you should try to look at your husbands skin closely one more time. If he is still scarring, then it is probably because of something both of you two used?

Yeah his skin looks the same as it did when I checked least week...I think he got them from taking the vitamin a when I did, although he took less. He also tried the LED's with me. It's possible we have a virus or something though, who knows. My kids don't have it though

regarding the poryphoria, would you feel anything when light is near you?

For example, do you feel anything on your skin when your in the bathroom?

you should try to look at your husbands skin closely one more time. If he is still scarring, then it is probably because of something both of you two used?

 

Yeah his skin looks the same as it did when I checked least week...I think he got them from taking the vitamin a when I did, although he took less. He also tried the LED's with me. It's possible we have a virus or something though, who knows. My kids don't have it though

 

how long has this scarring thing bee going on for?

Also, anyone else in this thread, when you get random scarring, do you feel anything in that area before you scar?

regarding the poryphoria, would you feel anything when light is near you?

 

For example, do you feel anything on your skin when your in the bathroom?

My skin burns all the time so it's hard to say what lights cause it, or if light even causes it. I have no idea anymore

you should try to look at your husbands skin closely one more time. If he is still scarring, then it is probably because of something both of you two used?

 

Yeah his skin looks the same as it did when I checked least week...I think he got them from taking the vitamin a when I did, although he took less. He also tried the LED's with me. It's possible we have a virus or something though, who knows. My kids don't have it though

 

 

how long has this scarring thing bee going on for?

 

Also, anyone else in this thread, when you get random scarring, do you feel anything in that area before you scar?

 

I started scarring around May 1st, so 4 1/2 months

you should try to look at your husbands skin closely one more time. If he is still scarring, then it is probably because of something both of you two used?

 

Yeah his skin looks the same as it did when I checked least week...I think he got them from taking the vitamin a when I did, although he took less. He also tried the LED's with me. It's possible we have a virus or something though, who knows. My kids don't have it though

 

 

how long has this scarring thing bee going on for?

 

Also, anyone else in this thread, when you get random scarring, do you feel anything in that area before you scar?

 

 

I started scarring around May 1st, so 4 1/2 months

 

hey would you say your "skin burning" is similar to itchyness? I mean i get this itchy/burning feeling on my beard area randomly a lot.. Also, would the burning feeling be similar to the feeling of a sunburn?

you should try to look at your husbands skin closely one more time. If he is still scarring, then it is probably because of something both of you two used?

 

Yeah his skin looks the same as it did when I checked least week...I think he got them from taking the vitamin a when I did, although he took less. He also tried the LED's with me. It's possible we have a virus or something though, who knows. My kids don't have it though

 

 

how long has this scarring thing bee going on for?

 

Also, anyone else in this thread, when you get random scarring, do you feel anything in that area before you scar?

 

 

I started scarring around May 1st, so 4 1/2 months

 

 

hey would you say your "skin burning" is similar to itchyness? I mean i get this itchy/burning feeling on my beard area randomly a lot.. Also, would the burning feeling be similar to the feeling of a sunburn?

 

My burning feels just like a sunburn, without the sun. I do get itchy at night though

im hoping someone can please answer this question. i took accutane years ago. im interested in trying camellia oil which has vitamin a in it. are topicals with vitamin a to be avoided as well or just supplements? thanks!

im hoping someone can please answer this question. i took accutane years ago. im interested in trying camellia oil which has vitamin a in it. are topicals with vitamin a to be avoided as well or just supplements? thanks!

u should be fine

im on accutane atm and using a vitamin a cream at the same time and have found its helping healing more than anything.

its strange how on one hand the oral vitamin a can impair healing, whilst the topical seems to promote it again. vitamin a is an interesting vitamin.

im hoping someone can please answer this question. i took accutane years ago. im interested in trying camellia oil which has vitamin a in it. are topicals with vitamin a to be avoided as well or just supplements? thanks!

 

u should be fine

 

im on accutane atm and using a vitamin a cream at the same time and have found its helping healing more than anything.

 

its strange how on one hand the oral vitamin a can impair healing, whilst the topical seems to promote it again. vitamin a is an interesting vitamin.

 

thanks. thats what i was hoping to hear!

I happened to stumble back on this thread while searching for info on borage oil.

I hope that I can help someone from my experience. While I cant claim to have the answers for all types of spontaneous scarring, after experimenting and researching for well over 8yrs and have found some answers for myself. I have discovered that my scarring can be stopped from certain minerals and GLA supplementation.

I only skimmed the new posts so I am just throw out some thoughts...

Natural GLA production can be blocked by many factors - including viral infections, vitamin/mineral deficiencies or imbalances, and stress. If you take GLA in supplemental form it can be blocked by fish oil and other forms of 03 oils. PLEASE if you are trying GLA stop ALL forms of 0mega3--flax, hemp, walnut, chia seed, pumpkin, rapeseed, canola, soybean and wheatgerm. When I was low on GLA even tiny amounts of these oils/foods would cause me to scar. After my GLA built up and skin got stronger I was able to add these back but even now only in small amounts. For some reason coconut oil also causes me to scar it seems to block my calcium (calcium is very important for strong non scarring skin!)

Beware of 03 in foods-

greens are very high in 03, eating too many greens caused me to scar. Greens are also high in vitamin K which also caused me to scar (as confirmed after taking a vitamin K supplement)

03 can also be found in high amounts in butter from grass fed cows (also high in vitamin K).

I also scarred from omega 3 eggs or EPA/DHA eggs (they feed the chickens flax or EPA supplements).

I found out I need magnesium, calcium, potassium and copper not to scar. Perhaps these are my personal deficiencies but I have ran into others with similar fragile sensitive skin problems corrected by these minerals.

I ran into a wonderful lady online who brought my attention to mineral balancing. She directed me to a website called accucell.com which is where I discovered why some minerals were causing me to scar more easily and why some minerals I took helped prevent scarring. The site lists antagonists for every mineral. I made a list of all the minerals which increased my tendency to scar along with which minerals made my skin sensitive/burn. I also had minerals or foods which made my skin seem fragile and thin. Through this list I was able to see a pattern.

For example I had the burning skin too, felt like a sunburn all the time! I ran into someone online who had this too-she said her burning skin went away with calcium. It worked for me too. I noticed calcium made my skin stronger and magnesium made my skin flexible. Calcium and magnesium are like yin and yang in the skin and bones. You need strength along with flexibility. I can scar with too much of either but when they are in balance my scars acutually heal.

Supplements that block my calcium, magnesium, potassium or copper will cause me to scar.

Alot of the supplements I see some of you taking actually caused me to scar. I initially tried these supplements because they are suppose to be necessary for the skin and wound healing. It was really hard for me to stop supplementing all of these because of fear of scarring.

MSM (high in sulfur, which blocks calcium)

Vitamin C (blocks calcium and copper)

zinc (blocks calcium and copper)

Primal defense (I dont know whats in it but I got symptoms of low calcium from it-I get other symptoms besides scarring from low calcium by the way)

coconut oil (no idea here but caused me symptoms of low calcium)

vitamin A (blocks calcium and magnesium)

sodium! I had to switch to sea salt. This really made my skin thin and fragile. (blocks magnesium, calcium and potassium).

Green supplements like chlorphyll spirulina, alfalfa. I am not sure why but even if my diet was too high in greens I scared. I saw a naturopath who suggested I lower my greens and eat more root veggies and it made such a difference in my skin. Roots are high in potassium and they really plumped and softened my skin.

lecithin. blocks calcium, magnesium and potassium

vitamin E (blocks magnesium)

B12 (blocks potassium)

silica (blocks magnesium)

and thats just a partial list of the supplements I tried that caused me to scar and most still do if I take them now. Ok so obviously I was (am) so deficient in these minerals (calcium, mg, potassium and copper) that the supplements I took were able to lower them to the extent that I would scar. When I finally figured out which minerals I needed I could take the corresponding mineral and see a change in my skin within the day and sometimes within hours. Like I mentioned before I had other symptoms besides scaring to look for like peeling lips, dry scalp, dry lips, thin skin, insomnia among others. It took me a while but I think that most of you who are scaring so easily need calcium and magnesium along with a GLA supplement while cutting off all sources of 03.

A few of you mentioned the jerking right before nodding off to sleep..for me that means I need magnesium . If that happens I take magnesium and it goes away. (do a search on "sleep starts" and magnesium but you might also need calcium-remember they work with each other for absorption; those of you who found it happen from Cipro do a search on cipro and magnesium deficiency).

I do believe there might be a viral component possibly a parasitic or fungal infection that causes a lack of absorption or reduction of essential minerals. I have to keep taking these minerals and GLA to prevent further scaring even though I eat a very well balanced diet. I do get significantly better retention of my minerals when I take a probiotic called s.boulardii which in not really a probiotic but a yeast http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccharomyces_boulardii

So it seem there could be a gut component too.

Gluten free helps as well as bifidus probiotics.

Just recently I switched from primrose oil to borage and just within a few days of the switch some old 7 year scars are diminishing. Could be a few other things I changed with in this time..

started eating one carrot a day

dandellion tea (I use three teaspoons a day-really clears the skin! helps the liver/gallbladder)

Used borage oil to wash face.

By the way I use no soaps or cleansers or any topicals besides oil. I used to clean my face with jojoba but read that it stops the natural oils in your skin. We need the natural oils to strengthen the skin and repair scars, thus I now use borage oil or primrose oil instead-wow what a difference in texture.

..........................

anyway basically all I am saying please stop all the supplements (they caused me so much more scaring) and try taking some borage or primrose along with a calcium and magnesium supplement (my aha! moment was after taking a liquid calcium/magnesium/vitamin D liquid- a few hours later my skin was really quite different..normal!)

Possibly add in some copper later (you can ask for a ceruloplasmin test from your doctor).

Go to the accucell site and try to figure some things out.

I hope all this rambling helps someone.

i find freedoms post very interesting - according to this, almost everything im eating is blocking both calcium and magnesium. the vitamin C, msm, vitamin k, vitamin a and my zinc. not to mention im not getting any calcium from milk (cut it out).

i heard you can still take calcium/magnesium supplemenets, even if you are taking the above. you just need to take them at varying times

i find freedoms post very interesting - according to this, almost everything im eating is blocking both calcium and magnesium. the vitamin C, msm, vitamin k, vitamin a and my zinc. not to mention im not getting any calcium from milk (cut it out).

 

i heard you can still take calcium/magnesium supplemenets, even if you are taking the above. you just need to take them at varying times

I tried taking them away from other supplements and it did not work at all for me. Some of the minerals I took were able to block my calcium for a day others for various periods of time. I know this because I can take a mineral that I know helps a particular deficiency symptom and it just wont work if I take a "no" mineral or supplement anytime during that day. I get insomnia from most of my "no" minerals (the ones that make me scar) and sometimes it takes a few days to get back to sleeping after a "no".

When I say "block" I mean minerals like drugs have half lives. Not that they block each other during digestion. Read up on accucell and you will start to understand.

Fat soluable vits like A and E are tricky in that sense too.

i find freedoms post very interesting - according to this, almost everything im eating is blocking both calcium and magnesium. the vitamin C, msm, vitamin k, vitamin a and my zinc. not to mention im not getting any calcium from milk (cut it out).

 

i heard you can still take calcium/magnesium supplemenets, even if you are taking the above. you just need to take them at varying times

 

I tried taking them away from other supplements and it did not work at all for me. Some of the minerals I took were able to block my calcium for a day others for various periods of time. I know this because I would take a mineral that I knew helped a particular symptom and it just didnt work if I had taken a "no" mineral or supplement anytime during that day. I get insomnia from most of my "no" minerals (the one that make me scar) and sometimes it would take a few days to get back to sleeping after a "no". When I mean "block" I mean minerals like drugs have half lives. Fat soluable vits like A and E are tricky in that sense too.

 

 

i can understand that. i must admit, i found my skin more prone to scarring and breakouts when i added fish oil capsules (vitamin a) and multivitamins. fish oil is similar to accutane to me, even if it is a less potent version.

with the vitamin c, zinc and HA, they have been shown to promote wound healing and are absolutely necessary after a scar procedure. i honestly couldnt imagine removing any from my diet.

I happened to stumble back on this thread while searching for info on borage oil.

 

I hope that I can help someone from my experience. While I cant claim to have the answers for all types of spontaneous scarring, after experimenting and researching for well over 8yrs and have found some answers for myself. I have discovered that my scarring can be stopped from certain minerals and GLA supplementation.

 

I only skimmed the new posts so I am just throw out some thoughts...

 

 

 

Natural GLA production can be blocked by many factors - including viral infections, vitamin/mineral deficiencies or imbalances, and stress. If you take GLA in supplemental form it can be blocked by fish oil and other forms of 03 oils. PLEASE if you are trying GLA stop ALL forms of 0mega3--flax, hemp, walnut, chia seed, pumpkin, rapeseed, canola, soybean and wheatgerm. When I was low on GLA even tiny amounts of these oils/foods would cause me to scar. After my GLA built up and skin got stronger I was able to add these back but even now only in small amounts. For some reason coconut oil also causes me to scar it seems to block my calcium (calcium is very important for strong non scarring skin!)

 

Beware of 03 in foods-

greens are very high in 03, eating too many greens caused me to scar. Greens are also high in vitamin K which also caused me to scar (as confirmed after taking a vitamin K supplement)

03 can also be found in high amounts in butter from grass fed cows (also high in vitamin K).

I also scarred from omega 3 eggs or EPA/DHA eggs (they feed the chickens flax or EPA supplements).

 

I found out I need magnesium, calcium, potassium and copper not to scar. Perhaps these are my personal deficiencies but I have ran into others with similar fragile sensitive skin problems corrected by these minerals.

 

I ran into a wonderful lady online who brought my attention to mineral balancing. She directed me to a website called accucell.com which is where I discovered why some minerals were causing me to scar more easily and why some minerals I took helped prevent scarring. The site lists antagonists for every mineral. I made a list of all the minerals which increased my tendency to scar along with which minerals made my skin sensitive/burn. I also had minerals or foods which made my skin seem fragile and thin. Through this list I was able to see a pattern.

 

For example I had the burning skin too, felt like a sunburn all the time! I ran into someone online who had this too-she said her burning skin went away with calcium. It worked for me too. I noticed calcium made my skin stronger and magnesium made my skin flexible. Calcium and magnesium are like yin and yang in the skin and bones. You need strength along with flexibility. I can scar with too much of either but when they are in balance my scars acutually heal.

 

Supplements that block my calcium, magnesium, potassium or copper will cause me to scar.

 

Alot of the supplements I see some of you taking actually caused me to scar. I initially tried these supplements because they are suppose to be necessary for the skin and wound healing. It was really hard for me to stop supplementing all of these because of fear of scarring.

 

MSM (high in sulfur, which blocks calcium)

Vitamin C (blocks calcium and copper)

zinc (blocks calcium and copper)

Primal defense (I dont know whats in it but I got symptoms of low calcium from it-I get other symptoms besides scarring from low calcium by the way)

coconut oil (no idea here but caused me symptoms of low calcium)

vitamin A (blocks calcium and magnesium)

sodium! I had to switch to sea salt. This really made my skin thin and fragile. (blocks magnesium, calcium and potassium).

Green supplements like chlorphyll spirulina, alfalfa. I am not sure why but even if my diet was too high in greens I scared. I saw a naturopath who suggested I lower my greens and eat more root veggies and it made such a difference in my skin. Roots are high in potassium and they really plumped and softened my skin.

lecithin. blocks calcium, magnesium and potassium

vitamin E (blocks magnesium)

B12 (blocks potassium)

silica (blocks magnesium)

 

and thats just a partial list of the supplements I tried that caused me to scar and most still do if I take them now. Ok so obviously I was (am) so deficient in these minerals (calcium, mg, potassium and copper) that the supplements I took were able to lower them to the extent that I would scar. When I finally figured out which minerals I needed I could take the corresponding mineral and see a change in my skin within the day and sometimes within hours. Like I mentioned before I had other symptoms besides scaring to look for like peeling lips, dry scalp, dry lips, thin skin, insomnia among others. It took me a while but I think that most of you who are scaring so easily need calcium and magnesium along with a GLA supplement while cutting off all sources of 03.

 

A few of you mentioned the jerking right before nodding off to sleep..for me that means I need magnesium . If that happens I take magnesium and it goes away. (do a search on "sleep starts" and magnesium but you might also need calcium-remember they work with each other for absorption; those of you who found it happen from Cipro do a search on cipro and magnesium deficiency).

 

I do believe there might be a viral component possibly a parasitic or fungal infection that causes a lack of absorption or reduction of essential minerals. I have to keep taking these minerals and GLA to prevent further scaring even though I eat a very well balanced diet. I do get significantly better retention of my minerals when I take a probiotic called s.boulardii which in not really a probiotic but a yeast http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccharomyces_boulardii

So it seem there could be a gut component too.

Gluten free helps as well as bifidus probiotics.

 

Just recently I switched from primrose oil to borage and just within a few days of the switch some old 7 year scars are diminishing. Could be a few other things I changed with in this time..

started eating one carrot a day

dandellion tea (I use three teaspoons a day-really clears the skin! helps the liver/gallbladder)

Used borage oil to wash face.

 

By the way I use no soaps or cleansers or any topicals besides oil. I used to clean my face with jojoba but read that it stops the natural oils in your skin. We need the natural oils to strengthen the skin and repair scars, thus I now use borage oil or primrose oil instead-wow what a difference in texture.

 

..........................

anyway basically all I am saying please stop all the supplements (they caused me so much more scaring) and try taking some borage or primrose along with a calcium and magnesium supplement (my aha! moment was after taking a liquid calcium/magnesium/vitamin D liquid- a few hours later my skin was really quite different..normal!)

Possibly add in some copper later (you can ask for a ceruloplasmin test from your doctor).

Go to the accucell site and try to figure some things out.

 

I hope all this rambling helps someone.

Thank you for sharing your experience!! This is totally the kind of information that me we need to hear on here!

I have unraveled my scarring mystery lately and I am suffering from a form of lupus triggered by vit. a which is affecting my skin and now the rest of my organs so not sure how much of this applies to me, but I will take it into consideration.

First off, if you are not eating green veggies and the other things that you listed that caused you to scar, what do you eat?

I cut out all fish oils/omega 3's months ago and scarring actually increased for me, also at that time I started taking quite a bit of Evening Primrose Oil. It really made me re-evaluate what was contributing to my random scarring. I still take good amounts of EPO, but my skin is still thin, sensitive, dry and dull-looking. How long did it take for your skin texture to improve? It sounds like not very long at all...

I am a follower of David Wolfe's research into calcification and calcium supplements based off of carbonate (chalk) being at the root cause of chronic disease including aging/skin issues because of nanobacterial contamination, so I have avoided most calcium supplementation except for angstrom-sized liquid calcium sourced from plants. His research suggests that the body is able to convert silica via biological transmutation into the good calcium which is needed to build healthy skin and bones. He also says that MSM breaks down bad calcium in the body and converts it to good calcium. I was not aware that it could block calcium, period. I may have to shoot him off a question on this issue and see what his thoughts are.

As far as magnesium, at the peak of my scarring I was taking quite a bit of magnesium, as well as using transdermal magnesium oil, which apparently is a fabulous way to build up magnesium stores in the body. I was also using a ton of magnesium when I took Cipro and for a long time afterward, and it did not prevent nor alleviate the twitching. I was also taking it when I first took vitamin a and the twitching returned, so not sure there is a connection there for me. The twitching for me seems to signal a nerve irritation which just has to straighten out on its own over time. I feel now that it may be an autoimmune reaction and when that calms down it goes away.

I agree with you on just using oil on the face alone, it is healthy and as long as it isn't irritating it is a great way to rebuild the skin. My skin has scarred the most when I deviated from using oil alone and added in other products, also got horrific scars and deteriorated skin texture from using the LED lights.

I am now thinking of cutting back on zinc and adding some copper back, as this has come into my mind lately for several reasons. It's weird though because most people are severely overloaded with copper and low in zinc due to copper piping and the prevalence of copper in foods in relation to zinc.

Thanks for getting me thinking here...by the way what were your other symptoms of calcium deficiency?

hmm. which oil do you use to wash your face? i used olive oil a few weeks back and followed it with dishwashing detergent..(the same remedy i use to get petroleum jelly out of my hair). anyhoo, my face felt really dry and sore afterwards.

wouldnt a calcium problem be easier to spot. i realise it could take many years for the bones to go brittle, but you might notice some changes to your teeth and all that.

hmm. which oil do you use to wash your face? i used olive oil a few weeks back and followed it with dishwashing detergent..(the same remedy i use to get petroleum jelly out of my hair). anyhoo, my face felt really dry and sore afterwards.

 

wouldnt a calcium problem be easier to spot. i realise it could take many years for the bones to go brittle, but you might notice some changes to your teeth and all that.

The only oil I can tolerate is coconut, but most people use castor oil and olive combination. I also heard grapeseed oil is good. I like coconut because it is anti-fungal and the MCFA's are good for the skin. You do have to steam it off gently with a warm washcloth, though. You can't just put it on and rinse it off.

Lol I just looked up calcium deficiency and I have every symptom, except my teeth are super white! I have twitching eyelids, muscle twitching in my legs, insomnia, tingling pain in my fingers, and dry skin! I guess I'm going to have to start taking calcium again. The stuff I have is really good - it's Mineralife Calcium Ionic Mineral Concentrate - 3/4 tsp. has 300 mg of calcium so I guess 2 tsp. a day or so should get my levels up quickly. I think I stopped taking it because I thought it was competing with my magnesium and zinc supplementation. Or maybe I figured it wasn't working or something. Ugh, this stuff gets so ridiculous when you find out that the very stuff you take to help you is hurting you, and vice versa!

hmm. which oil do you use to wash your face? i used olive oil a few weeks back and followed it with dishwashing detergent..(the same remedy i use to get petroleum jelly out of my hair). anyhoo, my face felt really dry and sore afterwards.

 

wouldnt a calcium problem be easier to spot. i realise it could take many years for the bones to go brittle, but you might notice some changes to your teeth and all that.

 

The only oil I can tolerate is coconut, but most people use castor oil and olive combination. I also heard grapeseed oil is good. I like coconut because it is anti-fungal and the MCFA's are good for the skin. You do have to steam it off gently with a warm washcloth, though. You can't just put it on and rinse it off.

 

Lol I just looked up calcium deficiency and I have every symptom, except my teeth are super white! I have twitching eyelids, muscle twitching in my legs, insomnia, tingling pain in my fingers, and dry skin! I guess I'm going to have to start taking calcium again. The stuff I have is really good - it's Mineralife Calcium Ionic Mineral Concentrate - 3/4 tsp. has 300 mg of calcium so I guess 2 tsp. a day or so should get my levels up quickly. I think I stopped taking it because I thought it was competing with my magnesium and zinc supplementation. Or maybe I figured it wasn't working or something. Ugh, this stuff gets so ridiculous when you find out that the very stuff you take to help you is hurting you, and vice versa!

 

agreed. i cant help but think the more we change our lifestyle and introduce new things, te increased possibility we could react to things.

the twitching eye is interesting. my right eye has been twitching on and off for a few years now. its stopped since being on accutane - strangely enough. i contributed it to eye stress more than anything, but a calcium deficiency might make sense. ive never had insomnia or sore legs tho.

from my knowledge, calcium doesnt compete with magnesium. they actually work really well together. caltrate is a proper womens supplement here in australia and it combines the two and is seen to be the most effective on the market because of it.

wow i loveuk, i am glad you figured out why you are scarring.

By the way, the MSM lotion smells great! I am trying it on some of the scars to see how it works out.

Did everyone in this thread that had random scarring take accutane previously?

It seems that my random scarring has stopped (but that could be because i am at my apartment at the university, and the lightings way different) but i am just trying to forget about it.

Regarding the jojoba oil, someone mentioned how it can stop oil production, and thats bad for your skin.

Does this only apply to people who were on accutane or everyone? I thought jojoba oil is actually good for the skin?

if you do have a calcium deficiency beware because medication for lupus can block calcium. Osteoporosis is high in lupus patients

First off, if you are not eating green veggies and the other things that you listed that caused you to scar, what do you eat?

I was scaring and getting burning skin from too many greens. Like maybe 6 cups or more --which isnt a lot according to many raw foodists and the like but for me it brought on all my low calcium symptoms which are: poor wound healing, burning skin, sometimes burning eyes, dry skin, dry peeling lips, hair falling out, wrinkled/dried out looking skin, very bad insomnia (waking up around 2-3am-which holistic doctors say is a symptom of calcium/magnesium imbalance), hangnails, peeling skin on feet, blackheads, anxiety, sensitive teeth, fast pulse (but weak pulse), open pores, oily skin, flaky skin, keratosis on arms, ruddy sensitive skin with inflammation, sun sensitive.

I cut out all fish oils/omega 3's months ago and scarring actually increased for me, also at that time I started taking quite a bit of Evening Primrose Oil. It really made me re-evaluate what was contributing to my random scarring. I still take good amounts of EPO, but my skin is still thin, sensitive, dry and dull-looking. How long did it take for your skin texture to improve? It sounds like not very long at all...

cutting out all oils increased my scarring too, and when I started GLA I scarred too. I think I would still scar with GLA if I had not had started taking calcium. I tried primrose oil many times before I started calcium and just got inflammed. Calcium and GLA work together. GLA has been shown to increase calcium absorption and utilization. Here is a quote from Udo Erasmus who is considered an authority on the subject of fats and oils " calcium metabolism is closely linked to EFA metabolism. Fatty acids are also involved with the metabolism of other minerals" He himself noticed poor wound healing and thin skin when he limited his oils to flax only.

I think I read that you were taking flax or hemp oil in addition to GLA

I am a follower of David Wolfe's research into calcification and calcium supplements based off of carbonate (chalk) being at the root cause of chronic disease including aging/skin issues because of nanobacterial contamination, so I have avoided most calcium supplementation except for angstrom-sized liquid calcium sourced from plants. His research suggests that the body is able to convert silica via biological transmutation into the good calcium which is needed to build healthy skin and bones. He also says that MSM breaks down bad calcium in the body and converts it to good calcium. I was not aware that it could block calcium, period. I may have to shoot him off a question on this issue and see what his thoughts are.

[b] I too believed that about calcium for a long time. It wasnt until I ran into someone with the burning face skin who swore that calcium got rid of it. I was sick of the burning and tried it-it worked and my skin started to look normal again, plus a lot of other symptoms cleared up too. I take calcium citrate but carbonate works for me too.

I took MSM for a couple of years. I had such high hopes that it would heal my scars. MSM is high in sulfur and sulfur does compete or block calcium. My insomnia was so bad on MSM. Just quit it for a while and try calcium first.

As far as magnesium, at the peak of my scarring I was taking quite a bit of magnesium, as well as using transdermal magnesium oil, which apparently is a fabulous way to build up magnesium stores in the body. I was also using a ton of magnesium when I took Cipro and for a long time afterward, and it did not prevent nor alleviate the twitching. I was also taking it when I first took vitamin a and the twitching returned, so not sure there is a connection there for me.

[b] I was taking a ton of magnesium for my insomnia and using the magnesium oil too! I even took epsom salts and took baths in them for a while. I think this contributed to my calcium deficiency. Even now too much magnesium will make me scar. But if my calcium gets too high I get magnesium deficiency symptoms (for me these are low blood pressure, scarring, insomnia, chalky dull flat inflexible skin, pale skin, poor wound healing, hard and fast pulse, dry stools, twitching eyes or legs, night leg aches, cold body temp, anxiety) The symptoms of calcium and magnesium deficiencies can overlap; be the opposite or the same because they work together.

I agree with you on just using oil on the face alone, it is healthy and as long as it isn't irritating it is a great way to rebuild the skin. My skin has scarred the most when I deviated from using oil alone and added in other products, also got horrific scars and deteriorated skin texture from using the LED lights.

I am now thinking of cutting back on zinc and adding some copper back, as this has come into my mind lately for several reasons. It's weird though because most people are severely overloaded with copper and low in zinc due to copper piping and the prevalence of copper in foods in relation to zinc.

[b] zinc made my skin super inflexible and dry-parched looking. I also should mention I had an iron deficiency and iron defiicency can cause dry skin too. But even after my iron deficiency went away my skin still scarred without calcium and GLA. Copper is a co-factor in the absorption of calcium. Please read up on all of these minerals on the accucell website. It really does shed a light on mineral interactions.

I have to say a lot of your symptoms sound like a calcium deficiency or possibly its co-factor minerals

hmm. which oil do you use to wash your face? i used olive oil a few weeks back and followed it with dishwashing detergent..(the same remedy i use to get petroleum jelly out of my hair). anyhoo, my face felt really dry and sore afterwards.

 

wouldnt a calcium problem be easier to spot. i realise it could take many years for the bones to go brittle, but you might notice some changes to your teeth and all that.

I use primrose or borage but only once every few nights and I only use spring water to rinse with.

Calcium deficiency I am sure is silent for a long time. Probably small things that go unnoticed. For instant all my life my skin was "unpretty" ie bigger pores and not as fine, clear and dewy as other peoples skin; with calcium and GLA and the other minerals my skin finally looks like I think it should. Raw never got me here. Oh how I wish I had discovered these things sooner. My teeth have always been strong only three cavities in 4o years but when low on calcium they are sensitive. I have also had hangnails all my life those cleared up on calcium too.

hmm. which oil do you use to wash your face? i used olive oil a few weeks back and followed it with dishwashing detergent..(the same remedy i use to get petroleum jelly out of my hair). anyhoo, my face felt really dry and sore afterwards.

 

wouldnt a calcium problem be easier to spot. i realise it could take many years for the bones to go brittle, but you might notice some changes to your teeth and all that.

 

The only oil I can tolerate is coconut, but most people use castor oil and olive combination. I also heard grapeseed oil is good. I like coconut because it is anti-fungal and the MCFA's are good for the skin. You do have to steam it off gently with a warm washcloth, though. You can't just put it on and rinse it off.

 

Lol I just looked up calcium deficiency and I have every symptom, except my teeth are super white! I have twitching eyelids, muscle twitching in my legs, insomnia, tingling pain in my fingers, and dry skin! I guess I'm going to have to start taking calcium again. The stuff I have is really good - it's Mineralife Calcium Ionic Mineral Concentrate - 3/4 tsp. has 300 mg of calcium so I guess 2 tsp. a day or so should get my levels up quickly. I think I stopped taking it because I thought it was competing with my magnesium and zinc supplementation. Or maybe I figured it wasn't working or something. Ugh, this stuff gets so ridiculous when you find out that the very stuff you take to help you is hurting you, and vice versa!

 

Just my own personal experience but I tried an ionic calcium supplement and it included other "ionic trace minerals" like the one you are going to try. It actually made my symptoms of calcium worse. For some reason the other added minerals trumped the calcium! Please please please just try a plain and simple calcium citrate without added minerals. When my calcium was so super low even foods that were high in calcium antagonists would set off deficiency symptoms. Since you have/had the burning skin I would think you might be as low as I was and also the woman that advised me to take calcium(by itself!). She had the same type competition with other minerals going on. I wouldnt have believed how sensitive my calcium was until I tried adding other minerals afterwards. Please! calcium citrate is cheap.

I also noticed you are/were taking primal defense. This depletes my calcium super fast too. I still have some in the fridge and even now everytime I try to add it back in my calcium symptoms come back..fast. It contains ionic minerals too. I have tried so many ionic formulas and they all deplete my calcium (or possibly calcium co-factors)

I wish someone would have held my hand through all of this because I really believed in all my supplements and the promises they held and kept taking them even when I saw what they were doing. I just refused to believe they might not be helping me.

My life started to change when I put away all of my supplements (a whole countertop full; I was taking about 30 sups a day) stopped eating strictly veggies and fruits (adding back more fats, dairy, beef, chicken and root veggies), and then trying out the essential minerals one by one. That was when I could really figure things out.

A lot of what you are taking is not "essential".

Just hoping to help.

hmm. which oil do you use to wash your face? i used olive oil a few weeks back and followed it with dishwashing detergent..(the same remedy i use to get petroleum jelly out of my hair). anyhoo, my face felt really dry and sore afterwards.

 

wouldnt a calcium problem be easier to spot. i realise it could take many years for the bones to go brittle, but you might notice some changes to your teeth and all that.

 

The only oil I can tolerate is coconut, but most people use castor oil and olive combination. I also heard grapeseed oil is good. I like coconut because it is anti-fungal and the MCFA's are good for the skin. You do have to steam it off gently with a warm washcloth, though. You can't just put it on and rinse it off.

 

Lol I just looked up calcium deficiency and I have every symptom, except my teeth are super white! I have twitching eyelids, muscle twitching in my legs, insomnia, tingling pain in my fingers, and dry skin! I guess I'm going to have to start taking calcium again. The stuff I have is really good - it's Mineralife Calcium Ionic Mineral Concentrate - 3/4 tsp. has 300 mg of calcium so I guess 2 tsp. a day or so should get my levels up quickly. I think I stopped taking it because I thought it was competing with my magnesium and zinc supplementation. Or maybe I figured it wasn't working or something. Ugh, this stuff gets so ridiculous when you find out that the very stuff you take to help you is hurting you, and vice versa!

 

 

agreed. i cant help but think the more we change our lifestyle and introduce new things, te increased possibility we could react to things.

 

the twitching eye is interesting. my right eye has been twitching on and off for a few years now. its stopped since being on accutane - strangely enough. i contributed it to eye stress more than anything, but a calcium deficiency might make sense. ive never had insomnia or sore legs tho.

 

from my knowledge, calcium doesnt compete with magnesium. they actually work really well together. caltrate is a proper womens supplement here in australia and it combines the two and is seen to be the most effective on the market because of it.

 

Calcium and magnesium can compete with each other if they are out of proportion to one another or if either is too high.

I did check out Accu-cell - great site. I guess I have a new plan on action. Tomorrow I will get some calcium citrate, tonight the ionic stuff will have to do because it's all I have in the house right now and I want to boost my levels and see if it helps me sleep tonight. With the MSM, I will phase it out, perhaps taking a small amount in the morning and that's it. I was taking it throughout the day, along with vitamin C, so I can imagine it was blocking copper and calcium. Zinc isn't getting completely tossed yet but I will limit my dosage to the smallest amount and take it apart from anything with copper. As for a copper supplement, I wonder if liquid chlorophyll will do. I have that and take it and it contains good amounts of copper. I think for vitamin C I will go back to using whole food source like Camu camu powder, since it contains very low amounts of C compared to the sodium ascorbate that I have been mega-dosing on throughout the day, hoping to counteract all these free radicals. I don't want to completely give up any C source because I feel that I am under quite a bit of oxidative stress with this autoimmune issue and I don't want to make things worse in that arena. I can however keep my dose small and limited to once per day.

I haven't taken Primal Defense in awhile, right now I use a different probiotic and also eat cultured veggies...

I think this calcium thing could be the clincher. I can't eat cow dairy for allergy reasons and it's hard to get my hands on raw goat dairy, which I do tolerate quite well. Luckily we are moving out to 4 acres in the mountains tomorrow and are going to be raising our own goats and chickens so soon I will have access to fresh, healthy raw goats milk. I have been relying on greens, chlorella and tahini to meet my calcium needs and perhaps it's not enough. Perhaps I have had an underlying calcium deficiency for awhile and the vitamin a made it worse because it antagonizes calcium and drains it from the body as well. Makes sense.

As for the Lupus, I'm not taking any drugs, especially since it is "subclinical" and I am convinced it is temporary. Conventional drugs definitely cause more trouble than they are worth, and I don't need that in my life right now. Now that I have figured out what is really behind this, I'm approaching it with Traditional Chinese Medicinal herbs along with some other tricks and so far it is working. The past three days I have actually been able to tolerate some sun for the first time in 6 months. Also the joint and muscle pain I was having has gotten much better. Hopefully increasing my copper and calcium along with magnesium and drastically reducing my zinc, vit. C and MSM will help things even more. I'm gonna stick with the EPO as well and hope that over time my skin improves.

Freedom, thanks for posting all of this amazing information! I will keep everyone posted on my progress with this...