Exfoliative Keratolysis

[Okie55]

I have suffered with Exfoliative Keratolysis on my hands and feet for 27 years now.
In fact it was only by going online recently that I finally learned the exact name of this condition. No doctor I saw ever put a name to it other than "It's some type of dematitis or exzema." As like many others, I went through all the standard treatments including topical steroids. The ONLY times it has completely cleared was when I would get a cortizone injection in my bad shoulder as well as the one time I was put on a Prednisone treatment for an eye infection. That's it. I live with it. But I would like to know if anyone has an idea as to what brings it on in the first place. Why, out of the blue, does it appear? I have no allergies nor exposures past or present to chemicals or the like. Any ideas? Any treatments that work?

Thanks!

[Petona]

The steroids do clear it up. My boyfiriend has been diagnosed with EK since 1982. Went through several tests in Indianapolis and nothing was found. No allergies to anything. His also goes away in October and ususally comes back around early March. We both at first thought that maybe grass pollen was causing it but after reading all these blogs and not having an allergen to grass, I know that it is probably not due to the grass. He gets aggrevated every year but he deals with it. This year doesn't seem to be as intensified. I'm wondering if some of you are correct about the stess making it worse. When I met him, he was going through a divorce and it was really bad. I do know that strees makes psoriasis worsen. Since he has been divorced for four years, I notice it being a little better. If anyone finds a cure, be sure to blog it to all the other suffers. Thanks.

[Mama00]

My 9 year old has EK we think.  He is allergic to many things.  As a 9 year old boy he will play and play as a kid does not caring much for the skin on his hands.  As a parent I have had to try and find a solution that does not put him in a bubble.  I am currently using lanolin on him at night -the kind used by breastfeeding mothers- which is so refined as to not trigger his sheep allergy, and then in the morning I spray his hands with liquid bandage spray (isooctane, methyl trimethicone, acrylates/dimethicone copolymer).  I am currently looking for the liquid bandage spray in bulk as the 1 oz bottles get expensive quick.  I double spray his hands before swimming and diving lessons/play.  This works, it does not fix the problem, but it helps.  Spraying before swimming or other water activity or other hard play lets him live a life more like other little boys.  Mostly.  Maybe this will help some of you all too.

[moyn]

hey joe

can you please tell me what kind of sandpaper you use?

can you link me a picture of it?

i cant seem to find it anywhere online.

thank you

[hokejo]

Thanks for the advice. I have the exact same situation as you described.  I did do the photo therapy and it did not help one bit. It was a huge waste of time and a lot of money.

[luvvy437]

I thought of sanding my palms but they seem to always be in the sore, peeling stage.  I don't know which is worse: the hard skin where you can't even stretch your hand out or the peeling.  Both are horrible.  And perhaps if a person didn't have to pee every hour or more often, you wouldn't have to wash your hands that much more.  No-win situation.  I think for me it's old age starting to happen when your body basically turns against itself.

[luvvy437]

Which life-altering event would help explain KE?  Take your pick of death in the family, job change,moving, getting married/divorced, menopause, becoming the victim of a crime or any sort of victim for that matter, etc. I'll choose menopause.  It just seems to me that it changed my physiology in ways I never dreamt.  I was expecting hot flashes, changes in my figure, but not this.  My palms are ravaged and the dry, peeling areas only seem to spread.  I've tried steroids, Vit A, UV treatments and nothing but nothing is working.  I'm just glad to think it's not psoriasis (yet) and I won't be a candidate for psoriatic arthritis hopefully.