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Exfoliative Keratolysis
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!
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!
FINALLY! – 20% PROPYLENE GLYCOL
I found something that works for me. I have tried most things, but finally by chance tried something that works for my hands when it starts with this annoying shedding, during the summer.
Propylene glycol 20%, there are different kinds of brands that has this, doesn't need any prescription and is to be found in the pharmacy.
Dunno what it is or if it has some other bad effects but it seems to do the job. It was better even after a day. I have tried it of a week now. Try and see if it works for you.
/Robert
I found something that works for me. I have tried most things, but finally by chance tried something that works for my hands when it starts with this annoying shedding, during the summer.
Propylene glycol 20%, there are different kinds of brands that has this, doesn't need any prescription and is to be found in the pharmacy.
Dunno what it is or if it has some other bad effects but it seems to do the job. It was better even after a day. I have tried it of a week now. Try and see if it works for you.
/Robert
I have had this for 34 years. I have spent thousands of dollars on everything imaginable, but here I am with band aids on my feet. MDs, podiatrists , and dermatologists have no idea what this is. Only from the internet, have I found that I am not the only one in the world to have this. I will continue to try new suggestions. I don't think there is any research going on, because it isn't dangerous, or contagious , and only painful if you peel too much skin. The biggest problem is embarrassment !
My ek started 7 mos ago and have just cleared it up on my own, dr's as you know are useless when it comes to ek. I made several changes at about the same time so could have been a combination of some of the different treatments I instituted or maybe just one. About 3 months into the ek, seeing that it wasn't going away I decided to take action. I did some research and decided to try the following: I first removed almost all gluten from my diet which I know helped alot, I backed way off of tomatoes and potatoes and started drinking a mix of apple cider vinegar, honey(to make it palatable) and water 3x per day. Also sprayed the vinegar on my hands several times day. I started eating way more fruits & vegetables and what I think helped the most was taking a super multi-vitamin from xtendlife, very expensive($100 mo) but very good. There are minerals and vitamins in there that are great for the skin. At the same time I started on the vitamins I greatly increased my fish oil supplement intake.The gluten free regimen probably cleared up 50% of it but I think the vitamins and fish oil finished it off. Also, the best moisturizers I've found, w/o a doubt are jojoba oil and Tea tree oil and they both helped greatly. Hope this helps you all.
Just wanted to add to the thread - lots of great ideas here, some that I will try. I've had this condition for almost 20 years, started with one thumb (my friend called it my "scratchy thumb" - now I know what it's actually called!
Anyway, I live in the Pacific Northwest, so I don't have much trouble in the winter because of all the humidity in the air - as soon as the sun comes out, I start peeling (mostly on my fingers and palms). I found one cream that has really helped - it's called Impruv, I buy it at London Drugs here in Canada. Of all the dozens of creams I've tried, this is the only one that actually seems to help my skin heal.
Here's a link:
http://well.ca/products/impruv-cream_1765.html
Best wishes to all in finding some relief, it's nice to know I'm not the only one, as I have never met anybody else who had the same thing....
Anyway, I live in the Pacific Northwest, so I don't have much trouble in the winter because of all the humidity in the air - as soon as the sun comes out, I start peeling (mostly on my fingers and palms). I found one cream that has really helped - it's called Impruv, I buy it at London Drugs here in Canada. Of all the dozens of creams I've tried, this is the only one that actually seems to help my skin heal.
Here's a link:
http://well.ca/products/impruv-cream_1765.html
Best wishes to all in finding some relief, it's nice to know I'm not the only one, as I have never met anybody else who had the same thing....
I've had EK for 8 years now. My skin bubbles/blisters (clear, air blisters) and then will peel over 7-10 days until my finger pads are raw and pink.
I've been able to control this condition for the last 4 years, and have only had 1 "peeling" breakout over the last 17 months. I went to the dermatologist back in 2010 and showed him what my condition was. He diagnosed it as dyshydrosis / dyshydrotic eczema (haha). I wasn't going to argue with him, because I know that I have EK based on the symptoms described on the internet, which are different than dyshydrosis. Nonetheless, he prescribed me 4 different medications. Solodyn (an oral acne medication that has anti-inflammatory properties), Clobetosal Proprionate (steroid cream), Halobetasal Proprionate (steroid cream), and Epiceram (a lipid based prescription lotion for psoriasis).
My treatment regimen is as follows:
At the VERY first sign of a blister appearing on my fingers, I'll start taking 1 Solodyn tablet each day for the next 7-8 days. I'll also use a steroid cream 2x per day. And this will halt the breakout in it's path before it ever reaches the peeling stage. The combo of the anti-inflammatory effects of the Solodyn and the steroid cream stop the breakout altogether. I use the steroid cream for only 5-6 days, and then take Solodyn for a couple of days longer. For each breakout, I will rotate steroid cream. So if I use Clobetasol this time, I will use the Halobetasol for the next breakout. I've found that rotating them helps the skin to not get "used" to a certain cream. I know a lot of people say that steroid creams don't work cause they thin the skin, but I've found if I only use them for 5-6 days, my skin is fine. Especially if the skin is already healthy and is not "peely" and raw.
Keep in mind that this is my regimen for preventing a breakout to the peeling stage. In order to heal currently peeling skin, do the same process but take the Solodyn a little longer and use the Epiceram after you are done with your round of steroid cream. You may find that you need to use the steroid cream longer also. I know that your skin will get really thin, but I've found that if this happens, when I come off the steroid cream my fingers go into a rapid healing race.
The only breakout I've had recently is because I ran out of Solodyn and had trouble getting more. It is a really expensive medicine - $1,000 per prescription because it is a new med and they have exclusive rights to it for a few years where they can't make a generic version yet. But ask your dermatologist about the coupon savings program. You can get a coupon to get 3 fillings of the medicine for only $35 a pop. That would be 90 pills, which should last a long time if you only take 7-8 per breakout. I just got a new prescription with the savings, so I'll be stocking up. 90 pills should last me 2-3 years.
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any questions. This condition sucked while I struggled with peely finger pads. It makes simple things in lift miserable, like putting on clothes, taking a shower, going for a swim, working outside. But over the past 17 months, I've only had peely skin for about 3 weeks. Having healthy skin right now is great! Give this a try. Hopefully it will work for others as it did me.
I've been able to control this condition for the last 4 years, and have only had 1 "peeling" breakout over the last 17 months. I went to the dermatologist back in 2010 and showed him what my condition was. He diagnosed it as dyshydrosis / dyshydrotic eczema (haha). I wasn't going to argue with him, because I know that I have EK based on the symptoms described on the internet, which are different than dyshydrosis. Nonetheless, he prescribed me 4 different medications. Solodyn (an oral acne medication that has anti-inflammatory properties), Clobetosal Proprionate (steroid cream), Halobetasal Proprionate (steroid cream), and Epiceram (a lipid based prescription lotion for psoriasis).
My treatment regimen is as follows:
At the VERY first sign of a blister appearing on my fingers, I'll start taking 1 Solodyn tablet each day for the next 7-8 days. I'll also use a steroid cream 2x per day. And this will halt the breakout in it's path before it ever reaches the peeling stage. The combo of the anti-inflammatory effects of the Solodyn and the steroid cream stop the breakout altogether. I use the steroid cream for only 5-6 days, and then take Solodyn for a couple of days longer. For each breakout, I will rotate steroid cream. So if I use Clobetasol this time, I will use the Halobetasol for the next breakout. I've found that rotating them helps the skin to not get "used" to a certain cream. I know a lot of people say that steroid creams don't work cause they thin the skin, but I've found if I only use them for 5-6 days, my skin is fine. Especially if the skin is already healthy and is not "peely" and raw.
Keep in mind that this is my regimen for preventing a breakout to the peeling stage. In order to heal currently peeling skin, do the same process but take the Solodyn a little longer and use the Epiceram after you are done with your round of steroid cream. You may find that you need to use the steroid cream longer also. I know that your skin will get really thin, but I've found that if this happens, when I come off the steroid cream my fingers go into a rapid healing race.
The only breakout I've had recently is because I ran out of Solodyn and had trouble getting more. It is a really expensive medicine - $1,000 per prescription because it is a new med and they have exclusive rights to it for a few years where they can't make a generic version yet. But ask your dermatologist about the coupon savings program. You can get a coupon to get 3 fillings of the medicine for only $35 a pop. That would be 90 pills, which should last a long time if you only take 7-8 per breakout. I just got a new prescription with the savings, so I'll be stocking up. 90 pills should last me 2-3 years.
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any questions. This condition sucked while I struggled with peely finger pads. It makes simple things in lift miserable, like putting on clothes, taking a shower, going for a swim, working outside. But over the past 17 months, I've only had peely skin for about 3 weeks. Having healthy skin right now is great! Give this a try. Hopefully it will work for others as it did me.
Too bad you aren't comfortable with the white vinegar and Listerine treatment- it's safe enough to put in your mouth and I am pretty sure my feet are tougher than that. I do the treatment every 2 weeks and I've finally KNOCKED THIS OUT OF THE PARK after a decade. I've been peel-free for six months now. I'm sure, since this is an auto-immune disorder, that I'm not cured, but HECK YEAH I'm happy! It's gone! And I'm wearing sandals and pedicured toes this summer. YAY!!!
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