11 replies to this topic

[Lola Burns]

So I just spent a week of eating probably only the very worst things a person with acne can eat. (I didn't have much of a choice.) And my skin that was clear pre-trip, is now a fucking nightmare. How long is it going to take to undo a weeks worth of abuse? And is there anything I can do to speed it along? Any kind of fasting? ANYTHING?

[dejaclairevoyant]

It depends... what did you eat, and what sort of reaction are you having? I assume it must be an allergic reaction, that's the only thing that would effect your skin so quickly.

If I touch something like gluten or ingest a trace amount somehow (I can't actually eat it or I could die), the reaction flares up and it takes approximately a month to sometimes even a month and a half for it to go down. But that's just me.

The fact that you were able to eat whatever it was at all for a week suggests your allergy hopefully isn't quite as bad. But when the autoimmune system is triggered like this I'd definitely allow a few weeks to a month for it to go down.

Fasting is always good. How quickly it slows your reaction is an individual thing. But keep in mind it can also throw your body into a detox, which can bring on a different sort of breakout at the same time.

Edited by dejaclairevoyant, 24 January 2012 - 06:30 AM.

[Lola Burns]

Shit. It was mostly white rice, really fatty pork and chicken, greasy noodles, I'm guessing a lot of MSGs, soda (I was advised to avoid water unless I knew for a fact it was bottled), a ton of sugar, so much salt, fake coffee. And aside from the food, I think the water I used to wash my face may have contributed. And the pollution. And the sun. (I don't usually spend all day outside.) And the crazy humidity and getting sweaty and not being able to care for my skin like I do at home. And people touching my face all the time. And my cycle. And stress. It was like the worst possible scenario. I had horrible migraines for most of the week and my skin broke out into about a thousand red bumps (most of which came to a head). It's looking a tiny bit better today, but still awful.

Edited by Lola Burns, 24 January 2012 - 01:23 PM.

[dejaclairevoyant]

Yeah, could have been msg for sure, I have a bad reaction to it too. I'm sorry. I know how you feel, I pretty much don't travel without extensive planning to make sure I can get my own food that I prepare myself. I did a road trip across America this way last year, and people looked at me funny because I'd be cutting veggies for a salad on the back of my car at the gas station. Next time, just do what you must to be healthy. And don't stress! I feel you on the cycle, ughhhh.

[limpbizkitfan]

you should go on a water fast n tell us how it works out for you.

[Lola Burns]

dejaclairevoyant, on 24 January 2012 - 10:54 PM, said:

Yeah, could have been msg for sure, I have a bad reaction to it too. I'm sorry. I know how you feel, I pretty much don't travel without extensive planning to make sure I can get my own food that I prepare myself. I did a road trip across America this way last year, and people looked at me funny because I'd be cutting veggies for a salad on the back of my car at the gas station. Next time, just do what you must to be healthy. And don't stress! I feel you on the cycle, ughhhh.

It's starting to calm down a bit. My forehead is still a hot mess but the red spots are shrinking. I think I'm allergic to south east Asia. Part of me is praying it will all be back to normal tomorrow, another part of me is rational. But I will not make the same mistake twice. I will stay in a hotel, not with friends or family so I can't be guilted into eating crap that does this to my body. And I'm not going anywhere dirtier than Los Angeles.

[Lola Burns]

limpbizkitfan, on 24 January 2012 - 11:55 PM, said:

you should go on a water fast n tell us how it works out for you.

I've decided against fasting. After eating crap for a week (and not even a very wide variety of crap), I'm guessing my body needs nutrients.

[limpbizkitfan]

Lola Burns, on 25 January 2012 - 01:35 AM, said:

limpbizkitfan, on 24 January 2012 - 11:55 PM, said:

you should go on a water fast n tell us how it works out for you.

I've decided against fasting. After eating crap for a week (and not even a very wide variety of crap), I'm guessing my body needs nutrients.

then eat really healthy and tell us how it works out for you lol.

[uncle buck]

Smart move. Your body's in shock and doesn't need another one, as fasting would do. Fasting is good only in the right environment, and easing in and out of it is the more important than the fast itself.

Don't feel so bad about the fatty pork and chicken either, that's two of the healthiest things you can eat.

Take it easy, if you're going in the right direction then any setbacks are only temporary.

[Ukulala]

Yeah -- I'd say your best bet is to just relax (I know that's not easy! but try! ) and get back to your habits. Don't shock your system again, as Deja said.

And bask in the fact that you got to spend a week in a new place! That is awesome - maybe even worth the trouble?

Speeding up healing - I would suggest aloe vera, straight off the plant. But I'm biased... I'm in love with it. >.> Still, it's undeniably highly beneficial for any irritation, eh?

[PaulH85]

It will all settle back down once your skin acclimatises again and whatever your skin may have reacted to is out of your system. Best way to look at it is that as soon as you've gone back to a healthier, skin-friendly diet, you're already making progress and in the process of getting things back on track.

When I started cleaning up my diet a bit and cut out things I was intolerant of, it only took a few weeks for those toxins to be removed and for my skin to clear. That's just three or four weeks to clear goodness knows how many months worth of stuff that was bad for my skin. So given that whatever you consumed was only consumed for a single week, I reckon it's a safe bet that things will have calmed down by this time next week. Don't worry yourself.

[Lola Burns]

limpbizkitfan, on 25 January 2012 - 02:32 AM, said:

Lola Burns, on 25 January 2012 - 01:35 AM, said:

limpbizkitfan, on 24 January 2012 - 11:55 PM, said:

you should go on a water fast n tell us how it works out for you.

I've decided against fasting. After eating crap for a week (and not even a very wide variety of crap), I'm guessing my body needs nutrients.

then eat really healthy and tell us how it works out for you lol.

Will do!

Ukulala, on 25 January 2012 - 08:12 AM, said:

Yeah -- I'd say your best bet is to just relax (I know that's not easy! but try! ) and get back to your habits. Don't shock your system again, as Deja said.

And bask in the fact that you got to spend a week in a new place! That is awesome - maybe even worth the trouble?

Speeding up healing - I would suggest aloe vera, straight off the plant. But I'm biased... I'm in love with it. >.> Still, it's undeniably highly beneficial for any irritation, eh?

If I came away with anything positive, it's a whole new appreciation for my life and a much rosier view of the united states.