getting stretchmarks on my face

[LaurieR]

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...

[SarahVaughter]

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.

[LaurieR]

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

[SarahVaughter]

I'm glad you finally found out what the problem is, because that is the first step to succesful treatment/prevention/cure.

[Rollin]

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

[SarahVaughter]

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?

   

    https://http://www.picturesofpsoriasis.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/scalp-psoriasis.gif

[Rollin]

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...

[Rollin]

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

[SarahVaughter]

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:

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

   

  It may have a different name in the US.

[Rollin]

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

[SarahVaughter]

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?

[Rollin]

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...

[Rollin]

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.

[SarahVaughter]

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..

[Rollin]

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(?)