Stress!!!!

Stress can be murder on the skin, apparently.  And I have also been reminded that I do not have all the answers.  Not even close.  I thought I had things figured out but I was oh so wrong.  : (

My life has been extra stressful lately, which affected my immune system, which allowed my asthma, allergies, and eczema to go nuts.  My forehead has a huge patch of bumpy eczema, my nose swelled up with another patch, my face is oily, my scalp is scaly, and I'm having mild asthma attacks.  I'm back on Zyrtec, I've switched shampoo/conditioner, I've gone back to basics with face products, and I've got fake nails.  The zyrtec seems to be helping the eczema and my asthma so that's good.

I had noticed with my scalp that it was acting more like my other eczema patches than it's usual seborrhea so I decided to approach it the same way.  I found a sulfate-free moisturizing set of shampoo and conditioner.  It's definitely more soothing and the flakes are disappearing.  Still some itching, though.  I think the tea tree oil and other treatments were actually irritating my scalp for some reason.

For my face, I'm having to ignore the aesthetician's advice.  I was doing what she suggested at my last facial but that seems to be too irritating, at least for right now.  She had told me that the pH of my black soap facial wash was too high so I quit using it but now I'm back to it because it works.  I'm also back to straight aloe gel as a toner since it helps clear up the bumpy eczema and tone down the redness.  I'm not sure what to do about the oiliness but I do recall that during flare ups in the past this has been a problem so I'm hoping it will go away when the eczema does.

The fake nails are my last ditch effort to stop picking!  Picking at my scalp, face, etc is not helping and it's a compulsive thing that I have not been able to control through will-power alone.  A friend had suggested doing it awhile back, saying that the fake nails don't do as much damage when you scratch.  I have nice nails on my own so I kind of hated to get fake ones but it seems to be helping so far.  Maybe a few months of acrylics will break the habit.  (I hope, I hope!) Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Nothing to report on the spider veins yet.  I took "before" pictures but I have yet to be consistent about applying the lotions so I'm not going to post anything until I can get that together.

I'm still on the non-dairy wagon, thank goodness!  I have found dairy-free sour cream and cream cheese, both of which are totally edible!  My gastronomical world has grown and for that I am thankful.  Yay for Tofutti!  Oh and I have to add that we went to Cici's Pizza yesterday because the boys requested it and I did NOT cave!  I ordered a cheese-less pizza and had salad, pasta, and brownies.  I double-checked with the manager to be sure the brownies were safe but it turns out the pasta sauce has a small amount of dairy (doh!  I didn't even think about that possibility when I ate it!).  I'm not counting that as a slip-up, though, since I didn't do it on purpose.

Now if I could just find a cure for stress...

Why is this so hard?!

I did it again.  I fell off the dairy-free wagon and hit a few slices of pizza and some string cheese.  At first I thought I'd gotten away with it.  Started thinking maybe I was wrong about the allergy.  And then the eczema flared.  I have 2 huge lumpy, blistery patches on my cheeks and scaly patches forming on my neck and forehead.  This no dairy thing is just so difficult!  It's so hard to watch everyone around me enjoying mac'n'cheese or chips and dip and know that I can't have it.  There are some things I can get substitutes for and be just fine but cheese is cheese.  The cheese substitutes do nothing but remind me how much I miss cheese.  ((sigh))  I really need a support group!

As for clearing up the eczema, I'm going extra gentle on my face.  Probably time to pull out the oat powder to ease the inflammation.  I also have a facial scheduled on Saturday to get some relief.  It's with the same aesthetician who was so wonderful last time and helped so greatly.  I'm really hoping she is able to ease the redness.  At least people aren't bold enough to point out how awful I'm looking and just stick to commenting when I look better.

As for my pet project, diminishing my spider veins, I have ordered 2 products, which could be here as soon as tomorrow, and I will be posting progress reports with pictures.  I will apply the products side by side on the same set of spider veins to get a good feel for which one is more effective.  I found a few new spots on my legs last night so I am mighty anxious to get this going!

New Project

I have decided to tackle another skin-related issue...spider veins.  I started developing spider veins around age 18.  I also started taking birth control then and found out just a year ago that birth control pills can cause spider veins.  Between that and 2 pregnancies my legs look like a road map.  I can't afford laser treatment so I did research on a natural treatment.  I found a whole list of herbal supplements and ideas but the one that was most touted by all sources was the external application of vitamin K.  Now I am looking for a vitamin K cream to try. So many choices and all of them have both great reviews and horrible reviews.  So hard to choose!  I guess I'll keep researching until I find one that looks reasonably promising.  If anyone knows firsthand of a good one, please let me know!  Once I start using something I will post a "before" picture and post "progress" pictures so if anyone is interested they can see the results (or lack thereof) themselves.  I just want to wear skirts and shorts without being embarrassed by my legs--I'm too young to have granny legs!

The Setback Continues...

Well, my skin issues are still flaring.  The little bumps I've always battled are back with a vengeance--arms, legs, and tummy.  My scalp has calmed a bit but is not where I was pre-virus and my eczema is getting annoying.  My face has broken out a bit, but a normal person breakout and not an OMG breakout. 

I also have a bonus issue--random large, painful, pimple-like eruptions.  I get them occasionally and they can pop up anywhere on my body.  They don't last long but they hurt like hell and they pop up like mushrooms.  Since they don't show up very often I've never figured out a pattern or a trigger.  I suppose it could be stress-related.  If anyone else gets these and has a theory I'm happy for suggestions.  Ugh.  I just need a skin transplant.

As far as my face goes, I think I'm going to try to get in for a facial.  The last time I went my skin improved a lot and the lady who did it suggested having facials regularly for maintenance.  Since her last advice and facial were so helpful she's probably right about maintenance facials, too.  It's expensive but I guess it's worth the money to have confidence in my face.  And clear skin means spending less on makeup, too! : )

I did make a boo-boo on my dairy-free diet, though.  Last friday I led a field trip to Cici's Pizza.  I held out until the end but finally caved and devoured a slice of pizza.  It was so good!  But my stomach has been upset with me for days.  Really, really angry, in fact.  So it seems that a little bit of milk cooked into a baked good every now and then I can handle, but cheese is my nemesis.  Why are all the yummiest foods made with milk?!  Let this stand as a reminder, Allison--DO NOT EAT CHEESE!  The consequences are not worth those few moments of heaven.

Break out the soapbox!

A situation was brought to my attention recently that has brought up a couple of things I'd like to talk about.  The situation involves an infant with a skin rash whose mother has been alternately dismissed and degraded by various pediatricians.  After much determination she is on the road to answers but still a ways from a solution.  Her experiences are what have induced me to drag out my soapbox. 

Please, please, please be an advocate for your health and the health of your children!  It's easy to fall into the trap of believing your doctor knows all but that can be dangerous.  Do your own research, ask questions, and don't agree to anything that makes you uncomfortable deep down.  A good doctor (of any variety) will listen to you and your concerns, not talk down to you and berate you if you question their advice.  And keep in mind their counsel is just that--advice.  If what a doctor tells you doesn't make sense then ask why he or she thinks that way.  I have been to doctors who tell me I have a virus and then hand me a prescription for antibiotics.  When I ask why (since antibiotics do nothing for viruses and can have harmful consequences) if they can't give me a reasonable explanation or if they get upset about it, I know to not take the medicine and start looking for a different doctor.  I have been to great doctors who listen to me and include me in the diagnosing process--have had conversations that are 2 way rather than a one-sided lecture--and that is a magnificent thing.  I don't like the patronizing and sugar-coating of many doctors.  There are so many resources out there to help you become an informed patient--use them!  : )  There's nothing wrong with getting a second opinion. 

Ok, stepping down from my soapbox now.  : )

The other thing I wanted to mention is some all-natural remedies that I learned about from a wonderfully knowlegdgeable employee at a local Whole Foods market.  Based on anecdotal evidence from customers and her own knowledge of homeopathic remedies, she recommended several products for kids with eczema or other skin problems.

B&T Florasone Cream: it's basically a homeopathic version of hydrocortisone cream but without the cortisone.  She said a bunch of parents swear by it.

Dead sea salts: they are great in a bath to help soothe and heal irritated skin

Calendula oil: there is a variety in a base of olive oil that is particularly moisturizing and soothing

Barlean's Omega Twin: I've recommended the Essential Woman variety but the Omega Twin has borage oil instead of Evening Primrose so it is not female specific.  She said borage oil is fabulous for eczema sufferers

Probiotics: since the skin is our first line of defense these can help boost the immune system and provide some relief and back up for our over-worked organ

***She also recommended tossing the Aquaphor that most of us parents have come to rely on for any skin irritation we see on a baby.  It is petroleum based and that is bad for the skin.  I know firsthand that petroleum-based products can be addictive (I had a vicious Lip Smackers addiction for years) but she pointed out that the Aquaphor is a great protectant but it doesn't let the skin breathe, therefore it cannot heal.  That certainly gave me something to think about!

So, for what it's worth, there is my 50 cents for the day.  ; )

Stomach virus = skin problems

Well, if there was any doubt in my mind that my skin is tied to my digestive system it is now gone.  I had a horrible stomach bug last weekend and was unable to take any of my supplements/vitamins.  I also basically didn't eat for 3 days.  My skin all over is a mess--not a bad one but a mess nonetheless.  The itching on my scalp reached epic proportions and I've got bumps everywhere and a breakout on my face.  It could definitely be worse but it shows the importance of what I eat. 

I have found that my scalp itches worse when my calcium drops. As soon as I could hold down food I started my calcium supplements back and the itching improved drastically.  I guess losing all the nutrients in my body while sick set me back.  More than ever, though, this shows me that it's more important what goes in my body than what I put on it.  All the scalp-soothing shampoo in the world wouldn't help until I started replenishing my nutrients internally. 

I have also noticed that my face has been much oilier since my illness.  My best guess is that I haven't yet recovered from the dehydration.  The oil supplement on it's own doesn't seem to be enough.  I am making a greater effort to hydrate myself in the hopes that it will make a difference.  Hmm...that's an interesting theory.  I had never noticed before but it would be interesting to note if my skin seems oilier whenever I don't drink enough water.  It makes since that a dehydrated system would lead to dry skin so I suppose that's why the experts say drinking lots of water is good for your skin.  I could never figure out that connection. 

Well, I'm off to get a bottle of water...

2 Things I learned over the weekend

1. I started having a lot of muscle pain last week so I googled calcium deficiency symptoms and, sure enough, there it was.  That's one of the down sides to eating dairy free.  One of the other symptoms was flaky skin so I wonder if that helps explain my scalp flaring up.  After taking my calcium supplements for a couple of days the muscle pain went away.  So I guess I just learned the hard way how important calcium is!  For anyone who is doing dairy-free and doesn't know, a nutritionist told me to take 600mg of calcium twice a day, but not with a multi-vitamin or anything containing iron or zinc, since they reduce the absorption of the calcium.

2. A friend of mine with a new baby told me about a remedy she read about somewhere for baby rashes.  It said to put breastmilk on the rash instead of a lotion or cream.  My friend did that with her daughter and saw dramatic change overnight!  What a simple and safe way to help baby's skin!