the quit zits

[Automaton]

Oh, I feel ya. I got them *bad* for the first few months after I quit. Worse than they ever were in my teens.

I found that the less I did to my skin, the better. No more exfoliating, no more acne washes, nothing. Just hot water. Some gentle soap every other day, but no scrubbing. Keeping my hair away from my face, tons of water, and clean pillow cases.

I'm still getting a break-out here and there, but it's gotten a lot better. Maybe the minimalist approach isn't for everyone, but it seemed to help me a lot.

 

[dinky]

wonderful to hear mistress. im trying things ppl recommend but so far its just getting worse. the whole right side of me neck is broken out now. big blotches. face is still a mess. it just seems to get worse and worse. i dont care if i look wondeful..... i get it... im detoxing. but this is getting embarrasing. want to put a bag over my head. i hate to put makeup on to cover it up. my face will just get infected and ill have a ton of clogged pores to boot. i hope this ends soon...

 

[LuckyCat]

Quit zits here! They're awful. A new one seems to crop up every few hours. I know it's totally worth it and the overall texture and tone of my skin is actually better than it ever has been, but these zits are huge, deep, and painful.

 

[dinky]

so have u found anything that works lucky cat??? or are u just suffering thru this as well. i agree a few new ones every few hours. im to the point i dont even want to leave the house. my face just hurts..... and i look just horrible

 

[dinky]

also wonder if this is something we are just going to have to live with forever or if any one has actually gotten to a point that they actually do go away. and if they have..... how long are we looking at here..... months, yrs..... curious...

 

[Automaton]

I hear ya, dinky. I pretty much refuse to ever wear make-up and have for years, and really, it's probably the worst thing you could do for irritated skin anyway. So I just, um, let it shine. It is very embarassing. I'm not a very high-maitnence girl and I've gone out in public looking pretty rugged, but when your skin is a mess for some reason it's a lot more daunting.

Does the side of your neck that's breaking out happen to be the side you sleep on? Seriously, clean pillows FTW. You can also use a folded sheet over your pillow and just rotate sides every night, if you don't feel like getting a million pillow cases. It really makes a huge difference.

The following is probably going to sound weird, but bear with me!

I also found that changing how I wash my hair helped too. I got more acne on the side of my face where more of my hair is, since I side-part it, always on the same side. I washed my hair every night, so it wasn't from oil (or if it was, washing my hair any more was just going to damage my hair), so I looked at *how* I washed it.

I stopped using normal shampoo and now I use baking soda and water. Getting the ratios right takes a bit of practice, and it takes a bit longer, but I found a heaping tablespoon of baking soda to a tall glass of hot water is about right for me (medium-length hair, fine but a ton of it). You pour a bit over your scalp, rub it in. A bit more, rub it in. Then the sides. Then I lean forward and pour some sort of "up" the back of my scalp and rub it in. When you have the right mix, it should feel slightly slippery in your hair. Then rinse really well.

It won't cling to your hair like normal shampoos do, and thus it won't cling to your skin. Your hair dries faster, and it will get your hair squeeky clean. I've also found, as an added benefit, that my hair doesn't get oily as fast as it used to. I don't have to wash it as often now.

Some apple cider vinegar can be used as a conditioner if it makes you hair a bit dry. The smell is gone once it's dry. I just have some in a spray bottle, and a few squirts once my hair is dry keeps it nice.

That has helped a lot, and that side of my face is actually getting less acne than the other now.

For me, the solution has been just leaving my skin alone, not touching it, not getting any chemicals on it, and letting it work itself out. The acne is dying down now - not gone, but dying down - so I think I'm on to a winner.

 

[dinky]

im glad ur getting better. yeah let it shine here to.. and rugged yup thats it. no the side of my neck that is the worst is the side i dont sleep on. i thought about that when u said that before..... so how long was it before u started to see an improvement..... boy this is so getting old quickly lol

 

[Automaton]

Well, it got worse for a while, when I was trying all kinds of washes and exfoliating a lot, etc. Then I just kinda threw up my hands and said "screw it," and that's when it started to get better. All told, the worst of it lasted 4 or 5 months.

 

[vandale]

well not to be an .... , but my skin seems to be getting better, I started ecigs(510 riva 24mg 1 batt a day) a month ago and quit the day i got my kit.I have dry cracked lips but not one zit sence i started.I always had 1 or 2 zits pop up once a month before when i smoke real cigs,I drink alot more tea now use a tube of chapstick a day and pee alot more.Im 25 and smoked for 12 years, and i had zits sence i was 13. about the time i started smoking.so maybe its something else.
Goodluck

 

[jplanet]

I got the quit zits within a few weeks of starting vaping/quitting cigs. All over my forehead - really painful, too.

They seem to be mostly cleared up now - I've just been washing every night before I go to bed, then applying some peroxide. Otherwise, drinking a lot of water, clean pillowcases, and occasionally some 100% aloe vera gel.

I would imagine that a mud mask would be helpful in drawing out the toxins, and steam for opening the pores...I also eat a lot of garlic, which helps draw toxins out of your skin...

 

[dinky]

thanks mistress...... well im at about 2 1/2 months so maybe im 1/2 way there. lol the only ppl that get how bad this is are the ppl that are living with it or have had it already. id just like to know there is an end in sight. i can survive. i just dont want to live like this forever. forever is a long time lol u have no idea how much ur support is appreciated.

 

[dinky]

no its a documented fact that the quit zits exist. im glad u havent had to experience them. im not talking a little break out. im talking huge big red bumps, bleeding and zits all over my face and neck. it really hurts.

 

[dinky]

thanks jplanet....... yup u understand..... i can tell. miserable hugh. thank u so much for ur support. it is appreciated

 

[sharrymary]

Thanks so much for this thread it explains whats going on I had no idea that what I am going through is the quit zits at least from reading I see that there is an end in sight, again thanks

 

[dinky]

well for all of our sakes i hope there is an end in sight...... its like the plague. lol

 

[Pheisty]

Okay, Dinky...I've discovered my quit zit cause. Don't laugh (or vomit)... It's mites. Yes, mites.

They're called "Demodex". A good way to find out if you have them is to buy some Pond's cold creme (which contains boric acid that the mites hate), cover your face with it, and if you break out in little white heads all over your face, you have them. The Pond's suffocates the buggers, they get angry, and it results in pimples. Now, you might ask, "Why in the world would I want to create more pimples??" Well, you're going to keep getting them until you kill the critters anyway, so you may as well deal with it in one fell swoop.

Chances are, these little mites (which most people have, btw) were living perfectly happy existences on our skin because we had an acidic environment for them to live in. (Smoking creates acidity in the body.) When we quit smoking, our bodies immediately became more alkaline, thus making the parasites cranky...even killing them. This creates acne.

Now, you can ride this out like I did for six months (if you indeed have the buggers...a dermatologist can do a skin scraping of your face to find out if you have them), or you can do the Pond's trick. Personally, I've been using Borax mixed with water to wash my face, and I've already seen a huge improvement. Granted, I still am breaking out (I'm only a couple of days in), but they're much less painful, less 'big', and they're healing really fast. AND, my skin is already just looking generally smoother and less irritated.

So, google it and check it out for yourself. This may not be your issue, but if I can save you a few extra months of pain and embarrassing acne, it was worth telling you about, anyway.

Good luck to you!

 

[Automaton]

Wow, good to know! Thanks for sharing.

A lot of stuff that exists peacefully on or in our bodies can create a lot of problems when it gets out of whack. This makes a lot of sense.

 

[Pheisty]

Wow, good to know! Thanks for sharing.

A lot of stuff that exists peacefully on or in our bodies can create a lot of problems when it gets out of whack. This makes a lot of sense.

You're welcome, Mistress!

I've actually stopped using the Borax (I don't want to get my face wet any more than I have to as washing it makes it more dry, which makes my skin create more oil) and have decided to only use the Pond's to kill the little ....***s. I put the Ponds all over my face...I mean SLATHER my face with the stuff. I let it sit there for as long as I can--in the morning, that's around 15 minutes. I then wipe it off with a washcloth or a paper towel. There will be some residue, but it gives your skin a nice, healthy glow and makes it super soft. I don't use any moisturizer before putting my makeup on. Tomorrow I may use some Witch Hazel as a toner before putting my makeup on...depending on how oily I am. At night I will use the Witch Hazel after the Ponds treatment.

You'll also find that the acne/pimples you do get after doing the Ponds treatment are easier to remove. I know we're not supposed to do that, but sometimes it's necessary.

BTW, I use the generic Family Dollar brand of Ponds...apparently Ponds changed their formula and no longer adds Boric Acid to it. It's cheaper, anyway. Also, don't freak out when you see that Mineral Oil is one of the major ingredients. Mineral Oil's composition is such that it will NOT clog pores.

There are tons of stories online about older women with perfect skin whose beauty secret is this one simple, inexpensive product: Ponds. I'm regretting the hundreds (maybe thousands) of dollars I've spent trying to make my skin beautiful, when all I had to do was visit my local dollar store, Walmart, or pharmacy and drop a couple of bucks.

If you try this, keep me posted on your progress. Just please keep in mind that it may get worse before it gets better. Some of those suckers are way down deep in your skin. I'll keep you all posted on my progress, as well.

Cheers!

 

[Pheisty]

Thought I'd update you guys on my progress...

My acne is aabout 85% gone, and my skin has never looked this even (coloring-wise), and smooth. I have been using the Ponds (generic, with Sodium Borate in it) each evening and through the night, and have also been cleansing my face with it in the morning before I go to work. During the day, I use a sulfur salve on the zits I do have, and they're disappearing quickly.

I even had one nasty bugger pop up two nights ago...you know the 'under the skin' kind? Well, after the application of Ponds, it did come to a head overnight and is on its way to gone already. Normally, that sucker would have festered for a week or more. Basteds!!

Even if you don't believe that you have skin mites, I would definitely recommend trying the generic Ponds just to see if it takes care of your quit zits. Just make certain that the stuff you buy contains Sodium Borate in it, or it won't work. I bought another brand tonight at Walmart...the Jergen's brand. It's called "Jergen's All Purpose Face Cream". It basically has the same ingredients as the Family Dollar brand of Ponds, only it's pink and also has magnesium aluminum silicate in it. Not sure if that will make a difference or not. I sort of doubt it. So long as it has mineral oil and sodium borate, I think you're good to go.

I think I've found my dime store cure!! At least, I hope so.

 

[Automaton]

I think I may try that. I do still have acne. Now it's about where it was in my mid-teens, which isn't anywhere near as bad as it was 3 or 4 months ago, but still worse than it ever has been in my adult life. I mostly stopped getting acne, apart from a zit once in a while, when I was 17 or so. It's frustrating to have my skin playing up so much.

It's also possible, given the fact that I've been in so many different environments over the last few years, that my skin was very out of whack to begin with, and quitting just brought on an existing problem. To be honest, I was having more acne than normal in the few months before I quit - it just got worse when I did.

I've had a few weird (but thankfully very minor) skin and body problems in the last 3 years just due to being in other countries and exposed to foreign organisms that I didn't encounter growing up in North America. Just part of travel. I even turned poka-dotted once.

Thanks for updating us and glad to know it's clearing up for you. Awesome to hear there's an end in sight!