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Mon Jan 08, 2007 2:05 pm  |
*WARNING: If you are easily grossed out, you might want to just skip this thread*
I know there are a lot of posts already about eczema, but I need help with a very specific kind of it, so I thought I'd make a new post.
First, a little background on me: When I was a young girl I experienced a very severe case of eczema on my right foot, and I was afflicted for several years. The skin on my foot was cracked and itchy and all the other stuff that goes with tradtional eczema, but I was also plagued with hundreds of blisters. At any given time I had a hundred or so tiny blisters the size of a pinhead, and then 10 or so blisters the size of a nickel or quarter. The doctors I saw prescribed some creams, but other wise they couldn't help me much, so every evening I sterilized a needle, drained my larger blisters, soaked my foot in hot water and epsom salts, and then I would apply my creams, let me foot air out overnight, and then in the morning I would banadage my foot up (to keep the blisters from getting infected and from oozing into my shoes and socks) and go to school. This went on for a few years, and then, thank goodness, it cleared up on its own.
Unfortunately, it now seems to have returned, only on my hand. I have a derm. appt on Friday, but I thought I would also see if anyone else has had any success treating this kind of eczema. So far the patch on my hand is very small--- about the size of a quarter, with 10 or pinhead-sized blisters. However, the area seems to be growing and so I am feeling rather unnerved, to say the least. Any words of advice or wisdom? |
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27, sensitive/reactive/acne prone skin, dark brown hair, blue eyes, possibly the palest woman alive... |
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Mon Jan 08, 2007 2:17 pm |
| OMG, I'm sorry I can't offer that much advice, but I hope thing work out well and that your derm can prescribe something for you. I only have regular run-of the mill eczema on my arms in patches (just the usual scaly skin that is itchy and rough). I have NO idea if this will help, but I've been using a seaweed extract and it's helped tremendously with mine (can be bought from Markey at Garden of Wisdom for under $6 for 4oz, which is an insanely huge amount - under "Marine Ingredients")... however, I have no idea if it will help with your type of eczema at all or not. |
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Mon Jan 08, 2007 2:18 pm |
Hi, I had my first situation like that last year. It was at the base of both thumbs, developed very thick skin and cracked and bled. I posted the following on the skinactives board. As a follow-up, it hasn't come back. My derm prescribed a hydrocortisone cream that I didn't want to use.
"I developed some sort of eczema last winter on both thumbs where they cracked, split, etc. Dermatologist suggested that it was possible that anti-bacterial soap was the culprit, which of course I quit using.
Anyway, the only relief I've gotten has been with 50% Every Lipid Serum (ELS) and 50% Rosehip Seed Oil with a pinch of Green Tea Extract. I will add the caveat that it's summer and the "true" test will be when we hit the dry conditions of winter here."
Hope this helps.
Ari |
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Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, "Oh Crap, She's up!" Unknown |
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Mon Jan 08, 2007 5:47 pm |
Sorry to hear it's returned. 
I had eczema for years on my hands and feet (even on my face at times). For me, the triggers seem to be low thyroid and diet. I know 'they' say it isn't diet related, but wheat products or too much salt mean trouble for me. Since I've gotten my thyroid levels stabilized and started eating better I haven't had an outbreak -- it's been 5 years now!  |
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Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:45 pm |
Aww Liz, sorry to hear that!! I was cursed with adolescent eczema at age 13 up till I was 20, and it was literally hell. I would have it all over my legs and hands and they were blistering and itchy. The only thing that helped was strong prescription hydrocortisone cream, which thinned my skin a lot. I tried countless other therapies from tar soap to essential oils but only hydrocortisone cream helped. Fortunately I grew out of it but still get tiny patches when the seasons start to change and find that I have to load up on moisturizer (dermatologist recommended Moisturel), because dry skin really exacerbates the condition. Surely nothing you don't already know but just to tell you to hang in there!  Keep us updated, and don't scratch!! |
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Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:46 pm |
Hey Liz,
I dont have that form of excema but what I have found works best is to aviod sugar and coat the infected area with vaseline. Sugar will ALWAYS cause me flare ups and they are getting worse the older I get. Vaseline layered over a rich oil like Emu will help trap moisture in and keep germs/irritants out. I also take a supplement 3x daily, that is a mixture of Flax seed, borage and fish oil that makes a huge difference. I got it at Walmart for about 7 bucks. Anything that you can do to detox your liver is suppose to help immensely with excema, stress is also always a factor for flare ups.
The moisturizing lotion from Earth to Body is very soothing and rich, it helps patchs on my arms heal in days. |
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27~Texas~Oily~ fair~ breakout prone~ easily congested~Cysts caused by emotional stress~ Using Ayurvedic skin care and philosophy~ Dry brushing body and face~ On strict less is more routine~ We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars~ Oscar Wilde |
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Mon Jan 08, 2007 11:49 pm |
My sister suffered severe eczema all her life. It got particularly bad when she was pregnant. She went to the top dermatologist in the area and had to have both of her legs bandaged up from calf to thigh. The dr said she has nummular eczema and prescribed high % of steroid despite of the pregnancy.
She is still using her rx cream when it gets bad.
I also developed eczema a few days ago but mine don't itch at all. They just leave brown patches all over my back
Hope your derm can help you on Friday. |
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~~ super-sensitive, dry, dermatitis prone, rosacea/northern calif ~~ |
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Tue Jan 09, 2007 7:29 am |
| Wow, thanks for all this info, ladies! I will try to up the moisturizer and supplements, and also to cut back on the sugar--- couldn't hurt, right? I'll keep you guys updated and let you know what my docto suggests--- you guys are awesome! |
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27, sensitive/reactive/acne prone skin, dark brown hair, blue eyes, possibly the palest woman alive... |
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Tue Jan 09, 2007 4:06 pm |
My 6 year old nephew has eczema on his feet that can get quite bad. What works for him is emu oil. When his skin is really irritated, his mom applies a thick layer of diaper rash cream (it's high in zinc) which relieves the pain and itching immediately.
You may also want to look into infrared sauna; it's supposed to be great for eczema and other skin conditions. |
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Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:44 pm |
I remember a case study in my aromatherapy class that dealt with severe eczema. One of the students had a friend that had terribly severe eczema all over her body and to make matters worse, the poor girl worked at a sawmill and was constantly covered in shavings, woodchips and sawdust which only aggravated her condition moreso. One day in class we gave her a rosehip treatment. We massaged her entire body with rosehip oil and wrapped her in large plastic garbage bags for about an hour to let it absorb. My co-student continued to give her friend this treatment for about 2 weeks and she said that at the end of this cycle she looked like she had grown an entirely new body. Her skin lost most of the flaking and chapped areas and was actually soft to the touch in most areas. Of course this was a treatment that needed to be continued periodically given that the eczema covered her ENTIRE body from head to toe, but it gave her such hope that she was finally able to smile again. She was no longer embarassed to go out in public and it really helped her self esteem. An added bonus was she would not be returning to the sawmill and was moving out west to the BC so she would be able to stay away from a job that made her condition much worse. I would suggest trying this rosehip treament for yourself. If your eczema is less severe than the case above, you may also want to add a drop or two of organic or wildcrafted Roman Chamomile and German Chamomile Oils as they will help with the redness and inflammation and will also help soothe the itchiness.
Another factor you need to consider as well is your diet. Stay away from processed foods and foods high in sugar as also try to avoid or reduce your dairy and gluten intake.
There are lots of natural ways to help eczema without having to turn to to steroidal creams which will wreak havoc on your health in other ways so I owuld suggest going that route first. All too often people turn to alternative/natural methods after having tried everything else first. Save yourself the time, money and headaches and try the natural route first. I promise you you'll be happy you did.
Best of luck to you. |
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Global Butterfly & Certified Aromatherapist/Holisitc Therapist with a passion for travel and natural health. |
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Tue Jan 09, 2007 9:28 pm |
| Thank you all for your ideas and input! The diaper rash cream is a really good idea--- it seems like I've heard that somewhere else too. Burt's Bees makes one with ingredients that I like, so I'll definitely try it out. and wildflower, I'm SO glad you chimed in--- I was definitely looking for a more holistic way to treat it instead or resorting to cortisone creams, etc. Thank you for all the information! |
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27, sensitive/reactive/acne prone skin, dark brown hair, blue eyes, possibly the palest woman alive... |
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Tue Jan 09, 2007 10:37 pm |
| Liz, so sorry to hear about your eczema problem. I don't have this problem, but just want to show moral support. I used to have tiny bumps on my arms but they went away. I bought Skin Zinc for them, and my doctor prescribed Triamcinolone, which is steroidal type cream. I hope your doctor can give you some good meds to clear it up. Please keep us posted. |
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havana8
Moderator
 
Joined: 09 Sep 2005
Posts: 3451
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Tue Jan 09, 2007 10:52 pm |
so sorry to hear that manslayerliz... excema really sucks. in the last one or two months i have tried DH Rejuvenating Masque (I sound like a broken record!) on mine but as a cream not a masque and it really seems to help--it doesn't totally get rid of it but the scaling and the redness do subside and it feels less painful. I don't know it if will work for you but you never know. I've also found that the Baby Q really helps me. I think Cesce also mentioned it helps her excema too. I think this is the link:
http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?p=195837&highlight=#195837 |
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Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:34 am |
Hi there, so sorry to hear of your eczema, my daughter had it from 3 months old.We have tried everything to no avail, she seems to have grown out of it at 36 and just gets the occasional flare up now, when stressed (or too much alcohol).She did use hydrocortisone for many years which has made her skin very thin, but it seemed to be the only thing that gave her any relief.
Good luck |
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Wed Jan 10, 2007 6:51 am |
hey manslayerliz,
I had a customer who swore that a daily dose of ground flaxseed in a smoothie cured her skin problems. I guess flaxseed oil would also help. I also have another friend who swears by fish oil - I can't remember the type tho! |
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Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:01 pm |
| manslayerliz wrote: |
| Thank you all for your ideas and input! The diaper rash cream is a really good idea--- it seems like I've heard that somewhere else too. Burt's Bees makes one with ingredients that I like, so I'll definitely try it out. and wildflower, I'm SO glad you chimed in--- I was definitely looking for a more holistic way to treat it instead or resorting to cortisone creams, etc. Thank you for all the information! |
I'm glad I could help! Just thought of two other natural rememdies. The first one greatly helped an old coworker of mine. She used to get these really itchy eczema patches on her belly. Not very large patches but itchy enough to drive her crazy. She found Calendula cream to be a life saver. It soothed the itchiness and helped with the chafing and redness. She also used to use calendula capsules; she would break them open and massage the oil onto the area. I beleive it is fairly easy to find Calendula Oil in health food stores nowadays. For creams I would recommend Weleda or Jurlique as they both make really nice ones.
You might also want to consider taking some essential fatty oil supplements like Evening Primrose Oil and such to help improve cell regeneration and healthy skin growth. |
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Global Butterfly & Certified Aromatherapist/Holisitc Therapist with a passion for travel and natural health. |
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Wed Jan 10, 2007 10:00 pm |
Sorry to hear your eczema has returned. I don't have that type but the itching and inflammation from my hand eczema is often helped by Jurlique Calendula cream. I've also tried the Weleda but that wasn't very effective.
There's a lady who posts on the Garden of Wisdom forum who has eczema on her feet that sounds very similar to yours. Big blisters, intense itching... she claimed emu oil seemed to help. Good luck with your derm appt. |
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Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:36 pm |
| Ok, so I've got an update: the other day my husband was at judo practice, and his classmate's wife had some kind of covering over her hand. He asked her what it was, and she said that along with cortisone shots, it's her treatment for hand eczema. Well, that kind of freaked me out since a cortisone shot is the last thing I want! So I went ahead and canceled my derm appt--- I decided that I'm going to try healing it naturally for 2 weeks, and if it's not better after 2 weeks I'll go to the derm. I plan to get some rosehip oil and flaxseed, and in the meantime I've been treating it with Beauty Without Cruelty's Maximum Moisture Cream, Naturdermx, and Carekate's Herbal Salve, and actually it's already SLIGHTLY better, so I'm optimistic! |
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27, sensitive/reactive/acne prone skin, dark brown hair, blue eyes, possibly the palest woman alive... |
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Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:12 am |
IMO you really don't want to go down the steroids road.
I had it for years, finally got to see a specialist and it had disappeared. I kept my appointment as I wanted to talk to the doctor but I felt such a fraud! All I'd done was change my diet, to a low fat healthy one with very little wheat.
I do get occasional small flare ups but I find that Jurliques Calendula cream helps. |
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Sat Jan 20, 2007 2:26 am |
Although not marketed for eczema, I have used Garden Botanika shower gels and lotions for years with great results.
While the products do not help to get rid of the eczema they have helped me to control it.
I have tried all sorts of shower gels, bar cleansers, lotions and oils and have never had the positive results on my body skin as I do with Garden Botanika.
I hope that you can get your issue under control, and fast!
I would also suggest that you consider taking a wander over to http://wholehealthmd.com and check out their supplement suggestions for skin health. They go over the supplemental information in detail and are my favorite resource for natural care.
Take care.
Bosoxy. |
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*****My 5 Star Rave***** Just loving everything about ICE ELEMENTS!!! You HAVE to try the 2 minute miracle exfoliating gel... It is to die for! |
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Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:16 pm |
| Hey Liz, just checking in your eczema. How is your hand doing now? What do you think helped the most? |
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Wed Jan 24, 2007 2:34 pm |
yikes, eczema!
Liz, have you ever heard of living nature? The woman Suzanne who owns the company developed the line initially for eczema-prone skin, and it is built around the ingredient of manuka honey (a more potent relative of melaleuca, otherwise known as tea tree), which is a powerful anti-bacterial, antiseptic humectant.
They have this product:
SOOTHING EVENING PRIMROSE & MANUKA HONEY GEL
For All Skin Types
With evening primrose, flax and manuka honey. To nourish the skin. A wonderful blend of evening primrose oil and manuka honey in soothing flax gel base.
Soothing Evening Primrose & Manuka Honey Gel
To Use
Apply daily to problem and eczema prone areas. Can be used as a moisturiser for combination skin
Aqua (water), phormium tenax (flax gel), oenothera biennis (evening primrose oil), leptospernum scoparium mel (manuka honey), tocopherol (vitamin E), citrus dulcis (orange oil), leptospernum scoparium (manuka oil), styrax benzoin (plant gum benzoin).
I hope you are feeling better, and you remind me that it is good to have this kind of product around just in case...
--avalange |
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http://newnaturalbeauty.tumblr.com/ 37, light-toned olive skin, broken caps, normal skin. My staples: Osea cleansing milk, Algae Oil, Advanced Protection Cream, Eyes & Lips, Tata Harper, Julie Hewett makeup, Amazing Cosmetics Powder, & By Terry Light Expert, Burnout, and daily inversion therapy and green smoothies! |
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Wed Jan 24, 2007 3:17 pm |
| Looks delish! Avalange, where can I get this from? Also, since it's a gel, I wonder how it fares in the moisturizing department... |
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Wed Jan 24, 2007 4:20 pm |
Hi dollbird,
Where are you located?
Suzanne has a websitewww.livingnature.com. I recommend all of hre products, no joke! I used to use most of them, trading off with osea. The enzyme peels are wonderful, the oils are excellent, and the enzymatic cleansers are effective and leave the skin glowing. Her flax gels are wonderful, too, if you are indeed looking for a gel type moisturizer. This particular product is a treatment moisturizer for problem areas or sensitive skin, i believe--but I'm sure you could use it as a daily one. If I remember, it is a little bit sticky. I am allergic to bees, and I put this on a bee sting, and it didn;t swell for the first time in my life! Also nice for blemishes.
www.livingnature.com is in NZ; I don't know about shipping.
I've ordered fromwww.squeakymonroe.com, I highly recommend their website, since their customer service is bar-none. They are in the US.
--avalange |
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http://newnaturalbeauty.tumblr.com/ 37, light-toned olive skin, broken caps, normal skin. My staples: Osea cleansing milk, Algae Oil, Advanced Protection Cream, Eyes & Lips, Tata Harper, Julie Hewett makeup, Amazing Cosmetics Powder, & By Terry Light Expert, Burnout, and daily inversion therapy and green smoothies! |
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