Slow Healing Wounds

Hello



I am 28 years old and have been self harming since I was about 14.  I have noticed over the last couple of years that my cuts are taking longer and longer to heal and I wondered if this was normal.  I have a livid red cut on my upper arm that's now nine months old but still pretty obvious and showing no signs of changing or healing. I showed it to a nurse (at my annual mental health medical - I  have a diagnosis of bipolar disorder) who told me it isn't infected. I also have some cuts on my legs that were noticed by a friend who seemed to think they were recent when they were done on Christmas day 2005!  I have changed the places I cut over the years and I'm not always cutting over old scars.  I'm in good health otherwise and I don't smoke.



I also had a problem with a massive outbreak of boils a couple of years ago.  They are much better but haven't completely gone.  There are still red spots where I used to have them and they still come up with a boil every month or so. They took almost two years to reach a manageable level.  At one point I was having to change my clothes twice a day as they were getting covered in pus.  The antibiotics I received did seem to kick start some healing in the cuts on my leg however.



I wonder if you could tell me if this slow healing is something that should bother me? Have I just been cutting so long that my body isn't healing as well as it used to? It is not something I've always suffered from but it is causing me problems as it makes things awkward if I have to show my body for some reason.



Thanks for reading.



Rachel

[gripewater]

Your "boils" sound like mine.  Go see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidradenitis_suppurativa

I get them because I have this:
http://www.medicinenet.com/polycystic_ovary/article.htm

It is an Endocrine disorder.  Basically messes every thing up... and you have to treat some things individuality and that is why a lot of Doctors misdiagnose.  But it all comes down to a problems with your endocrine system.  You could have all the symptoms or just a few.