Merry Christmas Readers

To everyone who has been following my skin blog, 

May you have a merry christmas and a year with less itch and better skin

Scratching at Night

Scratching at night sucks. When I scratch, I scratch hard and this wakes me up and thus I have a poor night's sleep. Any small irregularities on the nail will become a knife and cut into the skin and I'd be sore.

When the eczema was really bad, I used to get myself up and have a cold shower, a bit extreme, especially in winter but a fast way to cool me down. I'd then moisturise the skin. My legs still get itchy at night but are way better.  I throw my legs out from under the blanket and look for a cool spot. If it is really itchy, I mosturise and take an antihistamine. Sleep is far more important than getting stressed about sorting it out.

My observation of night time itching appears to be one of 3 reasons:

1. The skin is dry and hence itches - I sleep with a pot of cream!

2. The skin is hot and hence itches - this would become more so due to the scratching.

3. Dust mites - so I change my bedding and vacuum my room. When the skin droppings were excessive, I cleaned my room and sheets every day. Now it is about every 3 days. However everyday I always shake my sheets outside once I have gotten out of bed. Maybe this is paranoia but psychologically makes me feel better about the bedding I sleep on.

One lady I correspond with found French Argiletz clay has helped to heal to clear her eczema and has shared this formula with me: - French pink or white clay (for dry, sensitive skin), melted coconut oil, purified water.  Mix into a smooth paste and apply to body parts all evening - use cling film at night. I have yet to try it due to the health food shops not having it readily available. I really should pursue internet shopping. Anyway would recommend you do a web search on the healing powers of clay. Interesting stuff.

Currently still soaking and smoothing in moistened table salt onto skin to exfoliate as well as help heal the skin.

I'm going to start eating raw food again as have found that it seems to help me not itch when am hot and/or sweaty!  

Hope this helps you in some way poster Nivea

Travel + Sleep

I really hate traveling long haul. I suffer badly from jetlag and my attempts to recover quickly from it, means I sleep very little.

Having just done a 14 hour flight, I slept about 10 hours over 3 nights. My skin has been relentlessly itchy and I can't knock myself out due to work. Night times are restless and long even after having taken my normal knock out dosage of antihistamines. 

All the good work improving the skin nearly went out the door. Until someone offered me their place for a marathon. It was hot, humid, there were lots of people and I could feel their body heat and smell their sweat. I suffered from heat exhaustion. I'm not entirely sure whether I enjoyed this or not.

However I had a great 10 hours sleep and today although it is dry and needs healing, my skin is feeling much calmer.

Work Stress...tick tock tick tock

Time seems to be ticking by fast. Have not had time to research about an enema. Just need to keep going. Been stressed at work for the last 3 weeks, so much politics, but thankfully this does not seem to cause me to itch.

Sweating, Detox and Exercise

DETOX! I keep wondering about a detox, especially when am working away from home and my eating habits tend to go by the way side. Note my "way side" is eating bread, diary products, much more meat than usual, quick foods like chips and biscuits ...

I say this is way side eating as I have changed my eating habits mostly, eating far more salad, fish and drinking plenty of water. This summer was able to grow my own rocket, pak choi, broccoli, tomatoes, beet root, zucchini, beans, and other types of salad leaves.

I have been feasting on salads and my skin has improved significantly. Less skin droppings on the bed; smoother softer skin; less moisturising components being rubbed on. I believe this is partly due to my change in eating.

Sweat, Exercise and Toxins

To me these observations indicate that there are toxins that are being produced. Sweating is a way of bringing these toxins to the surface. The only other way to rid the body of toxins is by the normal toilet method!

When I exercise, I go for a good sweat out. Unfortunately when the skin becomes hot, it becomes irritated. The sweat also has a dehydrating effect and so the itch comes back hard and fast during and after exercise. A cold shower seems to be the best relief I can get. After exercise, my nights are more restful with very little itching.

However, in summer I also observed, for the first time I did not always itch during and after exercise. The sweat appeared and zero itch. This appeared to happen when had been eating salad for at least one meal for a week! My eating discipline was also better, with less saturated fat type foods (such as biscuit and cakes) going into my system.

Saunas: I have read that saunas are suppose to be better than exercise in removing toxins. I have tried saunas and have found they have had a lesser effect compared to exercise. This might be due in part to the release of endorphines with exercise and the known fact that exercise reduces tension and anxiety. Saunas, although they give me a good sweat out, does not reduce my tension and anxiety like exercise.

So I ask myself:are toxins responsible for triggering/inducing eczema?

From observations internal and external toxins can irritate the eczema areas, and so certainly the reduction of toxins can help in reducing the itch cycle, as well as produce an overall "well being" feeling. In part toxins produce "stress" within our bodies and our bodies react by itching.

For example: People I know who suffer from eczema have found having an enema has helped to reduce eczematic symptoms.

So I assume that my liver and kidney functions might not be processing toxins as well as they can. Some foods that produce toxins within us are not being removed as quickly as I would hope. However, this is only part of the picture. I'll be back to write more, but think I need to go for an enema first!

Regular Table Salt

My skin wants sun. The weather makes me eat more junk food. Hmmm. Eczema is creeping back onto the skin. Despite the regular moisturising, patches of skin appear as dried out. Sometimes I think I might have some other skin disorder whereby too much skin is being produced and hence the itchy dried out excess skin.

Under the eyes have decided to join in this year, so am bathing with regular table salt. This does seem to have a positive effect in acting as a exfoliation agent and reducing the amount of itching. So much so that I think my past usage of sea salt might have been a little bit of a placebo effect. It was expensive salt - so it had to work!!!

Perhaps I need to boost my vit D and do a couple of sunbed sessions or perhaps I need to do more observations.

Moisturisers, Emollients, Creams

When my skin was bad, I was using an emollient called Epaderm 5-6 times a day and continuously through the night as I pawed/clawed my skin. If I let anyone put something on my skin such as the sports physio, I get them to use Emulsifying Ointment. Both of these seem to not irritate the skin. I learnt my lesson when I allowed the sports physio to apply a so called "neutral" compound on me. It reacted and as the day progressed the itch became aggressive and soon eczema was all over my skin :o(

The emollients that I used seemed to do nothing so my GP recommended I try Epaderm. This seemed better, however didn't feel like it softened my skin. Instead it felt like it "sat" on my skin, acting more like a barrier cream. When the rash subsided, the skin texture was poor. I found that having rough patches on my skin caused me to scratch.....just because it annoyed me! I decided to be brave and tried out different commercial oils/creams such as:
- coconut oil bought from the supermarket

- some swiss brand don't remember what it is called

- Dove, Garnier for super dry skin, whatever feels okay on my skin

I have settled on using a placenta cream that a friend bought for me from Australia and Dove as both make my skin feel soft after application (and I had thick leathery skin). After applying the moisturiser, I overlay it with Epaderm to keep the moisturiser in for longer. I have now been doing this for 7 months, watching my skin slowly heal and it all seems to be working well. However the effects of sun might also be in play here. Will just have to see if this is still the same over the winter months.

Note 1: One of the clinical treatments of eczema is to use cortesoid cream and wrap with cling film in severe cases.......my cling film is Epaderm! My skin dislikes being hot so I don't use the cling film method!

Note 2: There are still skin texture differences especially in areas that I have scratched for over 20 years but I am gradually seeing it heal and experiencing increasingly long periods of zero itching. I contribute this to having made a number of lifestyle changes by observing when I scratched and the times when hives appeared on my skin.

Note 3: I did use a steroid cream for a short period in desperation. It did provide temporary relief, however got hit by shingles and had to stop usage. Then the eczema flared up badly once again. As far as I am concerned steroid creams are rubbish!

New Skin: Keeping the Itch at Bay

Gosh it has been awhile and I have been mostly itch free.

Having scratched the skin very little, it is amazing how smooth and soft it feels! I'm so not used to it, I keep having a little skin stroke every now and then! LOL. Still important to keep alert. The skin texture is still not normal from the years of scratching. I am willing it to be normal.

Contributing factors to easing the itch.

1. Being observant about how your own body reacts to environmental factors (see previous posts). This is really important for a long term approach to healing yourself. I am a "happy go lucky" type of person and seemingly "unstressed". However:

• Lack of sleep doesn't allow my body to heal (see previous post about The Sleepless Itch) and causes a stress that comes out as an itch.

• Poor nutrition. Like many out there, I like junk food. However this creates a stress on the liver and it is interesting that many eczema sufferers have found going on a detox for any period of time or a "body clean out" helps improve their skin. Rather than just go on a detox, I decided to change my diet (and hopefully forever) and reduce the saturated fat I take. Out with the biscuits, crisps and cake - except when visiting other people! My diet has a lot of fresh vegetables and fruit, more so now in summer as I grow my own vegetables. My skin tells me when I've been eating rich foods by itching when I exercise. I have been able to sweat without itching. I have not had that feeling in a very very very long time.

2. Doing something when the itch is triggered - just don't leave it and hope it goes away. That aggressive itch doesn't just go away. My defence has come about from my observations and varies according to the body part.

First Step:
a) If it is my eyes - I wash the eyes, if that doesn't help then I I force myself to rest
b) If it is my neck - I drink at least 500ml of water
c) If it is my face, arms or legs because I've been dealing with something dusty - then I have a wash and cream down
d) If it is because my skin feels dry - I cream down

e) If it is late, I go to bed.

These normally will ease the itch symptoms for me. However I still need to be aware that I can still scratch areas because the itch sensation is still there.

Second Step
Keep your hands and mind occupied. I will do the house keeping, gardening, wash dishes, anything to keep my hands and mind occupied. This normally does the trick of easing the itch symptoms.

Night Step
If I am itchy at night in bed, I will first try to ignore the itch for 1/2 an hour and keep the blankets off me so that my skin feels cool. If that does not work, then I will take an anti-histamine. I hate anti-histamines because they make me feel sluggish in the morning.

3. Cream cream cream. Keep moisturised! The skin will always be prone to eczema so I cream constantly and amazed at how much the skin needs! I now use moisturisers that make my skin feel soft. I used to avoid them because some have a stingy feeling and can make the eczema worst. However I have found applying them when am not itchy has helped me find creams that I can apply and that will make my skin feel softer so that I am not unconsciously scrapping off the dry skin and causing the eczema itch scratch cycle.

I hope these posts help someone else out there :o)

My Skin Hates Dust and Dairy

Putting on a cotton t-shirt, my skin felt discomfort and then began to tingle. I was okay before the t-shirt and now the skin feels itchy. I begin to scratch. I take off the t-shirt and after a little control, the itching subsides. I put on a fresh cotton t-shirt and the skin was happy.

I can only put this down to dust mites in my t-shirts that have either brushed along a dusty surface or due to my skin flakes inside the t-shirt.

My skin loves clean hotel rooms. When I return to my room after a week of very little itching, I itch. I can only think dusty bedding and have to change to fresh linen and vacuum the room.

Had a sudden change of diet to one consisting of more cheese whilst in Italy. The skin was itchy despite the sun and clean room. Returned back to my normal salads and the skin now seems to be expelling bad stuff in my body via boils on the torso and limbs. However at least it is less itchy.

The traumas of having bad skin.....sigh

Skin Improvements

My skin tone and quality has improved leaps and bounds with the summer sun and a change in diet and lifestyle. I eat a lot more fresh salad and greens produced from the garden.

The inner body is feeling better and so I suspect has a role in both physically and psychologically making the outer body feel better.

People who want to lose weight need to do more about their lifestyle than just eat less or take a pill. A long term weight control means understanding what is causing the weight gain and then modifying ones lifestyle accordingly forever.

I feel this is just like eczema. We want a magic cream and a pill to make it all better. However I have learnt that eczema also means making lifestyle modifications in order to get better. More sleep, more water, better diet. However, I still find myself taking an antihistamine a couple of times a month, just before my period, to ensure sleep and a reduction of hives.

NOW I feel now that I can start applying the cortesone cream as the itchy skin is under control. Why apply the cortesone cream? This is to burn off the bad skin and to premote healing before the winter months are upon us. However, I am first considering using exfoliation products to remove the bad skin.

Predominate Causes of Itchiness

Darkness and Light

Having spoken about the effects of the sun, I tried to take vitamin D throughout the rest of winter. Did not find much effect and wonder if like a plant there is an amount of "like" photosynthesis of a version of vitamin D happening within the body that is not the same as the vitamin D tablets taken.

With the warmer temperatures have been sunning body. Spoke to doc about the use of a sun bed during winter and was warmed about skin cancer. Everything needs a balance. She suggested maybe once or twice a week. Perhaps just going away to somewhere warm is the best treatment!

Dust and Animal Hair and Clean Air

Visited a friend in Iqaluit and was itchy for the first 2 days until I swept and dusted her house. Skin settled down and have been sweeping her house everyday as she has a fantastic chocolate labrador. The dog is wonderful, but shedding hair all over the place. Also was very tired after traveling and not sleeping properly for a couple of days. I wonder if this was the other cause of me feeling non-stop itchy for the next 2 days until I took an anti-histamine to control the itch (really hate the anti-histamine). The clean air in Iqaluit has made me sleep really well and so over the next couple of days have been thankfully itching less.

Current Position

Having had some healing time, the eczema slowly creeps back. The skin was nearly healed, having had a long break in a sunny tropical climate. Now back in the UK, I find myself scratching more and more often as I sleep. Grrr!

Currently:

• drinking a teaspoon of tumeric in the morning becos I heard it is a good anti-inflamatory
• eating one 1000mg tablet of Cod Liver Oil for bones and vit D. My theory is that as my skin reacts positively to sunlight, perhaps this is due to the higher manufacture of vitamin D.

Am contemplating having an oatmeal bath combined with sea salt as my cousin is swearing by it. Got to top up on sea salt. Still on my list of "To Dos" is to do a detox. Unfortunately this gets in the way of training as don't want to lose weight. Perhaps I will wait until after the marathon on the 26th April.....hmmmm

The Environmental Itch

I wonder if the chemicals we pollute our air with have caused more people in the Western world to suffer from more ailments. We see an increase in sensitivities such as with eczema and asthma.

With respect to eczema, I notice that either external factors or internal factors can make me itch.

Food

Yesterday I ate a piece of lotus seed cake. The reaction was very quick. The left hand side of me began to niggle and then the itch soon became intense. So intense that if I did not do something about it, I would have gouged out my eye and dug holes into my skin.

Antihistamine time plus 1 litre of water to dilute whatever toxin was trying to come out plus a cold pack on the itchy areas. I also lay down to calm myself and by the time the itch was over, my head was heavy due to the effects of the antihistamine but at least the itch attack was over.

One reader has reminded me about Liver Detox and I think I will need to schedule this in at some point. Presently I have also been having boils appear all over the body. I thought it might have been shingles but they have been appearing quite dispersed throughout which makes me think my liver and kidney functions are not efficiently removing the toxins my body holds from eating junk food throughout the Christmas period.

For me some foods are fast reacting - the body has an almost immediate response to something it does not like, such as the lotus bean cake, or even MSG (monosodium glutamate) or cherries for me. Others release their toxins slowly as the body breaks down the foods into their respective components.

External Factors

In a dusty environment we all have different reactions. Some will complain about the dust but no reaction happens to them, others will find their eyes streaming and sneeze constantly. When I contact with dust, my skin becomes inflamed and hives appear. Scratch it and I risk:

- infecting my skin

- eczema

Sometimes I can do something about it. This is mostly to wash off the offending substance from my skin immediately and of course not scratch. Other times it is difficult to do anything about it.

Have been in a tropical humid climate for 5 weeks. The first two weeks was terrible. I was flaking, my body was adjusting to the climate change and occasionally no choice but to eat an antihistamine.  Now the skin quality has improved so much and much healing has happened to allow the skin to gain back its protective qualities. However being in airconditioned rooms has a drying effect on me and thus the skin feels irritated unless I am constant apply moisturisers.

In the UK, the heating also sucks up the moisture from my skin. The lack of water vapour in both cases causes itchiness unless moisturisers are constantly applied.

In all cases it is important to keep an awareness of how one's body is reacting to external/internal substances and to do something about it immediately.  Leave it and the substance can have a long lasting effect. 

I had a sports massage in January 2008 and the oils that were applied caused me to feel itchy. I had other things to do, so continued my tasks until 4 hours later. I was really itchy. I tried washing the oils off but my body must have absorbed it by then. I suffered from an all over body eczema and am still healing from it now.