Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Nickel allergy
I mentioned an infant with horrible skin irritation awhile ago and I just want to post an update. It is looking like it's a nickel allergy. My friend asked me to hit the internet and do some research and what I discovered is that, while contact dermatitis from nickel (earrings, fake jewelry, etc) is not uncommon, a small percentage of people are actually allergic to ingested nickel as well. Things grown in the ground tend to be higher in nickel than animal products. AthenaAllergy.com is a great resource for anyone suffering with nickel allergy.
Trying to keep the faith
My face has been a mess for a while now, though it is improving slowly once again. I think I've pinpointed a few things--the Barlean's Essential Woman supplement is essential, stress is a huge factor, and fake nails help. I am now fighting off an illness, which always means my skin takes a hit...so I am itchy. My husband actually urged me to go to a dermatologist and get on topicals and antibiotics again. His reasoning is that every time I get cleared up I get another flare. I had to explain to him that that is the nature of skin issues. Even when I followed doctors' advice I had the same recurrent pattern--it's a sad fact of life for me. But at least doing it my way I don't have the nasty side effects of the medical stuff.
Stress has become overwhelming for me lately. I finally broke down and went to the doctor, which resulted in me going on antidepressants long term. I'm hoping that will help me out enough to enable my skin to clear and maybe even help me lose weight. It's been less than a week so I'm still waiting for the full effects of the medicine but I do seem to be feeling a little better already.
I think a big part of the solution for me before was the Barlean's oil supplement. The first little breakouts started when I got less careful about taking it. I have gotten to the point that I can't swallow the stuff without gagging--the raspberry is just too much for me. I did find a capsule version of the same thing that I will pick up today and start on. My PMS has been GONE. No mood swings, no nothing. I know that's a direct result of the supplement. It also made a huge difference for my skin so I'm looking forward to getting back on it.
Overall, I understand that my solutions haven't been perfect and I'm still learning the ropes, but I feel better and have been looking better so I think I'm going the right direction with all of this. I can only hope that one day I will find the right combination to be able to live in peace and harmony with my skin. : ) Until then I will continue to stare with longing at women with flawless skin. Sigh.
Stress has become overwhelming for me lately. I finally broke down and went to the doctor, which resulted in me going on antidepressants long term. I'm hoping that will help me out enough to enable my skin to clear and maybe even help me lose weight. It's been less than a week so I'm still waiting for the full effects of the medicine but I do seem to be feeling a little better already.
I think a big part of the solution for me before was the Barlean's oil supplement. The first little breakouts started when I got less careful about taking it. I have gotten to the point that I can't swallow the stuff without gagging--the raspberry is just too much for me. I did find a capsule version of the same thing that I will pick up today and start on. My PMS has been GONE. No mood swings, no nothing. I know that's a direct result of the supplement. It also made a huge difference for my skin so I'm looking forward to getting back on it.
Overall, I understand that my solutions haven't been perfect and I'm still learning the ropes, but I feel better and have been looking better so I think I'm going the right direction with all of this. I can only hope that one day I will find the right combination to be able to live in peace and harmony with my skin. : ) Until then I will continue to stare with longing at women with flawless skin. Sigh.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
What am I doing wrong?!
I'm horribly broken out but it's not pimples, it's the bumpy, lumpy eczema stuff and it's itching like crazy!!! I haven't had dairy but I'm broken out across my forehead. My cheeks are also on fire with it, which makes sense for stress-related breakout. This week has been really rough. Really rough. I had the basics figured out but now I'm stumped about how to curb the stress-related eczema. I hate going to work and talking to people all day with my face all red and lumpy. The burning and itching are too much to ignore. Ugh. I guess the only thing I can try is attempting to relax at night. But that's hard to do with laundry and mess staring me in the face at home. I need more hours in the day.
On the upside, I have learned to like cheese-less pizza. So at least now I can grab a quick lunch at the pizza buffet without hurting myself. And their brownies are dairy-free so that's a plus.
I guess I'll also mention something new I've learned about recently. A friend mentioned that the pH of eczema skin might be different than that of normal skin so I set to researching. What I learned is that eczema skin is much more acidic than normal. So I'm supposed to eat a diet rich in alkaline foods. I'm also drawing the conclusion that skin products with a higher pH would be beneficial to help balance the acidity. So I've gone back to my black soap cleanser. It seemed to do the trick until this week and the mega-stress.
I still haven't been consistent with the spider vein creams so I still have nothing to report. Until next time, I'll be here scratching (or trying not to!).
On the upside, I have learned to like cheese-less pizza. So at least now I can grab a quick lunch at the pizza buffet without hurting myself. And their brownies are dairy-free so that's a plus.
I guess I'll also mention something new I've learned about recently. A friend mentioned that the pH of eczema skin might be different than that of normal skin so I set to researching. What I learned is that eczema skin is much more acidic than normal. So I'm supposed to eat a diet rich in alkaline foods. I'm also drawing the conclusion that skin products with a higher pH would be beneficial to help balance the acidity. So I've gone back to my black soap cleanser. It seemed to do the trick until this week and the mega-stress.
I still haven't been consistent with the spider vein creams so I still have nothing to report. Until next time, I'll be here scratching (or trying not to!).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)