getting stretchmarks on my face

[rivers'edge]

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

[SarahVaughter]

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.

[rivers'edge]

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...

[SarahVaughter]

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.

[rivers'edge]

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

[Rollin]

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.

[Rollin]

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?

[SarahVaughter]

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.

[Rollin]

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...

[Rollin]

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.

[john99smith35]

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??

[Swan]

John

Was the pill Accutane?

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

[john99smith35]

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.

[john99smith35]

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?

[SarahVaughter]

Amongst the rare side effects of Lymecycline:

-Skin rash or rashes

-Hypersensitivity reactions - overreactions of the immune system

-Photosensitivity

Source:

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

You should consult the doctor who prescribed you this antibiotic. They may help you.