Dear KT--who told you to take so many baths, especially hot ones? That is VERY BAD ADVICE that I see on here all the time. It may FEEL good for the itch (to some people), but it is bad for your rash! Heat opens up the pores, causes swelling and blood to flow to the rash, and what you are doing in retrospect is making it worse by driving the poison oil deeper into your skin layers. Plus, all these hot baths, showers, salt, and chlorine are removing what natural sebum (oil) you have on your skin. Please stop all this skin torture before your skin starts to crack or blister worse. Overly dry skin itches as bad as PI and you run the risk of infection as you deteriorate your natural skin defenses!
Take cool to lukewarm showers no more than twice a day and wash your face GENTLY once a day with cool water and a cleanser like NOXZEMA. You can also put Noxzema (original formula) on your face in a thick layer, let dry for 30 minutes, then rinse with cool water. This will help with the itch & redness, lessen your chances of facial scarring, and can be used as often as needed SAFELY. Stop using all that salt!! It will help dry up some of the oozing but you are over-doing it. You can safely use witch hazel, bactine, or sea breeze to help dry it up faster. Use very cold cloth compresses for itch control it works great and is safe, unlike hot water treatments. Your son cannot catch the rash from you. The only way he can get it is if he is exposed to the oil, just like what happened to you. The fluid in the blisters is not contagious and does not make your rash spread. Once the blisters have stopped leaking fluid, you need to switch gears and start moisturing with a good quality product (preferably without mineral oil). If you keep drying it out, your skin will stay raw and crack--and even break out in a dry skin rash as bad as the PI rash. Again, use common sense. I hope you get well soon. [email protected] |
