Strange Red Blotches/dots

[Rawbin]

I am transitioning to raw and so far have not had any detox- I have been about 90% for 3 weeks. Last night, I noticed these red blothches on my face- they do not itch oir hurst. It is just blotchy. Is this detox? How long until it goes away?
Also, I have gained about 5 pounds on raw. I'm average weight, but fairly muscular. Will I start losing after my first detox? My diet is moderate in fruits and fats and very high in greens and veggies.

[Rawbin]

Anyone? Help! My face is freaking me out a bit.

[JinxieKat]

I have no idea what they are Rawbin, I did have a couple myself but they stayed for a few days then went away on their own. All of my skin issues got worse and now are slowly but surely healing. It's sooo nice!

Jinx

[Rawbin]

That si the thing- I have never had skin issues and except I sometimes have allergic reactions. My Dr cannot figure what they are to, but they are sever, requiring shots to open my airway.
This looks like hives but does not itch- I wondor if I am having a mild allergic reaction? Or detox? I hope it is detox! :p

[heabrook]

It could be detox. What shots are you getting and why? more than likely the shots will just make it worse. I would wash your face with soothing soap and apply some aloe (you could mix in a bit of lavender essential oil too, natural antiseptic and very soothing). Aloe helps the skin heal and rejuvenate itself too.

If you haven't consumed anything differently then you probably are not having an allergic reaction. Some people will have more severe symptoms from detox depending on how healthy they were before starting a raw diet. For example, if someone ate "junk" food heavily, took prescription medications, drank sodas etc... then their body would be more shocked by a sudden change in diet.

[Rawbin]

It could be detox. What shots are you getting and why? more than likely the shots will just make it worse. I would wash your face with soothing soap and apply some aloe (you could mix in a bit of lavender essential oil too, natural antiseptic and very soothing). Aloe helps the skin heal and rejuvenate itself too.

If you haven't consumed anything differently then you probably are not having an allergic reaction. Some people will have more severe symptoms from detox depending on how healthy they were before starting a raw diet. For example, if someone ate "junk" food heavily, took prescription medications, drank sodas etc... then their body would be more shocked by a sudden change in diet.

I have not taken the shots- the shots are for when I've had reqactions in the past. My throat closes and I cannot breathe when having allergic reactions (called angiodemia- not sure of that spelling).

Makes sense about severity of detox- I had a realtviely healthy diet before- mostly unprocessed foods. However, have concumed LOTS of artifical sweetners since I was young (have type I/juvenille diabetes). Never realized how many chemicals are in that stuff.

[Halo Aglow]

During my detox, my whole face looked like a rash, and the parts underneath my eye and kind of around my cheekbone was rashy AND RED. You couldn't really tell about the red part though since my skin is dark but upclose in the mirror I could see it did indeed have a red flush like I had some sort of injury. My skin was horrible looking, truly felt like I had a "rash mask"... good thing I was able to be a hermit during that time. It cleared up in about a week for me, maybe a week and a half. It may be quicker or longer for you though.

I'm not too sure about why you gained weight, it may well be part of the detox, are you hydrated enough? Do you think you should try 100% raw?

[Rawbin]

I'm defineitely hydrated- I fill the 32 oz water bottle on my desk 2-3 times a day and that is just from 9-5!
I want to do 100% but have not yet given up my beloved bottled salad dressings (I'm slightly obsessed with Up Country Organics). I also love herbal tea when it is so cold.
The last copule days I've cut out the fat and been doing loads of greens and more fruit and the weight seems to be cming back off of me. I think I may be one of those people who really cannot handle fat (raw or otherwise). I've tried shredded coconut, nuts (not soaked- I'll try that next), avos, and tahini. Although I jus found out my "raw" tahini is not raw- Maranatha... Perhaps soaking nuts will be okay for me. I have also heard avos are good but they seem to pack the pounds on me. Same with coconut and flax seeds (again not soaked, but I'll try).
I do not have a ton of weight to loose but would like to lose about 10lbs.

[JinxieKat]

Rawbin,
You may want to track your food intake on www.fitday.com. I'm not suggesting it for your typical calorie counting, but more to make sure you are eating enough food. You can have a harder time loosing weight if your not eating enough.

Just a thought!

Taevia

[Rawbin]

Still having the strange hives... really frustrated!

[heabrook]

If you are detoxing, you might want to do some enemas to make sure the toxins are coming out properly. Otherwise, they will come up via your skin. Your skin is the largest organ in your body after all. I would definitely recommend doing some enemas.

[Tombi]

Rawbin,

Why not go completely (100%) raw...just add 20 to that 80 ;) ! Look up some great dressings in Alissa's book or through our beloved banana searcher thingy.

As for your face try maybe cucumber. Chop it up and put it on your face. Cucumber is good for skin inside and out. Don't ya just love raw food.

This may very well be detox and if this is the case why settle for some improvement when you can get 100% improvement by eating completely raw. After all eating raw is about obtaining optium health not partial health.

And while you are doing all that...embrace your journey...have fun creating new stuff, trying stuff ya never tried. Treat yourself special...you deserve to be completely raw!!

[macybare]

I'm having blotchy marks on my face too!. first it was on my cheek then to my chin. the one on my cheek is fading but now its on my upper lip. It is a little itchy tho. I thought maybe b/c I've been consumming so much apple cider vinegar. Not sure. But I'm stopping being raw for awhile b/c I must have a clear face by the next two weeks and i have a feeling its detox and will just get worse. I think it's even gone to the tip of my nose a little! I've also never had any skin issues. Blessed with clear skin till now! I will go back to raw once i know I have time to be blotchy faced.

[lil fairy z girl]

i dont know if this is good advice but have you tried a water fast and then introduce foods one at a time? i had severe hives before raw and this is something i ended up doing as i was afraid to eat anything.
i never found out what it was, i had it for ages. i think it may have been caused by chemicals in my body itself as all the tests didnt show anything. i found the whole situation quite frightening. i am a scardy cat when it comes to reactions. i hope you will get some relief soon.

sal
~*~*~*

[pearl]

I have been raw since mid jan only and I have had these strange red spots- not like pimples but red and hard on my face. They don't act like pimples either. Also some splotchy patches as well. I think it is detox.

[Rawbin]

If you are detoxing, you might want to do some enemas to make sure the toxins are coming out properly. Otherwise, they will come up via your skin. Your skin is the largest organ in your body after all. I would definitely recommend doing some enemas.

Enemas really gross me out and I have been advised to avoid salt water flushes or senna teas. Is there another way to cleanse that does not involve fasting (I'm diabetic). I have heard watermelon, lemons, and apples are all good for this. Masybe a fruit fast would speed along the hives?

[heabrook]

Enemas really gross me out and I have been advised to avoid salt water flushes or senna teas. Is there another way to cleanse that does not involve fasting (I'm diabetic). I have heard watermelon, lemons, and apples are all good for this. Masybe a fruit fast would speed along the hives?

I'm sorry that you feel that way about enemas.
What should gross you out more is that you may have toxic build up in your colon including tapeworms, parasites, etc. People (even those who are not overweight) can carry between 10 and 25 pounds of dried fecal matter in the colon. Now that's gross :eek:

You could try a fruit fast. But the point is getting the toxins out, if you aren't willing to do an enema, then try a fast and hope the toxins come out elsewhere besides your skin. Add some fiber to your diet (flax seeds).

A passage from an article on skin health and colon health...

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The aging of your skin often starts in the colon. A toxic colon can cause blemishes, rashes, pale skin, black heads, oily skin, and wrinkles. The skin reflects the health of the colon. Beautiful skin comes from a healthy colon

Bad skin comes from a bad colon. Old-time doctors always checked the appearance of the skin. They knew this reflected the health of the body and the colon. Constipation always leads to poor skin tone. Toxic blood from a toxic colon goes to the skin and prematurely ages it.

No make-up or skin creams can negate the effects of a toxic colon. All you are doing is covering up the problem. Soft, rosy skin comes from a clean colon. Believe it or not, many people barely go to the bathroom for days.

This is where most diseases start. "Death begins in the colon."

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Best to you,
heather