The FastDay Forum

I've suffered from spots for as far back in my adult life as I can remember. Not quite enough to call acne and seek medical help but usually at least one starting, on the go or scarring. One of the things that attracted me to the 5:2 WOE was the temptation of better skin. For 3 months, no change. Then, recently, I had a spell of a few weeks with NO NEW SPOTS! It was great, I could wear less make up, and I just felt more like a proper fully grown adult than a 32 year old teenager.

And then since last week it's just got worse again. My face now feels tight, itchy, and I have several spots on my chin, one on my cheek and one on the edge of my eyebrow(!). I use a seaweed facial wash from the Body Shop followed by coconut oil as a moisturiser. I've also been using a medicated concealer from Natio (an Australian brand I believe) that's supposed to help heal.

I know, given what some folks are going through at the moment, that zits and itchy skin are hardly important, but I'm just wondering if anyone else has struggled with this? I don't think it's related to fasting particularly and I don't think my diet has recently changed significantly.

Any ideas? Could it be the colder weather? The fact I now work in an office (aircon?) Excess sugar/carbs (entirely possible)?

[Betsysgr8]

While your skin was clear, was the weather more humid or dry? Were you getting more sunshine? Exercise?

[wildmissus]

Greenmonster, I have the opposite problem. I have eczema and have very dry sensitive skin. I have tried many high end face products but a couple of years ago I tried the Body Shop products. It can be very scary trying new products because if my face flares up it feels like there are millions of tiny spiders crawling under my skin and it gets very tight, dry, red and scaley - not nice. I have now settled on the Body Shop's Nutriganics range and my skin has never been so good. But..... a few months into 5:2 I did get itchy skin - there is a thread about it.

Try - http://www.52fastdiet.co.uk/post90637.html?hilit=itchy%20skin#p90637

And this last week or so I have dry patches on my face and my skin looks a bit dull. I personally think it is the change of weather. I don't know if that helps.

Hi greenmonster - one of the things that people with skin problems always do is to try and convince themselves that it's not important, in the general scheme of things. And yet it is. Especially if you've suffered fro it for 'most of your adult life' ... 1 in 7 visits to GPs is concerning a skin problem, of varying seriousness. I suppose it's a bit like being overweight as well, we carry it around with us, and think that nothing can be done, or just put up with it.

So my advice would be, go to your doctor and say just what you've said on here. If you don't get any joy (which I doubt) go to another doctor. It's difficult to decide without seeing exactly what you've got, but to me it sounds a bit like rosacea, rather than acne. If your skin is feeling tight and itchy, and you are getting single big spots / red lumps, then it could just be. Rosacea is not just red skin and flushing. The doctor may give you some medication or topical treatment to start with, or if you are lucky, may refer you to a dermatologist. But be prepared to stick to your guns and don't 'downplay' the effect on you and your life in general, because you do deserve to be taken seriously.

As you may have guessed, I have had my fair share of skin problems throughout my life, from teenage acne through to the worst kind of adult rosacea - rosacea fulminans - for which I was hospitalised, and which kept me off work for 7 months 14 years ago. I was very lucky, receiving world class treatment from an internationally known expert, and all on the NHS, achieving a full recovery. I still get the odd spot, but not as badly as before.

Don't put up with it. Do something about it, like you have done with your weight. You've nothing to lose, and everything to gain. And let us know how you get on

Wow, thanks for your replies. Makes me feel a bit less like I'm whining for nothing!

Wildmissus, I have the dual annoyance of skin that is dry in patches (hence the tight scaly feeling) and then spots. I have had the odd patch of eczema on other parts of my body but thankfully I've never suffered very badly with it.

Silverdarling, sounds like you've been through the mill, hopefully you've got things under control now. I'm not sure about rosacea (just googled mild rosacea) - I don't tend to get flushing (I always look white as a sheet!) and the spots I get aren't really big in that sense (they are more like traditional zits), but I do think I will perhaps go to my GP. I have mentioned it to the nurse when I got my pill check done, but she just said that the pill's supposed to help spots (not all that helpful when you've been on it for years!). I've just looked at the rosacea symptoms on NHS website and I don't think it fits - especially as they suggest that symptoms get worse in hot weather (not what I have experienced at all - quite the reverse!)

I guess I feel as though it's not really bad enough to bother a doctor with, just niggling. I do think that the change of weather has made a difference - I would usually have had worse spots in summer (sweaty face etc) but perhaps the warm weather went on so long this year that it just cleared up naturally. Now we're back to cooler weather maybe my skin has just reacted. I really do think it's hormonal acne, given where the spots are (usually round my jaw & chin), so I'm not sure what to do about that. I would like to be able to treat it through diet/natural remedies but not sure a GP would really go down that route!

Thanks again for your replies. Interstingly, whilst my skin feels tight and dry again today, the spots have calmed a bit. Maybe the fasting helps things heal a bit faster (I was fasting yesterday) - your body can concentrate on healing rather than digesting!