Three dermatologists, two naturopaths, two GP's, and all say this is impossible and that vitamin a toxicity gets better with time if it is indeed that, which they say it isn't, yet my face gets worse and worse. I actually wish I had just died at this point because I am trapped in my house crying most of the day, my skin is falling apart minute by minute and in severe pain, my face is now very disfigured, meanwhile I have two young children and a husband whose lives are being destroyed by this as well. I have talked to counselors, nothing helps, I am emotionally and physically destroyed. I have small glimmers of hope that things are getting better and then I walk by a window when a small bit of light on a cloudy day is coming through the curtain and my skin starts burning and these red cracks show up on my face within minutes and I am back to feeling hopeless and trapped in a body that is completely breaking down. I think I might just stop wondering what it might be and making myself more crazy and more hateful towards myself for what I may have done. A person can only take so much and I think I reached that point about a month ago...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on October 03, 2010, 05:56:58 PM
Don't despair - retinoid dermatitis improves with time. Almond oil and Panthotenic acid will speed up the recovery. Judging from the overdosing symptoms you experienced when you took the vit. A, you can be glad you did not end up with permanent kidney damage.

I did not intend to depress you with my "vit. A death" story! I'm sorry for that. Just explaining that contrary what some may think, vit. A indeed does cause deleterious skin effects, when overdosed. Especially when overdosed orally.

When a dermaroller is used on vit. A induced skin inflammation, it will make things worse. Retinoid dermatitis can't be improved by dermarolling - on the contrary it exacerbates it.

Use the corticoids prescribed to you and hopefully you'll skin will improve quickly.

Tea tree oil - applied without rubbing - may help too, as it is an anti-inflammatory.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: LaurieR on October 18, 2010, 03:43:30 PM
SarahVaughter;686 wrote: Don't despair - retinoid dermatitis improves with time. Almond oil and Panthotenic acid will speed up the recovery. Judging from the overdosing symptoms you experienced when you took the vit. A, you can be glad you did not end up with permanent kidney damage.

I did not intend to depress you with my "vit. A death" story! I'm sorry for that. Just explaining that contrary what some may think, vit. A indeed does cause deleterious skin effects, when overdosed. Especially when overdosed orally.

When a dermaroller is used on vit. A induced skin inflammation, it will make things worse. Retinoid dermatitis can't be improved by dermarolling - on the contrary it exacerbates it.

Use the corticoids prescribed to you and hopefully you'll skin will improve quickly.

Tea tree oil - applied without rubbing - may help too, as it is an anti-inflammatory.



Just an update - turns out I have a form of discoid lupus, most likely triggered by immune changes induced by the vitamin a....funny enough Accutane and other retinoids are actually used to treat discoid lupus, so I am completely dumbfounded
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on October 22, 2010, 09:06:20 AM
I'm glad you finally found out what the problem is, because that is the first step to succesful treatment/prevention/cure.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on April 19, 2011, 12:07:04 PM
an update. I still have the same problem. I still don't know what's wrong with me. I've seen 2 dermatologists, one of them three times now. She has ordered some tests for autoimmune now, we'll see. I've tried various skin creams both regular ones and mild cortisone ointment/creams; none have worked but have made the burning sensation worse.

In all honesty I think the dermatologist is clueless as to what's wrong with me. I'm at my wits end with this, I wish I never did the stupid dermathingy I didn't even need it. Whatever happened it has triggered something that just won't go away, it has been 6 months now and it's just as big a problem as when I first got it. In fact now that summer is coming and the temperature is rising it's becoming much more of a problem for me, I can't go outside during the day because the sunlight makes the burning sensation worse, and I can't wear sunlotion because that too makes it worse. Though if I have to choose one or the other I guess I'll have to use the sunlotion anyway because I'm starting to feel liek a prisoner in my own home now.

I could probably have been more "pushy" at the dr's and had more tests etc. done by now but I guess I've  been scared about running out of options and I guess I've kinda wished that it would just go away by itself in time. Basically the dr just says "we must calm the skin" without being able to say what is wrong with me exactly. While I see that my skin clearly looks worse, it's not so bad that it couldn't just be "normal" to someone else; however it seems to be aging rapidly now that i can't put any moisturizer on it whatsoever... I just get more burning and end up with flakier and dryer skin than before...

I've also met a wonderful girl but I probably have to quit seeing her because this isn't going to work out if I can't see her during the day, that's just weird (haven't told her about this as we just started seeing each other so have been making excuses)...

Has anyone got any suggestions? I just don't know what to do anymore!

ps. oh and I also got a tattoo recently on my forearm without any problem whatsoever, so whatever this problem is it's only in my face where I dermarolled last time... could it be the infadolan I used afterwards? Probably not, even if I somehow got "too much" vit A just from that ointment it shouldve cleared up a bit by now right? Please help me...

- Rollin
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on April 20, 2011, 11:12:59 AM
David:

   

    No, it is not possible to overdose vit. A from Infadolan. Even if you would eat the entire contents of the tube, you would still get nowhere near overdosing. Laurie got a vit. A overdose because he orally took extremely high doses of vit. A for a long time.

     

  Since you stated: "Yes I think rolling may have contributed to me getting more of these lines, but I believe I had a few even before"

  ..it is really hard to guess what it can be. It can be anything from Lupus, Psoriasis, a fungal infection, eczema etc.

     

  If two dermatologist have no idea, I am afraid I do not have either.. Did they at least suggest what it possibly could be?

   

Could you email me a photo please?

   Not knowing what it is, it is also very difficult to suggest how to solve it.  It doesn't seem to be an inflammation because the corticoid cream you got at the doctor's office did not work.

   

  Does it look similar to this?

   

    http://www.picturesofpsoriasis.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/scalp-psoriasis.gif
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on April 21, 2011, 12:13:04 PM
Thing is it doesn't show that much. I mean I have some intendations after the rolling but it's nothing that would cause my any major problems aesthetically if I just got rid of this problem with the burning!

i've tried reading about skinconditions around the internet but I haven't found anything that matches. Especially the problem with skincreams/ointments/whatever also causing a burning sensation.

It just feels like whatever is wrong it's not hugely wrong, and I just need to find out what it is so that I can fix it. But I don't know what it is.

Lately I've been thinking crazy things like "what if small pieces of metal broke of during the dermaroll and is now stuck in the skin causing problems". I'd be happy if you could dispel at least that for me (though I don't really believe this haha)!

I've also looked into things like milder forms of porphyria (EPP), but since this is only in my face and nowhere else, it just doesn't fit. The fact that I haven't had this kind of problem before the age of 23 and in conjunction with this therapy also speaks against that pretty strongly, though I think there are cases of it appearing later. Again this wouldn't cause problems with skinlotions...

But yeah whatever problem I got it can't only be the dermaroller, I must have had something that made it possible for the dermaroller to make this problem surface. Most people have no problem at all from a dermaroller, and those who have a problem still have a really minor problem. This must be a one in 10 000 problem... Lucky me :(

The burning sensation isn't unbearable, but it feels, and especially when it's in your face...  I'm starting to think my body somehow "remembers" the pain from dermarolling and is now "recreating" this pain/inflammation/whatever it is whenever I apply something or am out in the sun. A bit farfetched I know but I just don't get what it is that is causing this. If it was ONLY a sensation I would just go with it and try to ignore it, but the more moisturizer I apply the more dry my skin appears, that is just weird.

The skin feels pretty normal in the morning waking up. I might test covering parts of my face up entirely for a day or two (nothing too dramatic) and see if that makes that area feel normal...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 18, 2011, 11:43:36 AM
I tried using a steroidcream given to me by my dermatologist (elocon so pretty strong but not extremely). I put it on my forehead for about 5 days and though the skin looked a bit better just when I got up in the morning it was not really doing much, and the irritation in the skin very quickly returned once I got up and out of bed, and I still couldn't apply any moisturizers to my forehead without getting a burning sensation in lack of better words (stinging might be a better term not sure). Then I stopped using it for one day as I had a date the next evening and didn't want to risk any reaction... I then put it on again the following night and now included nose and cheeks. The next day I developed a bad reaction gradually throughout the day...

I can't be sure it was the steroid though I assume it was, not sure why it only happened when I applied over a more general area and why it wasn't noticable immediately when I woke up but got worse throughout the day till the evening, but perhaps I got the reaction because I was using more of the steroid and the delay of the bad reaction might just be normal I don't know. At any rate the skin got pretty darn red especially on the nose and it has burned a lot since then (this was the night till saturday). I still feel a lot of burning in the skin though it's not as bad now as it was the first days, but it still looks pretty red and feels a bit like a sunburn + I got a lot of "pimples" (not raised pimples but postules.

I'm seeing my dermatologist again tomorrow as she's only working thursdays where I live, but this has just become a nightmare that won't end. I feel really depressed about this issue and particularly the sunexposure-problem; I'm dating an amazing girl and I haven't told her just how much of an issue this is for me, but if things continue like this I don't know what to do. I guess I'll have to buy a hat, or a burqa LOL... :(

The worst part is that nothing she has given me has helped. Though It's mostly been various moisturizers none of which have worked... The problem doesn't show much if I stay away from sun and don't apply anything on my face at all, but I can't live like that especially not in the summer :(
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on May 19, 2011, 07:04:37 AM
Well - we will see what your dermatologist says. You should definitely buy a sun hat and wear it until your skin condition improves. You also mentioned in your previous postings that they ran some tests. Did you recieve the results?

   

  To soothe the skin, try a cream containing Dexpanthenol or Pantothenic acid.

In the UK, Bepanthen cream contains it:

  http://www.onlinepharmacynz.com/product/84/Bepanthen_Cream.html

   

  It may have a different name in the US.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 19, 2011, 07:41:38 AM
I've run tests for autoimmune - came back negative

i've tried bepanthen though it's more of an ointment here in my country than a cream I believe. Didn't work.

Problem for me is that even where my skin doesn't show much irritation I have a burning sensation when I apply anything or from the sun (though I've been able to be out in the sun sometimes without a reaction but right now it burns a lot so I don't dare risking it).

My dermatologist is going to order something from Hungary, no idea what it was. In all honesty it feels like she has no clue what's wrong with me, and neither do I. She's focused a lot on the area around the nose because that has some visible redness, but I experience this burning sensation all over my face even on areas where it doesn't look that irritated it can feel a lot... All I know is this is destroying my life, and I don't know what to do anymore.

If it was only a sensation I couldh andle it but my skin just looks increasingly worse if I keep applying stuff or sun. Right now it is in a pretty bad state probably because of the elocon, but I can't be sure of that either...

is it possible my brain is somehow falsely creating pain and that in turn makes my skin irritated, not the other way around? I'm thinking that maybe the sensation you get just after dermarolling somehow got "stuck" in my brain and now it recreates that sensation which in turn irritates the skin, and not the other way around. pretty far fetched I know, but I'm at my wits end here...

I appreciate the suggestion, any suggestions really!

- David
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on May 19, 2011, 09:55:16 AM
I know the brain can modify the diameter of the cappilaries, it is also true that the brain, under certain circumstances can "create" pain but in your case it looks to be something else. It looks similar to photosensitivity as for example seen with the use of Doxycycline.

If a person on Doxycycline goes more than say ten minutes into full sun, what happens is ever-stronger pain and redness that takes a few days to fully dissipate - if there is no sun exposure whatsoever in the meantime.

You are not on any kind of medicines that could have photosensitivity as a side effect, right?
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 19, 2011, 10:38:03 AM
I'm not on any kind of medication at all except a sleeping-aid that I'm taking now because i have trouble sleeping otherwise due to all this crap. I've gone periods without taking it and it hasn't made a difference and while I dont like being on medication I deemed it more important to get proper sleep right now than not.

I wonder if the 1.5mm roller may have caused some nervedamage? The skin on my face is pretty thin so maybe???

I really appreciate the answers. I have been reading a bit now about fraxel laser causing serious damage for some people, I wonder if I'm just the unlucky one to get some kind of serious reaction from this treatment but I haven't heard of anyone get this kind of reaction except me...

I pressed down fairly hared when I rolled with the 1.5mm by the way, perhaps this is the problem. I feel so depressed about this...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 19, 2011, 11:05:52 AM
I'm not on any kind of medication at all except a sleeping-aid that I'm taking now because i have trouble sleeping otherwise due to all this crap. I've gone periods without taking it and it hasn't made a difference and while I dont like being on medication I deemed it more important to get proper sleep right now than not.

I wonder if the 1.5mm roller may have caused some nervedamage? The skin on my face is pretty thin so maybe???

I really appreciate the answers.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on May 19, 2011, 12:27:04 PM
No, the facial nerves lie very deep and there is no way a 1.5 or 2 mm roller can cause nerve damage - not even with very thin skin and pushing as hard as you can.

I will think about your case and see if I can come up with something. I have not heard of similar cases in medical literature or from our (many thousands) of customers.

It seems like an allergy/sensitivity/autoimmune issue of some kind but I am not a medical doctor - just trying to find an angle warranting further investigation..
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 19, 2011, 12:36:18 PM
I really really appreciate you taking the time here Mrs Vaughter. I did not push as hard as I can but I did push it a bit, however the reaction that I now am having seemed to creep up on me throughout the next couple of days rather than come on immediately... About the nerves, I was more thinking about if there are any nerves inside the actual skin that could've somehow got damaged from this. Like the nerves that regulate painsensation in the skin. If these somehow got damaged maybe that causes continous irritation to the skin? Though it seems odd that I can be painfree during wintermonths (no sun) as long as I don't apply topicals of any kind and shower once a day and not more, if it were nervedamage. It seems to me if this were the case it wouldn't matter if I applied a moisturizer or not, but I'm not a doctor... I haven't seen any new intendations appear by the way...

Although my skin looks a bit worse than it did before this crap, it's not too bad when I stay out of the sun and don't apply stuff (though I'm trying to find soemthing that I can apply that will help, but right now I'm still pretty sore after the steroid so I'm putting other things on hold for a bit). I've learned my lesson and if I get over this I won't do ANYTHING to try and fix the damage that has occurred on my skin. I'll live with the intendations and crap, that's a small price to pay for this nightmare if it can just end (and since I'm male I can get away with a little rougher skin hehe)! I've found a really wonderful girl as well but I'm real scared this will make me dating her impossible. I mean, who wants to date a vampire? Unless it's the twilight movies haha...

The strange thing is I rolled twice on my neck before and especially the second time I did press down hard. I thought I had stretchmarks on my neck but I later realised they was just neckfolds, and so the dermaroller wasn't going to do me any good there, in fact it might've looked worse after rolling not sure. At any rate I can apply all the moisturizers I want on my neck without any reaction and I was in the sun and really got my tan on last summer again without a reaction, which kinda begs the question: why did this happen after I rolled once on my face (and I have pain when I apply things just under the jawline where I also rolled) but not when I rolled my neck? I have really searched the internet but I haven't found ONE single account of anyone experiencing this problem or indeed any serious problem after dermarolling except me. So this is obviously a very safe procedure but for some reason I had a bad reaction to it nonetheless... Perhaps it's more likely that the dermarolling triggered soemthing that might have surfaced anyway given time, who knows? I'm trying to do things now that reduce anxiety because perhaps that plays some role in all of this.

Again I very much appreciate any thoughts you have! I'm thinking maybe I should try applying a numbing-cream on a smaller area before I apply some very mild moisturizer (dermatology approved for very sensitive skin) and see if that helps it. Maybe I can trick the skin into getting less sensitive this way who knows...

by the way I did notice that whilst it doesn't say so on the side-effects label in my country (norway) when I searched the internet it does say photosensitivity is a possible side-effect in higher dosages of the medication i'm taking to sleep (alimemazine). However I was taking this medication for about 2 years without any problem before I dermarolled and developed this problem so I don't know + I take a very low dosage even lower than suggested for sleeping-disturbances. And I didn't use this medication for a while but started again now because I have such trouble sleeping otherwise (though I'll try not to use it if possible...), but I'll try and stop using it once the problem with the topical steroid I applied goes away (will probably take another two weeks or so is my guess) and see if that makes a difference. Shouldn't matter regarding the problem of applying moisturizers and such however(?)
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on May 19, 2011, 01:16:00 PM
OK, but then my suspicion that you're on some kind of medicine that makes skin photosensitive is correct, and you have to look in that direction.

The Alimemazine you're taking is known for making the skin photo-sensitive so I would recommend stopping it immediately.

"Photosensitivity" is quite of an euphemism, really. "Photosensitivity" means that very harmful things occur in the skin when exposed to light, caused by the formation of highly toxic compounds.

The skin then reacts in various ways.

If you've been taking this drug for the past two years, then you may have developed increased sensitivity to its chronic exposure.

Alimemazine is know to be able to cause rashes and hypersensitivity reactions:

http://www.mims.com/USA/drug/info/alimemazine/

Agents that have photosensitivity as their main side effect are of course the prime suspect in your case.

The patient's leaflet for Alimemazine  says you should avoid direct sunlight:

Exposure to sunlight

"Alimemazine can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Keep out of direct sunlight while taking this medicine."

https://www.medicines.org.uk/EMC/pdfviewer.aspx?isAttachment=true&documentid=22488

I am near-100% certain that the skin symptoms you report have nothing to do with microneedling.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 19, 2011, 01:24:38 PM
Ok but why then did the symptoms come on just after dermarolling?

Also is there any sleeping-aid that I could take that wouldn't cause photosensitivity? Because I do think I need to take something at this point. I'll do my best to avoid it however! (perhaps I should just ask a gp about this instead but they didn't even mention this about alimemazine nor was it to be found on the side-effects label!)

And I'll stop the alimemazine immediately, I'm pretty darn pissed off this information wasn't to be found on the label! But why would that only cause a problem in the face? You got any ideas?

Also would taking desloratadin (areius) cause any problem of this kind? My derm wanted me to take it for two weeks to try, but I don't trust her anymore to be honest...

I'm planning on curbing the anxiety (which causes the sleeping-problems) with omega-3 and something called "inositol". This has worked well in the past and should work now too. Would either of those be a problem?

Again I really really appreciate you helping me out Mrs Vaughter. The information you give me is at least helpful, unlike what ive been given by a clueless derm.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on May 19, 2011, 01:37:25 PM
I am not a doctor so I would have to do the same as you (Googling) to find sleeping aids that do not list photosensitivity amongst their side effects.

I can think of several reasons why microneedling could aggravate chemically-induced photosensitivity (before, during and after), all of which are rather technical and are beside the point, being that you are reporting what appears to be chemically-induced photosensitivity.

I know how terrible photosensitivity in the face is. I have been since 2001 on Doxycycline because it very slowly makes my Lyme disease better and even ten minutes in moderate sunshine makes my face very painful and red for days. The only way I can get a suntan or expose my face to the sun is when I stop the Doxycycline for at least 24 hours prior.

From your questions I gather you're sceptical that Alimemazine could be the cause. But what you described made me think of photosensitivity, and indeed, you say you've been taking something that causes photosensitivity for the past two years. Occam's Razor says that this is your prime suspect. You also mentioned that your problems already occured before dermarolling. So I think you should stop taking Alimemazine and see whether things improve.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 19, 2011, 01:45:15 PM
Ok fair enough. How long should it take you think before i know if alimemazine was either solely the problem or at least contributing to it?

And about the symptoms I did not have any prior to rolling. I just had two intendations on my face that I thought was new but it had just become a little more noticable; I looked at older photos and it was there at that time too only less visible.

As you probably realise I used to be pretty obsessive about my looks. Now I will never ever care about a scar here or there again, as long as I can get better! :)

I'm terribly sorry to hear about your Lyme disease, I've heard how very awful that can be. Glad you're getting better slowly at least! :)

Again I really really Appreciate you taking the time to help out. And I just want to stress to anyone reading this that dermarolling is indeed safe I've tried finding anyone with this kind of reaction and it has been impossible for me, unlike fraxel laser that has LOADS of horror-stories associated with it (and yet is probably safe for the vast majority). So don't be discouraged by my experience but perhaps try a smaller patch first just to see how you react if you're considering using longer needles on your face.

sincerely,

David
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: lola on May 19, 2011, 03:39:51 PM
Hello David,

your story is such unbelievable and I feel so sorry for you. I read the whole thread and did I get it right that you don't have visible marks on you face but you are photosensitive and in the sun you feel the burning sensation?

I am a pale skin type and i had tolerate the sun moderately in the past, since I used retinoid (only for 6 weeks) two years ago I am much more photosensitive. Within 5 min. without sunscreen I got a sunburn. So, I think for so many people retinoids are safe and they respond well to it, but in may case it was not worth the try and it triggered the photosenitivity . And this is why I am so cautious use the dermaroller since the scientist also doesn't know 100% how the whole procedure works. They are no long term studies.

David, did you try emu-oil or do you search for something that would calm your burning sensation? Did you think about detoxing your body? In Germany, where I am from, we have alternative practitioner and they are more on the holistic approach and try to heal with natural resources. Maybe worth a try?

From what I read, you are a strong person and I am sure you find a way to fix your problem. Keep going and bothering the doctors and don't stop until you find the right person or method  that can help you.

I wish you all the best and keep us updated.

I hope, you could understand everything, since my English is in need of improvement :D

Best regards,

lola
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on May 19, 2011, 04:39:54 PM
David, the half time of that antihistamine is 5 hours so you should be OK after 48 hours, provided there are no tissue stores that can accumulate/release it beyond that time (I am not a doctor..)
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 19, 2011, 07:16:49 PM
lola;1576 wrote: Hello David,

your story is such unbelievable and I feel so sorry for you. I read the whole thread and did I get it right that you don't have visible marks on you face but you are photosensitive and in the sun you feel the burning sensation?

I am a pale skin type and i had tolerate the sun moderately in the past, since I used retinoid (only for 6 weeks) two years ago I am much more photosensitive. Within 5 min. without sunscreen I got a sunburn. So, I think for so many people retinoids are safe and they respond well to it, but in may case it was not worth the try and it triggered the photosenitivity . And this is why I am so cautious use the dermaroller since the scientist also doesn't know 100% how the whole procedure works. They are no long term studies.

David, did you try emu-oil or do you search for something that would calm your burning sensation? Did you think about detoxing your body? In Germany, where I am from, we have alternative practitioner and they are more on the holistic approach and try to heal with natural resources. Maybe worth a try?

From what I read, you are a strong person and I am sure you find a way to fix your problem. Keep going and bothering the doctors and don't stop until you find the right person or method  that can help you.

I wish you all the best and keep us updated.

I hope, you could understand everything, since my English is in need of improvement :D

Best regards,

lola

 

I really appreciate your kind words lola. I am not the luckiest dude around that's for sure, this isn't my only healthproblem sadly which has made it all the more troublesome to deal with.

I do have visible marks on my face but they're not that big of a deal really, at least not at this point though I'm concerned about the skin deteriorating further if I can't get this under controll soon. I already have a lot of anxiety about the skin as it is. If I could get rid of this problem so that I could start applying some good and proper moisturizers and such I'm pretty sure my skin would look totally fine with some time, and though it may not look like it did before that's not the end of the world you know(?). I'm also male so I think I can get away with a little rougher skin than women, lucky me haha...

and your English is fine, I'm Swedish so mine's not native either ;)

re: the alimemazine. I didn't take it for about 2-3 months and it made no difference so I doubt it's that. However I have noticed that many kinds of oral medications can make the skinproblem slightly worse including sleeping meds or anxietymeds (hence I take none). I took bee pollen for a while for an unrelated problem and it also caused the skin to feel a little worse so I stopped that too.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on May 20, 2011, 03:36:08 AM
If you did not take it for such a long time and it really made no difference then it's a mystery :-(
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 20, 2011, 05:10:54 AM
ok thanks I appreciate the suggestion nonetheless Mrs Vaughter. I remember you mentioning something about a plastic surgeon (that you know) who knows a lot about dermarolling. Perhaps you could ask him what his thoughts are?

I'm thinking for some reason my body didn't go through the normal process of inflammation -> healing -> more collagen, but something went wrong during that process and now it's kinda "stuck". Perhaps he would know more about this?

sincerely,

a very sad David
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 20, 2011, 01:46:18 PM
I just have one last question: As I mentioned I didn't disinfect the dermaroller the last time I used it (that was on the face for the first time I think).

Is it possible that I have been having a very mild and somehow controlled infection all this time, ie doesn't show much and hasn't gotten worse. Or would it be clearly visible if it was an infection? I did eat heracillin for 5 days recently due to another unrelated problem and that at least had no impact on my face problem.

What about splinters breaking off from the roller and getting trapped in the skin causing irritation?

I promise I won't ask more stupid questions if these are answered :D

- David
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on May 20, 2011, 02:06:18 PM
You mean you've not disinfected the roller when you used it for the first time after unpackaging? That should not be a problem.

Also, I am quite sure that a skin infection does not manifest itself like that. We consider it impossible that anything breaks off the roller and ends up in the skin.

The needles certainly can't splinter, fragment, flake or break off. I have to say that you are a totally unique case so far, amongst our thousands of customers.

I just got a reply from my knowledgeable aquaintance and he says he  can't help with this, but that you would need to see a dermatologist..

If a dermaroller could cause such permanent skin problems then it should have been reported before.

 We sold perhaps twenty thousand  dermarollers over several years worldwide and you are the only one reporting this problem so I also think  there is something going on that needs a dermatologist's judgment.

You could have some rare skin issue. This problem needs the opinion of a medical specialist. Since you live in Norway/Sweden (I forgot which), you can see a dermatologist for a small fee, correct?

If one dermatologist doesn't know, perhaps another one will - you need a second opinion or an expert's opinion.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on May 21, 2011, 06:33:36 AM
After having thought about this and having discussed it last night, all I can come up with is that somehow the long-term use of that antihistamine has caused a long-lasting histological photosensitivity-related change in your skin that has now become apparent, as it is getting sunnier.

This antihistamine causes photosensitivity and what I know of chemically-induced photosensitivity is that it abates a few days after the responsible agent has been metabolized, but that is perhaps not always the case with all such agents, as I only have experience with Doxycycline. There may be multiple ways that photosensitivity can occur. I can imagine the theoretical possibility that the Alimemazine has caused certain long-living chemicals that cause photosensitivity to accumulate into the skin. Some compounds never leave the skin - think of Argyria - so I'd permanently cease the use of anything with photosensitivity in their list of side effects. And wait a few years, see if it gets better with time.

I think it is rare to take this substance for such a long time so it would be very difficult to find anyone knowledgeable about this.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 21, 2011, 07:32:41 AM
I appreciate the thoughts. First I just want to say that I mean I didn't disinfect the roller prior to using it the last time. That time I used it on my face, and that's when the problem surfaced. I had used it twice on my neck before without getting this reaction (though it didn't help the "problem" on my neck). I had disinfected it both before and after usage both those times, but again I assume a derm would spot an infection pretty easily and my derm has not suggested that once. And I've shown her the device and she did not think it could cause this and neither did another dermatologist I asked through the web (payed a small fee).

I doubt alimemazine is responsible however, I know people who has taken this substance for over 6 years for sleepingissues without any kind of reaction whatsoever, in fact I only think photosensitivity is common in high dosages and I took lower than recommended dosages (didn't need it that much). Perhaps the combination of this medication with dermarolling could produce some kind of reaction but I rather think it's either something unrelated to the dermaroller itself though it may have been triggered by it OR that anxiety over all of this plays some part in this, or maybe both. The anxiety thing seems unlikely to me but I can't dismiss it entirely as I have been pretty damn depressed over this problem, and I had some medical issues before this too which I was sad about (a balancedisorder).

At any rate I really appreciate you taking the time to think about this. Especially considering this could be "bad" in terms of business. I must stress that I haven't found one single account of anyone else with  this problem from dermarolling, which makes it highly unlikely that this would be the cause of my problem (though it seems to have triggered it somehow).

I'll see another dermatologist but since the one I've been seeing is the only private one in my area it will take some time going through the "normal route" here.

Omega-3 is the only thing that has helped thus far. Certainly no cure but it takes away some of the burning sensations when they appear etc.

- Dave.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on May 21, 2011, 06:23:44 PM
If you did not at least clean the roller before re-using it, then indeed you could now have some weird skin infection. Again, I am not a doctor but I do know that when you roll your face and then not at least clean the roller (like, moving it vigorously in a bucket of warm soapy water) then you'll likely end up with a lot of bacterial growth on the needles. If you merely placed the roller back in its case after rolling, without at least washing it, and later rolled again with it without thorough sterilization, then you can expect heavy bacterial/fungal contamination to be introduced into the skin.  However I am still sceptical that this would enter the deeper skin layers and result in anything else but some whiteheads, and only when using long-needled rollers such as 1.5 and 2 mm.

As I said, it's a mystery and it would be interesting if you were to decide to send me a picture of your affected skin after all.

Don't worry about this thread being bad for business. We sell a roller every ten minutes - we're one of the most popular dermarolling vendors out there - and I don't think an isolated case, of which it does not even seem dermarolling has anything/much to do with it, will deter many from dermarolling. I think this thread contains interesting info and I hope you'll be able to get your problem resolved or at least discover what it is that ails you.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 22, 2011, 07:21:54 AM
Nah I both cleaned and disinfected it AFTER prior usage and I cleaned it under hot water before using it the last time too (no soap though). It had been in its package in between usage so no contanimation there either.

I'm thinking more and more along the terms of somehow damamged skinbarrier + anxiety over all of this perhaps being at play, I haven't found one single skindisorder that matches my symptoms so I don't know. Going to buy some special creams for skin-repair. We'll see...

As I said it doesn't show that much, I've had some places where some intendations have appeared, some of them lineshaped, but they don't go that deep and aren't too visible so as long as I can get this problem under control now I wouldn't care about that one bit (well maybe a little but I would sure not try and do anything about them; I've learned my lesson).

I'll keep eating the omega-3 but I've started getting some pain in my extremities when I eat it, which is kinda odd (but I'm pretty certain it's the omega-3 because it dissapiates over a few days when I stop the omega-3, but that's not an option right now...)
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: rivers'edge on May 25, 2011, 09:31:51 AM
Hello, I've just joined the site today and was prompted by this thread that Rollin has initiated. I believe I have had a very similar 'skin' experience to the people who have posted in this thread and am hoping that my imput can help others.  

3 months ago I would have never found myself searching for help regarding skin issues as I was blessed with good youthful skin. I'm a 42 year male who experienced a few ingrown hairs that left mild scarring but that was about it. I was told frequently how I didnt look my age and had a good self image.

Just to clarify, I have not used a dermaroller or needled but have been seriously considering it with what has happened to my skin. A quick summary; my face has thinned since christmas leading to wrinkling on the cheeks; my pores have all opened up, I now have scars that appear to be permanent on my cheeks and the side of

my face that are impressions from sheets or pillows that never went away.  Some of the marks have mild red coloration and others look like they are colorless remnents of acne in my youth. My scarring seems very similar to rollin's description.

It seems that my face has stopped using collagen like it used to and it's quite frightening because it seems I have changed 'overnight'. I believe relationship stress, poor diet, too much coffee and a change in skin care routine have led me here. Liver health is probably the biggest single factor in determining what goes on with your skin and

I'm thinking I've compromised mine, so my question is whether it would be beneficial to start some kind of needling routine. I dont smoke, I've quit any alcoholic bevies and I've ditched coffee within the last month. I'm taking lots of vitamin c and omegas. I've always advocated self diagnosis and treatment for any condition but now I am reaching out for help
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on May 25, 2011, 06:39:41 PM
What you describe is a strange phenomenon.. Pores get larger as we age but such quick deterioration of the skin should normally never occur.

   

  Are you sure there is no underlying health problem? Concerning the skin or otherwise?

A dermaroller improves cosmetic issues (wrinkles, scars, pigmentations, stretch marks) but it cannot improve skin diseases such as psoriases, lupus, Rosacea, fungal infections , eczema etc. A dermaroller should not be used on the skin that has skin diseases.

   

  To be honest, I think you should see a dermatologist before you start using a dermaroller to make sure that your skin is just aging and not suffering from something more serious.

   

  You certainly should not be getting suddenly scars out of nothing. That is really weird. Unfortunately I am by no means a dermatologist, neither can a dermatologist diagnose you without seeing you.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: rivers'edge on May 26, 2011, 03:20:51 PM
Yes, it seems pretty strange but quite a few stresses and lifestyle changes happened within a short period. I've never really 'washed' or cleansed my face with soap or exfoliated. If I shaved, it would have been maybe once a week and was the only time my face was cleaned...lol..I did of course shower regularly but just let my face get 'wet'. I had noticed in the past that if I was too vigorous cleaning my face it would dry out quickly and not rebound very fast . I was convinced to shave more regularly in the last 6 months and my face couldnt adapt i guess. So I turned to emu oil but it seems to have wicked away all the natural oils in my face. What I wasnt told was that oil based moisturizers attract oil and it actually left my skin soo dry that it became damaged. Too much coffee, poor diet and alcohol I think affected my liver and collagen production. I also began sleeping in a room with a wood stove and the end result was dry damaged skin. I made my skin worst by trying to exfoliate with a dead sea scrub. I thought it would also help ingrown hairs, but it actually caused more to occur and opened my pores. Oh,  I've got poor circulation and low blood pressure.

So what I'm realizing, and why needling seems so attractive is that I think I messed up my epidermal layer and the dermis tryed to compensate and got damaged....does it make sense? I also gave myself a bad sauna heatlamp burn on my back which produced a large blister and scab....would the body maybe redirect resources there instead? Well they say fate is the weight of circumstances...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on May 28, 2011, 04:26:23 PM
Yes, excessive cleansing of the skin with soap dries it out.  It strips it off its natural oils. In fact, water also dries out the skin, especially long, hot bath.

   

  Actually, you have been exfoliating because shaving is one of the most efficient exfoliating methods.

   

  I have never used Emu oil but I have been cleaning my face with almond oil, sprinkled on a wet cotton pad, and it makes my skin very nice and supple.

   

  Our body does re-direct resources but in a different way than you suggested. If our body for example lacks vit. C for some vital processes, it takes it from the areas where it is not so vitally needed, such as the skin. Calcium can for example be taken from our bones and used elsewhere, if direly needed (such as to establish cardiac electolytic balance).

 

  I think you should just give your skin some time to get back to normal. If it doesn't get better in a couple of months, try a dermaroller. Hopefully, the most stressful period of your life lies in the past.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: rivers'edge on May 29, 2011, 09:58:23 AM
Now that I look at what has happened to my skin and how it got into this state, I can see your advise makes perfect sense. If I would have just left it alone, took a break from shaving and not lathered on so much moisturizer it would be in much better shape. I'd never experienced the psychological effects of a skin problem and I can say it's really debilitating; summer's here and for the first time in my life I am uncomfortable about being seen. What's a 42 year old guy so concerned about? Well I'm human too and live with stress, burden and regret until I can straighten out my mind and 'see' beyond the issues.  I sympathize with everyone on these forums. My advice to everyone here (and for myself) would be to stop worrying and obsessing so much, looking in the mirror everytime you walk by one, and just let your skin heal naturally. It wont heal if all you see is a problem in the mirror everyday; that I can say with certainty. I'm working on my health and putting my mind at ease because stress has such a negative impact. Anyone who's judging you unfavourably according to your skin conditon is someone who doesnt really matter in your life. Rollin, dont sweat it, you're young and intelligent, things will healup. Thankyou Sarah for excellent advice and a great site to come to for support, G
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on May 31, 2011, 06:12:24 AM
I'm not so sure anymore things will "heal up". I can't even get an answer as to what's wrong with my skin. The strangest part is that even if I apply something just on the forhead that irrritates the skin, the sensation is not "contained" there but I can also feel burning on my cheeks etc. For example I just bought a ridiculously expensive "night repair concentrate" from Estee Lauder, and it didn't help but rather irritated the skin. I only applied it on a small part of the forehead and on the nose and yet I have more burning in my beard-area today.

I still wonder if somehow dermarolling ended up injurying nerves in the skin which know easily give out (false) pain to the brain which then sends more blood = inflammation. Especially considering the burning sensation does not seem to be porportionate to the visible symptoms; I can feel a lot of burning and yet it only looks a bit irritated and not hugely so. I can't recall if I rolled on my nose or not and that area too seems a bit sensitive though not as much as other areas perhaps.

I've bought emu-oil which should arrive soon. Here's hoping for a miracle... The only thing that has helped so far is omega-3.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on June 03, 2011, 10:58:20 AM
nope the emuoil didn't work, felt worse after that just like pretty much anything I've tried. One ream I have seems to be allright as long as I apply it on small areas and not big ones at the same time. Perhaps I can work my skin up to normality by doing this + eating omega3 + healthy food and meditation etc.

Sarah do you think I shouldn't care about the burning sensation from topicals? Should I apply them anyhow or what?
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on June 03, 2011, 06:40:51 PM
Your skin is oversensitive at the moment. Don't apply anything. Plenty of men don't use any creams. When you go outside and it is sunny, wear a hat and try to stay in shady places if possible. Do not use soaps on your face for a while. Just water - not too hot. Gently wash your face with cold or luke warm Green Tea (keep it in the fridge and make fresh stock frequently).

 

Don't use cotton pads to wash your face, only your hands. Hopefully your skin will calm down. Try to ignore your skin for a while. The less you focus on it the better.
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on June 04, 2011, 01:17:39 PM
Yeah I'm trying to do that. I'll demand that the doc do a skinbiopsy however, since I have burning underneath the jawline as well (ie on the neck) they can take a punch biopsy there and it won't matter if I get a little scar. I'm just sick and tired of not even knowing what's wrong...

In the meantime I do all I can to maintain spiritual wellbeing...
Title: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Rollin on June 05, 2011, 06:51:59 AM
oh and leaving the skin alone hasn't worked for 8 months (it hasn't really gotten much worse but neither has it gotten better), so it feels like that's not an option.

Still thinking about if it could be that I was just oversensitive to the retinyl acetate + increased absorption from rolling

I hope I will get my skin back one day. :(
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: john99smith35 on February 08, 2013, 11:24:53 AM
I know this thread is 2 years old but i am having the exact same symptoms you are having. I took a pill for acne 3 months ago and since then I have been getting stretch marks on my face. My skin reacts to any cream put on and causes scarring, i have been to 3 dermatologists and they all dont know what is going on. Did you ever find out what was wrong so I can know what to do??
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Swan on February 08, 2013, 11:37:45 PM
John

Was the pill Accutane?

As the side effect you are experiencing is not uncommon from Accutane.

Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: john99smith35 on February 09, 2013, 01:22:11 PM
no the tablets were lymecycline. I don't think what is happening to all three of us is a common side effect, but it is definitely due to the tablets we are taking.
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: john99smith35 on February 10, 2013, 07:29:00 PM
Do you know how long my skin will remain this sensitive? It has been almost 4 months now since I have taken the pills and nothing has changed. Do you also have any idea what this condition is called?
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on February 12, 2013, 08:33:30 AM
Amongst the rare side effects of Lymecycline:

-Skin rash or rashes

-Hypersensitivity reactions - overreactions of the immune system

-Photosensitivity

Source:

http://www.medicines.org.uk/guides/lymecycline/bacterial%20infections

You should consult the doctor who prescribed you this antibiotic. They may help you.
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: john99smith35 on February 13, 2013, 09:51:21 PM
I have already seen 3 doctors and they don't seem to believe that I am getting stretch marks on the face. The people on this thread also mentioned that their doctors didn't believe them either.
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: john99smith35 on February 16, 2013, 11:37:29 AM
does anyone know when this will go away?? I really want my skin to go back to normal
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Swan on February 20, 2013, 01:52:23 AM
John

It sounds like your skin is highly inflammatory

Do everything to keep inflammation to a minimum. No to reduced sugar. No to low refined carbs

also try mixing up a v low inflammation cream, such as one with a high aloe vera (No alchohol ) with a moisturiser for sensitive skin. I mix up a cream and add jojoba oil and vitamin e into the mix.

Even zinc cream mixed with an oil, can be great to help heal the scarring occurring in your skin

I have been taking Vit D supps and noticed an improvement in my skin
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: john99smith35 on February 22, 2013, 02:42:04 PM
Swan, did you have the same problem I am having? If so, how long did it take for your skin to strengthen again and return to normal?
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: john99smith35 on February 22, 2013, 02:44:54 PM
My skin at the moment is not red or swollen or anything. It looks fine, but all of a sudden if i put any cream on (creams that I have been using for years) my skin starts to burn and I get stretch marks. I have not put on any weight or grown, my skin has become this way over night ever since i have take lymecycline, which was 4 months ago!
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: Swan on February 27, 2013, 09:43:10 AM
Yes i had something similar

the burning u r experiencing is your skin telling u its irritated, and INFLAMED

Then don't apply any creams if you get that reaction, unless there is a reason u have to?

if it because of dry skin, then apply a gentle oil such as jojoba oil, which mimics skins natural sebum

if you find one of these stretchmarks appearingin future, apply high strength zinc cream, such as those for baby's bottoms over the indent/scar. This helps repair and stop inflammation in its tracks!

if you allow it to burn further, and inflame more without soothing, it will scar.
vit
i love Evening primrose oil capsules taken orally. I also like Vitamin D taken orally as well for my skin.

Now I rarely ever get an inflammation and then a scar. But I don't allow my skin to dry out too much, as this is irritating. you want to do all you can to get inflammation under control, and that will stop the scarring'
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: cj123 on February 27, 2013, 06:59:47 PM
I've never had sensitive skin reactions, but I was on tetracycline medications for several years as a teenager to stop acne. What I know for sure is that these types of antibiotics completely kill all the beneficial intestinal bacteria in your gut. This can have serious effects since the entire gut is basically responsible for producing a healthy immune system. If you haven't already you should check into taking a good probiotic so that your gut has healthy bacteria again. Make sure the probiotic is enteric coated so that the healthy bacteria can survive stomach acid otherwise it does no good.

Also make sure to get more Omega 3 fats than Omega 6 fats in your diet because Omega 3 is a powerful anti-inflammatory, while Omega 6 fats are readily converted into pro-inflammatory compounds.

Hope this helps a little bit since it seems your main objective would be to get inflammation under control.
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: john99smith35 on March 07, 2013, 10:07:46 PM
thanks for the advice everyone. @Swan, how long ago did your skin start becoming inflammatory and how long did it take for it to subside? Did your skin ever go back to normal?

I really wish Rollin and LaurieR accounts were still active so I could what their end results were.
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: john99smith35 on June 09, 2013, 09:35:51 PM
To anyone who is having the same problem, I went to an allergy and sensitivity clinic where the did a blood test on me which is compeletly different to the blood tests at hospitals. Turns out my skin is burning and getting stretch marks due to the ingredients in the capsules of my acne medicine. In the previous posts the other accounts stated they took some vitamin tablets, so it is most likely the capusles that are causing their problems as well. So now I just have to wash these ingredients out of my body.
Title: Re: getting stretchmarks on my face
Post by: SarahVaughter on June 15, 2013, 03:05:10 PM
Thank you for reporting this and thus help the others!