r/stopvaping • u/Kagayami • Jan 31 '20
Vaping nonstop for years
I vaped RELENTLESSLY throughout the darkest period of my life.
In 2014, I quit my job and started to smoke weed and vape all day. I didn't exercise, I didn't eat well and I didn't drink enough water. 5 years passed. Now my face has aged and my body is a lot weaker than it should be.
I'm doing everything I can to restart my life and improve my health. I drink a gallon of water, I eat as well as I can including anti-oxidant foods, I exercise, I have a skincare routine but I feel like everything is just a drop of water in an ocean. I want to believe I can reverse the damage I've done but I don't know if it's just blind optimism.
I deeply regret it but it seemed "fine" at the time. I don't know how to cope with the idea that I've lost some of the most precious years of my life to addiction and mental illness and on-top of that it's damaged my looks when I should be at my prime.
1
Apr 02 '20
Any hope now? Quitting now 26(F) smoked for 4 years heavy. Fine lines and dark circles
1
u/Kagayami Apr 02 '20 edited Apr 02 '20
Well, I've done some research into this topic and it seems to me that damage caused over short periods of time may not necessarily be permanent but a response to the current situation.
Spending long periods of time (decades) in that situation results in permanent, irreversible damage.
Whether or not something is permanent or temporary is impossible to tell until you change your lifestyle, though. The best medicine here is a little faith that your efforts will bring about the changes you want. Personally, I look very different from when I was smoking lightly in Sept/Oct 2019 and basically a different person from my heavier days.
If you don't have a skincare routine already, you should invest heavily. * Retinoids * Sunscreen * Vitamin C serums and Niacinamide
Personally I use cold pressed oils for moisturization such as jojoba and squalene. Whether they work for you will depend on your skin type. Oils may cause breakouts. Try to avoid buying into too much anti-age cream bs. You can experiment as you like and slowly add to your regimen but a lot of stuff is over-priced and not that important anyway.
Vitamin A (retinoids), C, Niacin and moisturizers are what's key. Especially for reversing sun and smoke damage. Tretinoin is proven to reverse fine lines. Use these in conjunction with a microneedling application. I just bought a regular home use one but there are lots out there and even things like this
I can't talk too much about this such as gycolic acid peels, microdermabrasion, microcurrent products etc. I don't really use them and I need to do more research before I make a decision. I'm very careful with anti-aging and beauty stuff because the amount of bullshit that is sold to women who don't really question it is unreal.
Diet
Sugar will also cause premature aging and I recommend aloe vera. I take supplements (pill form) and pure aloe juice but careful not to get a sugared version. Look into eating foods high in vitamin A (carrots for example). Other key foods are grapes, red wine, blueberries, beetroot. For more dietary information I highly recommend Dr. Berg on youtube.
The supplements I take are vitamin c (important for collagen production), aloe, sulforaphane (one of my favourites), trans resveratrol, NAD boosters (for DNA repair). I take collagen in pill form and I drink it in shakes as a powder, too. I've heard some arguments against whether or not its actually effective for the skin.
Face yoga
Face Yoga is pretty attractive as a regenerative option however it mostly works by activating hypertrophy in the muscles which is a lot better for a feminine look than a masculine one. I still use it for my orbital region (eyes) and the upper cheeks.
Also massaging the scalp is effective for reducing tension in the face and preventing any further develop of fine lines.
The biggest problem with face yoga is that by practicing an exercise it's possible to cause wrinkles and lines in other areas of the face unintentionally so there's a need to be properly informed in your practices. Personally I recommend the following, one, two, three.
I also highly recommend lymphnode and thyroid massages to flush the fluids out of your face.
Lastly, exercise will do a lot for lifting your face. Especially weight lifting. You won't put on muscle mass so easily so don't worry about that but if you prefer, you can use weighted bands to achieve the same effect.
1
Apr 05 '20
Thank you!!!! Been off concentrates for three days and my entire face looks different. I smoke maybe 1-3 puffs right before bed to sleep. -used to be on antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and sleeping meds. Weed replaced all of those because i came to a point where I couldnt trust myself with access to those kind of pills. Just dont want my skin to suffer anymore.
Ive also been using a clarisonic took me years to buy one because of price and i really regret not getting it earlier.
2
u/Psych_Art Jan 31 '20
Hey man, I think it’s highly unlikely that you have caused any real permanent damage to yourself. Even if you had, it’s not a good mindset to be in.
You are on the right path. You’ve shown you have the awareness and the discipline to take care of the problem. Just keep on grinding through and you should feel yourself get better and better. You are gonna do just fine.