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Can Refeeding Cause My Skin to Becoming Leathery?

Wendy Darling
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Wendy Darling Rookie
Wendy Darling
Posted

I am formally diagnosed with celiac disease. I have not been eating enough for the past several years, intaking only 600 calories max per day. I've just come to fear food due to past gluten exposure, but I look like I'm dying, and symptoms are looking scary, so I am currently overcoming this. With the help of a fitness app, I've increased my caloric intake to 1000 calories for the past 4 days. My health is rapidly improving. I look like I'm getting younger. I feel happier too. However, after day one my skin started to looking leathering. I first noticed it on my face, my skin felt like it had a layer of dead skin that I just couldn't scrub off. Now, (day 4) I can tell this is actually affecting all my skin, it's just the most noticeable on my face. You can't see it, my boyfriend can't tell, but I can feel it and my mother can feel the difference in skin texture. (Mom's know their babies.) About 6 months ago when I attempted to eat more, I noticed this happening then as well. I've googled for hours trying to figure out what's happening to me. I've narrowed it down to one of these things:

a.) Effects of rapid epidermal cell generation after years of insufficient nutrients to do so - slothing/detoxing effect?

  • I've googled for hours but I find nothing about this

b.) I simply have eczema and this is my life now

  • I applied prescription eczema ointment on a test spot but it was ineffective

c.) I'm have an allergy to one of the vegetables I'm blending daily - carrots, cucumbers, blueberries, kale, tomatoes

  • Though eating more is new, this blend of vegetables is not new to me and it hasn't happened before

Anyone else experience this?

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Darcy Martinez Apprentice
Darcy Martinez
Posted

You need vitamin A

knitty kitty Grand Master
knitty kitty
Posted

Here's an article or two that might help....

DIET IN DERMATOLOGY: PRESENT PERSPECTIVES

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2965901/

And...

https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/podiatry/when-vitamin-and-nutritional-deficiencies-cause-skin-and-nail-changes

And....

Hidden Hunger: A Pellagra Case Report

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8152714/

 

I had many vitamin deficiencies before diagnosis.  I was very malnourished because Celiac Disease causes malabsorption of vitamins and minerals.  I developed pellagra.  I had Casal's necklace as shown in the last article.  My skin was leathery and got worse in the sun.  It progressed to scaly patches.  My feet and hands/forearms were scaly, too.  The hyperpigmentation is permanent, though it has faded since staying home during the past couple of years.  

Please replenish your vitamin and minerals with supplements.  Doing so will promote healing and recovery.  

Hope this helps!

 

 

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      This is a difficult situation, and one that your employer may not take seriously. It's possible that they don't have a way to accommodate your issues, but I don't know much about your work environment. Obviously moving you to another work area would be ideal, but would or could they do that? If not, you might be stuck having to wear a K95-type mask at work to avoid breathing any particles, but they still could end up on your skin. Another alternative is searching for a new job.
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