New Story…
Hey all. I need some advice. I have been reading posts for the past 5
years but have never really posted my own. A little backround on me. I
developed sebderm about 5 years ago. I didnt know what it was at
first, but after hours of research I finally diagnosed myself. I had
all the classic symptoms. Redness, flaking, dryness. It was never
really that bad. The redness was only on the sides on my nose, and the
flakes were everywhere, but were always washed off in the mornings
after my shower. Even though it was mild, I still develpoed an
obsession with it. I am pretty sure it was caused by my long term use
of Retin-A for acne in my teenage years. I used this stuff for
literally 5 years, never missing a night. The sebderm came up a week
after I stopped using the Retin-A. I stopped due to insurance
purposes. This lasted about 6 months and finally cleared on its own. I
went 2 years without any symptoms. I just figured my skin had worked
itself back to normal. I never even thought about it untill about a
month ago. Everything came back, and in full force. I found myself
obsessing over it worse than I did 2 years ago. I tried changing my
diet and my routine, but nothing seemed to work. The other night I got
fed up and put a little dab of cortisone on the affected areas. I woke
up the next morning symptom free. It was like a magic trick. I know it
is bad for you, but it is getting me through the days for now. My main
question is what is considered long term as for usage of this stuff?
They say long term use thins the skin, and it develops an immunity,
but is there any harm using a tiny amount 2-3 times a week? This is
basically untill I can afford to go see a derm and get some Protopic.
Thats also another question I have. What is a good alternative to
cortisone? Any advice would be great. Thanks in advance. Sorry this is
long, I just have a lot on my mind.
Thanks for reading.
-Ben