help with dry itchy red skin on lower legs
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Sat Apr 13, 2013 5:00 am

Hello,

I need some help

I have had dry itchy red skin on lower legs for years now and want to get it sorted, it all started years ago with a shaving rash and over the years I have scratched and scratched and they bleed and look awful and red and scaly now - I have had stuff from the drs even steroid creams which help but not available long term.

Can anyone recommend anything that does work which will stop the itch and help heal the skin.

In summer I hate hiding my legs away - is there also a product which would cover these marks and let me wear skirts?

please help

Sat Apr 13, 2013 5:50 am

After years of trial and error, I finally found a solution that cured me of this, but it wasn't cheap or quick. Maybe it could help you? Here's what worked for me in no particular order: 1)stop any and all antibiotics and steroids. 2) start a daily high quality probiotic. 3) Use lavender and peppermint essential oils undiluted to control itching. 4)Use jojoba oil or argan oil to moisturize. 5)Do a few sessions of laser hair removal over the next several months. 6) limit cow's milk in your diet as much as possible. The best in my opinion: unsweetened flax milk for milk, almond milk yogurt, coconut milk cream, and coconut milk icecream. There is simply no substitute for cheese that is tolerable to me, so I just limit it as much as possible and indulge only once in awhile. You can try dry brushing, which comes highly recommended, but it did not work for me. Dry brushing actually made my itching more intense. I actually thought I was allergic to the bristles because it was to bad. After trying a few different bristle versions, I realized it was the brushing itself that was triggering the itching. Good luck! PS. Don't waste your money on leg makeup products like Joan Rivers' Right to Bare Legs. If you have dry skin that is scaly or rough in any way, these products will not work for you. Besides, it rubs off on everything from your clothes to the seat of your car, to the side of your couch... I did try some sprays that were OK for special occasions, but totally not worth putting on everyday. Walgreens carries a few brands. You will find them next to the hosiery usually.

free skin care · Sat Apr 13, 2013 10:40 am

I have extremely dry, scaly skin on my legs too (actually all over). What helps me is to use Lac Hydrin lotion (I think it's called AmLactin in the USA). It's kind of a quick fix though - it works, but eventually when I stop using it, the dryness comes back (though not right away).

The disadvantage of this lotion is that it really smells bad (like how I'd imagine a chemical factory to smell).

For me, using it about once a week or so is sufficient after daily use to clear up the dryness. A glycolic acid cream/lotion might also work.

Sat Apr 13, 2013 12:55 pm

You might want to try an anti yeast cream. I have known some that had what sounds the same on their arms and it worked. Can't hurt to try.

free skin care · Sat Apr 13, 2013 2:06 pm

Ya - an anti yeast cream sounds like a good idea - I've also heard of that working for people. Or a cream with a lot of sulfur in it.

free skin care · Sat Apr 13, 2013 2:17 pm

I had the same issue a very long time ago. I began treating with prescription cortisone- gets a bad rap on here but I swear it saved my skin in more ways than one. I could not stop the issue from returning when the prescription ran out- used OTC cortisone for a while longer and slowly replaced that with moisturizer. My lotion of choice during this time was Kiehls Creme de Corpse, it just worked for me. I changed all shower products during the process to prevent irritation- NO SULFATES! This requires a serious paradigm shift for many people- the shampoos don't lather well, and you may be looking at an oil based soap for body/face, I know I struggled with it. Finally, get a water filter for your shower. Minerals and chlorine in water supplies are extremely irritating, especially for chronically irritated skin. Currently I no longer need to user a filter, or any moisturizer, but I was never able to return to sulfates which is just as well. Good luck!

free skin care · Mon Apr 22, 2013 1:19 am

Dermamed skin creams- they are a "herbal cortisone alternative".

they amazingly work on legs, sunburns or whateve r.
Not the cheapest to buy though.

Also Thursday plantation tea tree oil cream is also really good- not crazy about the smell of tea tree.

For me cortisone cream just burns my skin and makes me worse. I tried a few drugstore ones and my skin would burn.
went to get a prescription cortisone cream as I was told it would not burn my skin even if it was stronger in % and well.....of course it made my skin burn more....

Dermamed creams and tea tree cream from Thursday plantation is what I always use now.

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