My face skin has deteriorated, worried ...

Hi,

I'm on IH regimen since a year ...
I have seen quite a boost in energy and I've never been sick once so far since a year, not even a flu. that's pretty cool.

However ... there's something I'm quite worried about : my skin really looks like shit since I started IH regimen.

It looks dry, saggy, bags under eyes and globally very tired ... don't know how to describe but it really looks bad,
making me look tired and overall more aggressive ... it really sucks ! and all that in just one year
When I compare the pictures one year ago and now it's obvious ...

I don't take finasteride or minox, so how do this deterioration comes from ? normal aging ?

I do sleep correctly, so it can't be that.
Actually I don't know if it's normal aging (I'm 33, I have seen the first signs of skin aging at 31) .. it could be.
But I doubt it can age this bad in just one year ... so I suspect the supplements to create something, because I noticed it 2-3 months after starting the supps that I looked really tired and shitty.

Here's my full regimen (and I take a whole lot of stuff) :

Morning
Iodine (12,5 mg)

Breakfast
Multivitamin (Megafood whole food)
Biotin 5000 mcg
ECGg 400mg
Stabilized R-Lipoic Acid 100mg
Acetyl-L Carnitine 1000 mg
High Potency Apple Cider Vinegar (625 or 1300 mg)
Riboflavin 100mg
Curcumin/Resveratol/Sulforaphane
Boron/Vit K2 MK7/Vit K2 MK4/Zinc/Magnesium/Potassium
Pure Ecklonia Cava 160mg
Antarctic Krill Oil (500 mg)
Brewer's Yeast 5g
Ubiquinol Coq10 50mg

Evening :
Stabilized R-Lipoic Acid 100mg
Acetyl-L Carnitine 1000 mg
High Potency Apple Cider Vinegar (625 or 1300 mg)
Riboflavin 100mg
Boron/Vit K2 MK7/Vit K2 MK4/Zinc/Magnesium/Potassium
Pure Ecklonia Cava 160mg
Brewer's Yeast 5g
Niacin Flush Free 500mg
Ubiquinol Coq10 50mg
Vitamin D3 5000 IU

Sport Supplements :

Toco8 tocotrienol complex (one serving a day)
Joint Supplements (SuperCissus)
Sunwarrior Protein (Pre and Post workout)

During the day :
pureway-C and Lipospheric

Diet :

I have a paleo type of diet : meat, potatoes, broccolis, some cashew nuts (love them).
No dairy and I try to avoid sugar.
I do drink some alcohol once a week when going out.

Sport
I do workout 4 times a week at the gym, mostly weight lifting.
I don't do much cardio.

LifeStyle
I don't have much stress in my life ... so it can't be that either.

What do you think ?

Thanks very much

Mike

My skin looks amazing when I eat lots of fruits and veg and cut out fatty food and stuff. Well, cut it low anyway.

I think skin health kinda reflects inner health, so lots of fruits and veg, adequate fat and protein from healthy sources, lots of greens ideally, and lots of water! Also, do you have IBS? That's my trademark question lol, but it's only because it's the most important one!

what's IBS ?

mikeymike wrote:what's IBS ?

"Irritable Bowel Syndrome". It's a nonsense-y umbrella term but it functions for an initial analysis lol

Like bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort, etc.

Oh, or food intolerances.

Ok I get it

No actually no food intolerance.
and no discomfort, except one time when I tried probiotics (Jarrows) ... I became extremely bloated and constipated. I was feeling nauseous ...

mikeymike wrote:Ok I get it

No actually no food intolerance.
and no discomfort, except one time when I tried probiotics (Jarrows) ... I became extremely bloated and constipated. I was feeling nauseous ...

hm.. although to be fair, the diet you're on is very strict so it would probably reduce bloating.

Like for me, I only get bloating every very carby or sometimes very fatty food.. I believe I have an issue with gut flora balance which is why I'm on grapefruit seed extract and colloidal silver and stuff. I think perfect flora, a clean liver, strong gut walls and a cleansing diet is a pretty good start against ANY illness!

You're right, maybe I should investiguate on that ...
but I doubt it could have a link with my skin looking this bad ... don't you think ?

mikeymike,

Part of it could be age related. 33-34 hit me like a ton of bricks. That's honestly when I started noticing I looked older in the mirror. This was just when my hair loss began as well.

That said, my skin looks great now and much younger than my counterparts at 38. One of the supplements I've been on for several years now is hyaluronic acid. I took it for the skin collagen boosting effects as well as the way my joints (especially my knees) feel when I'm taking it. It literally blasted away all knee/joint soreness I was having. It also has helped my facial skin look firmer and younger. My wife is who is 4 years younger than me is now using it for those effects. Neither of us have visible wrinkles.

I would give this one a try http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Hyaluronic-Acid-Double-Strength-100-mg-60-Vcaps/8227?at=hil335

It's what I've been taking and I know it works. Also make sure you're properly hydrated!

hadrion wrote:mikeymike,

Part of it could be age related. 33-34 hit me like a ton of bricks. That's honestly when I started noticing I looked older in the mirror. This was just when my hair loss began as well.

That said, my skin looks great now and much younger than my counterparts at 38. One of the supplements I've been on for several years now is hyaluronic acid. I took it for the skin collagen boosting effects as well as the way my joints (especially my knees) feel when I'm taking it. It literally blasted away all knee/joint soreness I was having. It also has helped my facial skin look firmer and younger. My wife is who is 4 years younger than me is now using it for those effects. Neither of us have visible wrinkles.

I would give this one a try http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Hyaluronic-Acid-Double-Strength-100-mg-60-Vcaps/8227?at=hil335

It's what I've been taking and I know it works. Also make sure you're properly hydrated!

Thanks for your input

Yes I take hyaluronic acid since 4 months now, without any visible effect.
In how much time did you notice any benefit from it ?

I thought aging came progressively ... I really hope that it's not 100% aging for me because then in 5 years I can't imagine how I will look like

Hey, Hadrion already mentioned hyaluronic acid. Spot on.

I've found gelatin to be a huge boost to skin health. I was turned on to gelatin through Ray Peat, and it is great taken in conjunction with your other protein sources because it helps heal the gut and actually makes other protein more bioavailable. It has worked very well for my skin. I think that in combination with a clean diet, some raw fruits and veggies, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and some other fat soluble antioxidants and you're golden.

I purchase my gelatin in powder form from NOW Foods. They sell it in bulk 5 lb. packages for relatively cheap, at least compared to whey. But I like to combine it with whey half and half.

Link: http://nowfoods.com/Products/ProductsbyCategory/Category/M044533.htm?cat=Healthy%20Foods

A few years back I got into a habit of using a moisturizer on my skin everyday. It was a typical lotion and contained all of the typical nasty things you don't want on you including the parabens and SLS and glycerin. Interesting thing was, using the lotion daily made my skin feel even more dry the next day than it had before I ever applied the product. I believe glycerin actually has its effect by sapping moisture from the sub layers of skin, so while it makes it feel smooth and moist on top, you're dehydrating the lower layers.

Well, after about a year of using these types of lotions on both face and body I noticed a sharp decline in my skin health. I believe the conventional ingredients in many so-called "moisturizers" are terrible for you in the long run, and not to mention many of those ingredients are also endocrine disruptors and can act like estrogens in the body.

mikeymike wrote:You're right, maybe I should investiguate on that ...
but I doubt it could have a link with my skin looking this bad ... don't you think ?

of COURSE it does!

My skin took a nosedive straight after my "IBS" started.

Your skin reflects your health!

Sometime after the age of 27, is when things start to slowly go down hill.

This article might help a little.

http://healthyfixx.com/plan/9/fighting-wrinkles

I think it really pays to experiment. For a future article (I'm still evaluating this), but one might want to experiment with RNA, at 500 mg per night (no less, more is okay).

http://www.iherb.com/Life-Extension-RNA-500-mg-100-Capsules/4375?at=hil335

The short reason is that a study shows a 40% reduction in wrinkles.

mikeymike- If you take your HA with food, perhaps you should try to take it on an empty stomach--I believe that it works better this way from what I have read in prior threads here. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

anthonyspencer54 wrote: But I like to combine it with whey half and half.

I actually ordered some gelatin earlier today and was thinking about adding it to my regular protein powder mix. Half and half is a good idea.

do you guys take HA in the morning or before bedtime? IH?

Also what about Dermaroller?

bh2o wrote:mikeymike- If you take your HA with food, perhaps you should try to take it on an empty stomach--I believe that it works better this way from what I have read in prior threads here. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks ... I'll take it now on empty stomach. We'll see

FireFist wrote:Also what about Dermaroller?

Yes, what do you people think of this ? Does it work ?

Umm.. how about changing the stored body fats with healthy (organic possibly) saturated fats and undamaged unsaturated fats? A slow process for sure. Yoghurt, homemade butter, good coconut oil, ghee, lard from grass fed animals, etc.

-9r5-

is progesterone worth trying ?

FireFist wrote:do you guys take HA in the morning or before bedtime? IH?

I take it at pretty much any time.

CS what do you think about dermaroller?

FireFist wrote:CS what do you think about dermaroller?

bump

CS ?

Not CS, but I have four dermarollers (0.5mm, 1.0 mm, 1.5mm, and a 2.0mm), and have a little experience with it. I was never able to derive benefit from rolling because I found it painful. I couldn't keep up with the protocol, which requires you to perform multiple rolling sessions of at least moderate pressure on yourself. You have to wound yourself to some degree in order to provoke the collagen building response that makes dermarolling beneficial over time, and after a few times I just couldn’t do it any more. Plus, after the first time I had to use some kind of topical analgesic (lidocaine gel, etc.), and I was concerned about the gel and additives being absorbed into my system as I rolled over it, puncturing my skin. Either that, or I had to take a narcotic before rolling, which was, you know, dangerous. Not to mention bad for my liver. So I stopped using dermaroller.

However, if you have a high tolerance for pain, you might get some benefit from rolling. The DIY section of the forum at www.essentialdayspa.com has lots of info on dermaroller (effects, how to use, hygiene, where to buy, etc.). I don't remember where I got mine, as it was a couple of years ago, and I don't even remember the protocol I was trying to follow. I don't think you have to roll forever, but you do have to do it more than a few times to derive benefit. I don’t think it’s possible for a person to wound themselves enough in only one or two sessions to derive benefit. That degree of rolling should be left to a doctor.

I also tried rolling my head prior to using topicals for hair loss, but it got tangled in my hair. I wouldn’t advise trying that unless I had a shaved head.

FWIW, I found that my skin looked like crap on a paleo type diet. I felt pretty good, looked pretty gray. And kinda saggy. I find I feel just as good and look much better eating many more healthy carbs, balanced with a good amount of protein and some healthy fat.

Also, FWIW, after doing IH supplement regimen for a month (almost identical to what you say you’re taking in) and experiencing some undesirable sides myself, I've come to the conclusion the IH supplement regimen may be a little too aggressive for some people. It seems to “speed me up” to an undesirable degree, esp. the iodine. I think an overly speedy metabolism could be one avenue towards accelerated aging. JMHO based on experience. The supps in his regimen are sound recommendations, but the dosages could be just a bit much for some. I’m cutting most of the recommendations in half and using iodine only in cycles to see how that works. Except I think I’m gonna add the RNA that CS recommends a few posts up. Can't resist anything that might fight wrinkles.

One thing I’ve gotten out of hanging around this forum is that we shouldn’t stick to a rigid protocol but experiment, listen to our bods, and find what works for us to grow hair and stay young. I would advise you to start experimenting with diet, and mixing up the dosages of the supplements you take to see what works for you.