basically my doctoer thinks ive got dermatitis down below its mainly effecting my lips .has any one got any knowldege about this or tipss i would be greatfull.ive been given some cream and ive changed my wash powder.
thanx Fizzy
My hubby gets it (mildly) on his face and body. He uses Olive Branch shower gel from Lush and hasn't had a problem since. Although, we bought his brother some last Xmas and it didin't help him, his is much more severe though. I've also changed to a non bio washing liquid (don't use powder as it seems to leave more of a residue) which can be less harsh on the skin.
I'm lucky enough that mine rarely flares up down there, but when it does - yeugh! Main things I can think of relate to underwear:
- Soft, cotton, breathable fabrics, don't skimp on them.
- If you can stand getting 'shorts' style undies, all the better: I found the elastic would easily cut into and chafe affected skin, especially in the creases between the lips-ish area and legs. Thongs are the worst, because they 'thin' early enough that they actually hit on the lip-flesh, which is just nasty, but full panties can still be too close if it's bad. Keeping the elastic as far away from the area as possible is best bet. I actually will sometimes wear men's boxers if it's flaring up, just avoiding the elastic altogether.
- Tight pants are bad, jeans especially. If you can get away with wearing skirts or baggy joggers, do whenever you can. You want air to circulate and nothing rubbing. Tights are also bad.
- Keep the area clean and dry as much as possible. Avoid the urge to use baby wipes or those flushable wipes or anything after using the loo, as they all tend to dry out skin that's inflamed and make it worse, or at least make it itch and burn. And don't rub too agressively. If you're paranoid about hygeine, a quick rinse in the shower - lukewarm to body temp water - or with a soft natural sponge or cotton face cloth and a good pat-dry is perfect. And take some soft toilet tissue with you if you're out, as that crap public toilets have, you may as well rub your fanny on some gravel.
- Pat, don't rub. Applies to all contact, be it after using the loo, drying after the shower, washing, whatever. The skin's prone to breaking, and any 'dragging' will make it worse.
- Resist talcum powder. Honestly, I know it's billed as reducing chafing and all that, but all it does is dry you out and clump up where there is any excess moisture, making it worse.
- Give yourself time to 'air dry'. After you rub your cream in, it'll still be a bit on the surface. Best thing to do is wander about for half an hour or so after applying, letting the air get at it, before dressing.
- Goes without saying, but try not to scratch at it! It will just make it sore, and it'll feel worse, not better.
- If you're finding it hard to sleep because of the itching/heat, a cool pillow between your legs provides pressure enough to get some relief, but is soft enough to not aggravate anything.
- Try to keep a constant temperature. Mine flares up always when the weather starts in this severe flip-flopping. The hot-to-cold-to-hot-to-cold is ideal for drying out skin, and anything that's sensitive, especially if you're prone to outbreaks anyway, will just not be able to handle it. Make sure you keep the house not too hot and not too cold, when you can help it, and be aware of conditions you're in elsewhere. If you think you're in a severe environment, take a break when you can to check yourself over, wash if needed, and apply more cream if you can (usually the doc would give an "as needed" cream, something non-steroid, so try to keep that with you).
's all I can think of for now. Mostly common sense, but some are the kind of things you don't think about until you do it wrong and then go "aw crap". Hopefully it clears up quickly.
thanx sharry and thanx BB thiers some great advice thier i,m all ready feeling better my creams doing me good and i haven't worn knickers in days
Another thing I hadn't thought of - my gynae said avoid hot baths and shower instead but also, if you *do* have a bath, consider what residues may be on the bath from cleaning and rinse it well. Whatever is left on your bath gets diluted in your bath water and soaks into your skin!
BB has got it covered. You don't need to use soap to be clean but if you really must - use the Simple brand. You can get it dead cheap in Home Bargains because full price it's a bit pricey!
And if you can avoid chlorine in swimming baths - I've been swimming twice lately (one specialist tells me I should use spa baths and swim for my joints but my skin problems say bad idea!) and it's completely messed with my skin such that I've had more severe tearing and dryness of late and it lasts a good 5 days to a week to get back to the previous level.
Adx
thanx AD i love hot baths with lots of bubbles i'm going to have to cut them out for awhile
bump
I just wanted to say thankyou for all the advice. my bits have been the best they have in along time so thanx agian to you guys for all the advice
fizzy x
I was plagued with severe dermatitis on my lower abdomen earlier this year. My doctor put me on a short course of cortisone and a special body milk. The body milk is Lipikar from Roche-Posay and really works a treat.