Infiniti
Posted : 11/7/2008 11:35:57 PM
Crazy, crazy, I was just talking to my sister on the phone about my SD and how pleased I am with my new skin care regimen. My SD flares on my face and scalp, and it's really annoying but completely manageable.
A few suggestions...use hydrocortisone for spot treatment only. I started out applying the hydrocortisone to my whole face, and did this every day. After prolonged use, my face got used to the hydrocortisone, and every time I tried to stop using it, my face sort of...broke down. So be sure to use it as needed, but don't let your skin get too dependent on it.
If you develop it on your scalp, I've found that Nizoral in particular works well to control it (you can find it at most supermarkets), but it's often expensive, and I've been known to substitute in Head & Shoulders Intensive Care shampoo (but alternate uses with a reg. shampoo). If you do use any sort of scalp control shampoo, make sure to follow up with a strong conditioner so you don't fry out your hair.
More face talk...I've actually recently found that my SD is completely managed without cortisone through the Clinique skin care regimen. For some reason, my face LOVES this regimen, and I've never seen my skin look better. However, in the past I used St. Ives facial scrubs a few times a week (combined with hydrocortisone spot treatment), and the SD was under control. In general, I've found that my SD responds well to ritual sloughing of the facial skin, followed by a SUPER lightweight moisturizer.
My biggest piece of advice would be to NOT touch or irritate your skin when it flares up. This only makes it far worse, and the flare ups can last longer and get more aggressive. Other suggestions would be to make sure not to use heavy lotions on your face, as this seems to exacerbate my own SD, as well as my cousin's. Also, find out what your trigger is. My SD flareups are definitely related to stress, and I try to manage that in order to keep the SD at a minimum.
While it sounds like your doctor could have been a little nicer during the visit, there wasn't a whole lot more that he could do. SD is one of those skin conditions that is best managed by finding a skin care regiment that your face responds to (and sticking with it), keeping hydrocortisone around, and managing the trigger.
I'm sorry I don't have any terrific natural remedies, but I would bet that there are ways to steep calming herbs to apply on your face to help maintain. Perhaps Callie will read this, she usually knows the best ways to incorporate natural ingredients into medical care.
But you're not alone, and rest assured that SD can be fairly easily managed. Best wishes on finding a regimen that works for you!
EDIT: Lol, Callie posted while I was typing my reply!