Withdrawal Symptoms II – Vaping for Beginners
Skin Blemishes, Spots or Rashes
You’ve spent years getting your body used to coping with certain toxins, so making the switch can temporarily lead to blemishes. In most cases, it’s not the vaping — it’s quitting cigarettes.
Blemishes and cracked skin can also be caused by not drinking enough! Most of the time, though, your body is simply flushing out toxins for a few weeks. Your skin is the largest organ in the human body, and all those toxins have to go somewhere.
If your skin hasn’t improved after a few weeks, or if you’re really concerned, see a dermatologist! Otherwise, a visit to a beautician, a good rich moisturiser and plenty of water can help.
PG Intolerance
The percentage of people who are genuinely allergic to PG is actually very small. If you have a PG intolerance, you’ll usually also react to deodorants, shower gels and many other products. But if you’re unsure, you can simply try ordering a VG-only e-liquid. That said, most skin symptoms can occur with any kind of smoking cessation and usually clear up on their own once the toxins have been flushed out.
Weight Gain
If that worries you, here’s what I can recommend from my own experience:
A. Follow your favourite diet and actually stick to it!
B. Craving something sweet? Vape sweet e-liquids, but keep your hands off the sugar!
C. Get more exercise — it also helps your body detox faster!
Why do people gain weight? For one thing, smokers really do burn slightly more calories than non-smokers, simply because the body is constantly busy dealing with toxins. For another, food starts tasting different after about five days, and people begin eating more. Plus, yes, we do feel a bit sorry for ourselves — surely we deserve a treat!
But you can breathe more easily now, so why not run around the neighbourhood with the dog instead of taking a leisurely walk? And if you work out, you sweat; if you sweat, you get rid of toxins faster. Everything that has built up in your body over a lifetime of smoking has to come out.
I kept my weight stable, but honestly, only thanks to my vanity and my stubborn streak. Despite dieting, though, I didn’t lose a single kilo!
Dizziness, Headaches, Stomach Pain
A racing heart and trouble sleeping are also usually caused by too high a nicotine dose. Lower the nicotine strength in your e-liquid. Depending on how you vape, chain-vaping on your device may simply mean there’s too much nicotine in the tank. The amount of nicotine each person needs is individual.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to throw away the e-liquid you bought if it has too much nicotine. Either tweak it later (see our Thursday blog post under “E-Liquid Misbuys”) or offer it for swaps on a vaper forum. Alternatively, visit a local vape meetup — you’ll almost certainly find someone to take it off your hands there too.
