Face is dry and has red spots since quitting

[Ride394]

I'm on day 30 of no smokes, but in the past week or 2 my face has gotten really dry and i'm getting some red blotchiness on my face.
I read that the dryness is common especially being winter, but the red spots are new. Anybody else have this happen when quitting? I alos used to drink pretty heavily but have cut that wayyyy back in the past 2 months. I know the drinking would give me red spots sometimes, but these a new spots are different as they are raised slightly, almost like the beginning of zits but they definitely aren't. I've started using some lotion the past few days but it doesn't seem to help much.

Anyone else experience this, or know something that will help?

 

[Ride394]

Also, I drink well over a gallon of water per day, sometimes 2. I drink a 20oz half decaf coffee in the morning and sometimes a glass of unsweetened tea with dinner, other than that it's all water. Figured I'd get that out of the way now.. lol

 

[Talyon]

Ty for shaing this story, the knowledge we gain from it will only serve to make us all stronger.

 

[CalamityJess]

It's most likely your body detoxing from all the chemicals in cigarettes PLUS the alcohol. It happens to a lot of people when they quit. Also you might notice trouble sleeping, instestinal fun times, and watch out for blood sugar drops ( I get the jitters in that case eating something and drinking water helps), oily hair and skin (more than normal). Time is the best medicine. Don't overwash your face (causes excess dryness) or try too many lotions as that can just make it worse by trapping the stuff back into your pores.

 

[Ride394]

Thanks for the input. I kinda figured it was just all the detox hitting at once. I wash once in the morning (shower) and once before bed. I also use lotion at the same times. I've noticed it harder to fall asleep but my quality and amount of sleep has drastically improved.

And you're welcome Talyon, I'm just hoping it clears up reasonably quickly and whatever tips I get could help other people that run into this.

 

[Pictor]

I started using e-cigs last December, gradually increasing use as my numbers of cigarettes decreased. I had my last cigarette on Jan 28 and have only used e-cigs since.

This past week, I've noticed a few small red patches around the lower half of my face, and today noticed quite a few across my forehead.
I first noticed dryness in the creases at the side of my nose 2-3 weeks ago, and the very first red patch appeared just beside the corner of my mouth around that time which makes me think it's related to the content of the e-cigs.
I've had itchiness on my forehead lately and wonder if I've scratched it and perhaps had a little of the residue on my fingers (a little can appear on the end of the e-cig at times).

The red patches seem dry & slightly scaly - wondering is this just dryness or some sort of eczema type rash perhaps due to me being a little allergic to a particular flavour or type? I use cartomizers by SmartCigs, V2 and GreenSmoke, mostly menthol, tobacco, coffee and sometimes vanilla.

I'm going to try a little mild topical steroid cream on my forehead tonight to see if it improves. I'll have to find a way around it because no way do I want to smoke again!

 

[Ride394]

I started using e-cigs last December, gradually increasing use as my numbers of cigarettes decreased. I had my last cigarette on Jan 28 and have only used e-cigs since.

This past week, I've noticed a few small red patches around the lower half of my face, and today noticed quite a few across my forehead.
I first noticed dryness in the creases at the side of my nose 2-3 weeks ago, and the very first red patch appeared just beside the corner of my mouth around that time which makes me think it's related to the content of the e-cigs.
I've had itchiness on my forehead lately and wonder if I've scratched it and perhaps had a little of the residue on my fingers (a little can appear on the end of the e-cig at times).

The red patches seem dry & slightly scaly - wondering is this just dryness or some sort of eczema type rash perhaps due to me being a little allergic to a particular flavour or type? I use cartomizers by SmartCigs, V2 and GreenSmoke, mostly menthol, tobacco, coffee and sometimes vanilla.

I'm going to try a little mild topical steroid cream on my forehead tonight to see if it improves. I'll have to find a way around it because no way do I want to smoke again!

Sounds pretty close to what I have. I think it's just our specific side effects of quitting. Mine seems to be getting slightly better over the past day or so.

 

[Pictor]

Thanks for that - sounds like it's nothing to get alarmed about ...hopefully! How long had you had them?

I just found a few across the bridge of my nose! Hope I don't wake up in the morning covered in itchy red blotches.

Despite having a few side effects from using the e-cigs, and what seems like normal stopping smoking reactions, I've been really happy to have stopped smoking after decades of it, but this latest dry blotchiness on my face is making me feel a bit down.

 

[Ride394]

About 2 weeks ago it started with super dry skin to the point where it was flaking on my cheeks, up the side of my face and below my eyes. I noticed the red bl itchiness the beginning of this week. And I hear ya about being down with the blotchiness, but I really think it's just the quitting combined with the super harsh winter we've had.

 

[Pictor]

Yours sounds very close to how it's been for me - flakiness on jawbone and up, roughness under eyes, and then the blotches.

Just when we feel we've achieved the impossible! ...felt a bit deflated and down, but as you say, likely the normal process of the changes we've made.

I hope yours continue to improve, and if so, that mine do soon too.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Ride394]

I hope yours gets better too. I think I'm going to go pick up some hight end face lotion tomorrow and see how it goes.

 

[salemgold]

May be nothing like this but, what you both are describing sounds like it could be rosacea. Take a look at these pictures and compare what you have.
http://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/rosacea_1_picture/picture.htm

It seems to be popping up in the right areas for this to be possible.

Rosacea (say "roh-ZAY-sha") is a skin disease that causes redness and pimples on your nose, cheeks, chin, and forehead. The redness may come and go. People sometimes call rosacea "adult acne" because it can cause outbreaks that look like acne. It can also cause burning and soreness in the eyes and eyelids.

 

[cmknight]

That's the first thought I had salemgold. I've had both eczema and rosacea. With the eczema, I used Mometasone Furoate cream. With the rosacea, it was B- vitamins and another cream (which I'll have to locate). It worked pretty good to clear that up.

 

[Pictor]

I hope yours gets better too. I think I'm going to go pick up some hight end face lotion tomorrow and see how it goes.

Good luck - Mine is about the same this morning, but it's early days. I did use a very small amount of a cream used for eczema/psoriasis last night, and it perhaps isn't quite as red today. I'll carry on using a tiny bit at night and see how it goes.

May be nothing like this but, what you both are describing sounds like it could be rosacea. Take a look at these pictures and compare what you have.
http://www.medicinenet.com/image-collection/rosacea_1_picture/picture.htm

Thanks, but no, not at all like rosacea - my husband had a bad outbreak of it recently after a shock to his system (his spots cleared during a 6 week course of doxycycline and the broken veins are being treat by laser later this month).
This rash is more akin to a mild eczema/psoriasis, yet doesn't seem to actually be either of those, and like Ride394, it began with areas of dry skin that produced minute flakes.
I'll see how it goes, and perhaps see the nurse or a dermatologist if it doesn't clear.

 

[Rickajho]

When this happens when you quit smoking you need to have it looked at by an MD, preferably a dermatologist, if the condition(s) persist for more than a month after you have completely quit. There is something to be said that quit zits are related to a detox process your body goes through when you quit - but that doesn't go on indefinitely. From what I read it seems to impact a lot of people harder who previously had bad acne problems at some point in their life.

After a good month and if the skin problems are still persisting it could be another skin problem unrelated to quitting, or it could be an indication of a hormonal imbalance that was triggered by quitting as well. Neither of which will fix themselves and need some medical insight.

 

[lordmage]

with Mometasone Furoate cream be careful that is a medium str steroid cream and discontinued use can cause a rebound effect.
however it does sound like these a case of eczema and psoriasis to me. which once triggered can only be treated not cured

Source : me 10 plus years of both those conditions

 

[Pictor]

however it does sound like these a case of eczema and psoriasis to me. which once triggered can only be treated not cured

Source : me 10 plus years of both those conditions

It certainly looks that way to me. Both of us have had a degree of recurring psoriasis (husband since childhood, me since a big medical error in the 70's). I also have a patch of eczema on my foot.
It's many years since I had even a hint of psoriasis on my face, and have never had dry facial skin. I'm trying the same method to alleviate it: extremely small amount of a betamethasone cream, and once 'dried' in, a good quality moisturiser patted gently all over my face (medicated areas last of course to avoid spreading the cream to unnecessary areas).

I've noticed that my skin in general, plus my hair, is dryer than it normally is, so perhaps all part of adjusting to either not having cigarettes, using e-cigs, or both. Hopefully my system will calm down after a while.

When this happens when you quit smoking you need to have it looked at by an MD, preferably a dermatologist, if the condition(s) persist for more than a month after you have completely quit. There is something to be said that quit zits are related to a detox process your body goes through when you quit - but that doesn't go on indefinitely. From what I read it seems to impact a lot of people harder who previously had bad acne problems at some point in their life.

After a good month and if the skin problems are still persisting it could be another skin problem unrelated to quitting, or it could be an indication of a hormonal imbalance that was triggered by quitting as well. Neither of which will fix themselves and need some medical insight.

We do have an excellent dermatologist, so I'll get an appointment with him if need be - useless going to the GP as ours seem reluctant to prescribe anything effective these days, and would likely only put me on a waiting list to see a dermatologist!
I'll see how things go over the coming few weeks - I've only had the actual red patches get more noticeable and increase for this past week.

 

[Ride394]

Just an update- my red spot seem to be breaking up this morning. Still quite dry, but I think the lotion is helping.

Also, I never had a bad acne problem or any other form of skin condition prior to this so I don't think it's something from my past that is resurfacing.

 

[Pictor]

Great, hope the improvement continues! What lotion is it that could be helping?

After seeing what 'lordmage' said and having a re-think, perhaps it is indeed either eczema or psoriasis that I'm seeing ...I'm definitely thinking it could be for all it isn't looking exactly the same .....yet.

 

[Ride394]

My wife did some searching and thinks it's eczema brought on from quitting.

I've been using something called "hope in a jar", but will be picking up some oatmeal based lotion today as well as some sort of exfoliant.