The GOOD:
Hands are much better. If they become cracked I have found that wearing vinyl gloves for the night (without any moisturizer) will quickly calm them down.
The BAD:
I have been on phototherapy for 2 weeks and was really hopeful it would make a difference. Nothing yet. I am thinking that it will just take a bit more time. I started out a a very low dose (20 seconds) and am increasing the dose by 15% each time. I have yet to get to a point where I show signs of turning red, and my understanding is that I need to be at or close to that point for positive effects to show up. Onward.
My legs and feet continue to be the worst, with insane itching and pain after I give in and scratch.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say that for me it took a month before I could see a difference with the phototherapy! I started with 30 seconds and increased with 5 secs every time. Better to do it slow I think :) good luck!
That is so good to hear Jo. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSince I can't do anything about your itching, I'm going to focus on the positive...
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hear that your hands are doing better. Hopefully its a sign of things to come.
Thank you Rowan. I'm trying the "positive vibe" thing. It's good that I can go back on this blog and realize I really have gotten better in many regards.
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ReplyDeletePleased to hear that your hands are feeling better . You can see from your picture that your hands are a problem . My hands were very similar and are still a problem at 17 and a bit months in but they are loads better than what they used to be . The gloves thing is a great idea and i used the same method , It does help . Hope the light therapy begins to help soon .
ReplyDeleteCheers
Thanks John! I assume my hands will be the very last to heal (if they ever do) as that is where my eczema started and I use my hands a lot. If I can get things to where they were before doing TSW I'll be a happy camper.
DeleteHI Dave, wearing vinyl gloves at night is a poor choice. Your skin needs to "breathe". I've spent many a night wearing clean white 100% cotton gloves but would never ever wear vinyl gloves directly on my skin for longer than a few minutes at a time. I now try to avoid wearing even those at night as I have found over time that my hands heal better if I don't. If I have any open skin breaks I will wear them at all times during the day to protect from dirt. If I need to put my hands in water I put the vinyl gloves on over the cotton gloves.
ReplyDeleteDoing dss baths should help you tremendously if you've stopped moisturizing. I hope you are doing them. I'm always available to pick my brain if needed, still.
Phototherapy takes several weeks to show improvement if it works at all. I have a small handheld unit that I use sometimes but haven't noticed any benefit from it so I'm taking advantage of the sun every chance I get instead. I wouldn't give up on the phototherapy, just don't expect fast results. Still wishing you the best my friend.
Thanks Dan. I agree with you about the vinyl gloves. After wearing them for several nights it has helped the cracking but my skin seems thinner and more fragile. I am going to use cotton gloves instead. I seem to recall you posted a cotton glove recommendation on Amazon. Do you recall?
ReplyDeleteI am not taking DSS baths merely because I am not taking baths at all. They were once essential and I was taking several per day, including using DSS (and Epsom, and ACV, and bleach). I don’t think the baths helped my skin any physically but helped the temperature control and itching. I'm thinking now the less water the better, so a quick daily shower is it for me. I moisturize after the shower but very lightly in selected areas to basically replenish the oils I have stripped off. At least that's the theory, and in any case I am getting better. I am using Vaseline brand specifically, as cheap brands may contain contaminates that are more harm than good.
The jury is still out on phototherapy, but I have only done it for 3 weeks. I started out only 20 seconds per side and am increasing that 15% each of the 3 times per week. Last time was for 60 seconds per side. I have yet to reach the point where I see any redness, so I am thinking I am pretty tolerant of UVB and it may require larger doses to have any effect on me. I am still hopeful about it and I am starting to think it may be having a positive effect, but it’s probably only the placebo effect at this point!
Hi Dave, I've purchased two of these so far and and extremely happy with them. I like to have plenty so I can change my gloves several times during the day whenever they get wet or dirty which is many times per day. Having a lot cuts down on how frequent I have to wash them. Be sure to wash using a mild or no detergent and add a few drops of tea tree oil to the water. And, wash on a double rinse hot cycle so they come out extremely clean with no chemical residue. Dry on medium to hot heat in dryer. See "Magid TouchMaster Cotton Glove, Men's Jumbo (Pack of 60 Pairs)"
DeleteSold by Amazon.com LLC on Amazon for $22.79. You should find them by using this title in their search box. Let me know if you can't locate them.
Anytime I have any broken skin on my hands I wear these all day long and take them off when I go to bed. When I need to get my hands wet for washing dishes or whatever I place vinyl gloves over them but find my hands will sweat if left on for too long so just do it when necessary for short durations. I buy these on eBay. See item number 130603214676. I go through about 4-5 pairs of these a day and never get water on my hands other than when in my dss baths. Again, always use the x-large size on these as well. They need to be to fit over the cotton gloves, although the cotton gloves are extremely thin. Something I really like. I first tried Cara brand cotton gloves but they are thick and uncomfortable.
Multiple baths per day is too much. I'm glad you aren't doing that now. Maybe down the road when you get things in better condition you can give MW another shot. It's much easier when your skin isn't as bad as it was before. I know that putting a thin layer of Vaseline on and wiping it off can be beneficial short term. When you wipe it off it still leaves enough on. I got lucky and got a full hour in the sun yesterday and there is more on the way! have to take advantage of it as when the rains set in they won't stop here until about the end of June.
Thanks Dan! Oh man, I am ready for the sun! It's one of the advantages of living in Texas, although it's been a pretty cold and dreary winter. I used to hardly ever get cold, but now I have a terrible intolerance to it. I don't kow if that is permanent
DeleteYou're welcome Dave. I forgot to say, I have worn the cotton gloves overnight in bed many times and that's fine too. I normally only wear them in bed if I have skin breaks or oozing spots and will slather my hands in witch hazel, allow them to dry for a minute, but not completely dry, and put the gloves on and press against my skin so they stick. They stick to my oozing spots and when I wake up the gloves are stuck but the spots are dry and healed. It doesn't take much to unstick the gloves without tearing the scabs off. Currently I don't need to wear them at night but occasionally have to touch up a spot or two with water diluted tto, which works great if not flaring. Try to get as much sun exposure as possible without sunburning. There is no better healer!
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