Quit Zits: Did you get them? Pleeeease tell me this is going to be over soon...

[faile]

Quit smoking in the beginning of May and about 2 weeks later, it started... the quit zits.

Preemptively, I really do not believe it has anything to do with vaping, PG, or VG. Based on the reading I've done (and past experience with the way my body acts), I think the horrible uptick in acne-in-general (and the new cystic acne, ugh!!) I'm experiencing has to do with the way smoking suppresses estrogen production, especially since it gets even worse one week a month.* Now that I've quit, my body's estrogen production is no longer being suppressed. And my skin is now AWFUL. It was never good, but now... ew. It's mainly on my face and shoulders-- you know, the most visible parts of me during the summer time. Ugh.

So I'm wondering if many of you have experienced the same thing, and how long it took things to return to normal. ...really hoping no one tells me that they never did return to normal! I guess I'm also looking for a little commiseration, too. This is awful, but I love everything else about having quit smoking, so I'm not going to go back to it!


*This is actually the second time I've quit, and I did not get the quit zits last time. That time though, I quit because I got pregnant, so my hormones were a little wacky all on their own.

 

[amolson]

Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! I'm guessing a lot of the quit zits with vaping are not just your body dumping out garbage but also the dehydration that tends to come with vaping.

So, more water and moisturize! It seems counter intuitive, but if you really keep your hydration up and moisturize enough (so your skin doesn't overproduce oil) it really does help.

 

[DetraMental]

^^^^Yep^^^^ you may also be having a reaction to the pg concentration, I did. I had to go to a 50pg/50vg mix before things settled down for me.

 

[Jack NMI Stecker]

May want to consult a Physician to make sure it's not an allergy. ECF does not as a rule give medical advise other than to see a doctor if you're unsure. Not to many medical license hung out here. But hydrating and extra skin care can't hurt. But I would make sure it's not an allergy.

 

[Katcandoo]

Don't forget to exfoliate!

 

[Iffy]

I endured scalp 'eruptions' and nasal/ear pimples in da most remote and inaccessible crevasses for near a year! Thankfully, my digital spelunking demands have waned.

 

[Warpigs]

When I quit smoking cigs and started vaping I did not get any achne at all. Thankfully. I haven't had a zit since I was a teenager. /knocks on wood.

 

[faile]

Thanks everyone for replying! I have been making an effort to keep myself hydrated, and taking care of my skin in the meantime. Just waaaaiiiiiting, oh so impatiently, for my hormones to level out. I have definitely learned to hate cigarettes on a whole new level now...

^^^^Yep^^^^ you may also be having a reaction to the pg concentration, I did. I had to go to a 50pg/50vg mix before things settled down for me.

I mainly use 50/50 already. But, like I said, I'm fairly certain this is hormonal acne anyway. PG is in so many of the other products I use regularly (and have used for years) that I very much doubt that this is a reaction to it, especially since it is worsening in a direct relationship to *ehem* other bodily processes that I experience monthly.

May want to consult a Physician to make sure it's not an allergy. ECF does not as a rule give medical advise other than to see a doctor if you're unsure. Not to many medical license hung out here. But hydrating and extra skin care can't hurt. But I would make sure it's not an allergy.

Don't worry-- I'm not looking for any medical advice! Just wanted to get a little anecdotal info as to how long quit zits usually last for others who have gotten them so I can feel like this might not last for the rest of my life without cigarettes. (I do also realize that my situation will depend on my own body's chemistry/ etc.)

Thanks again, everyone!

 

[rolygate]

There are many threads about this in the Health section.

 

[faile]

There are many threads about this in the Health section.

Ahh, thank you! Should I have posted this there? This forum has so many sections, sometimes I'm not sure where things should go... I'd be much obliged if someone could move this thread to the correct section.

 

[WharfRat1976]

Did not read the responses but your explanation is fairly simple. Simply put, you are detoxifying.

 

[rolygate]

Thread moved to the Health section.


The Quit Zits are a symptom of smoking cessation, people get them if they quit cold, use an ecig, or whatever. We don't know the percentage of quitters who get them as useful research of this type is not carried out. I'd guess at 1 in 500 but that could be a mile out.

Some people find that reducing or eliminating their PG consumption helps with skin issues, but this is not usually connected with the Quit Zits. You'd vape more glycerine-based refills or change over to 100% glycerine. It might be worth trying, who knows. There is no research on these useful topics.

 

[faile]

Thanks for the thread-move!

ETA--> Yeah, it'd be nice if useful research on this were done. I really don't think my case has anything to do with the PG/VG, especially given that my body wash contains PG and my face wash contains VG, and I've used both for years with no issue. Not to mention all of the foods that contain them that I've consumed over the years. I just hope my body gets done with this detox/ hormonal-wonkiness SOON.