Three years ago my face was soft and of normal 'grease' proportions, and I never had any spots at all.

For some reason after never having skin problems in my life, I suddenly woke up with one side of my face being very dry. It gradually spread over a week or so until my entire face was dry, sensitive to scratches and if I don't scrub at it, the microscopic flakes of skin builds up. Also, I now suffer from spots, and there's never been a single day since when I've had no spots at all. Once I've had these spots they never go away, they just recede into a little red 'area' on my face. It's getting me down bigtime.

I've been to the doctor twice. First time he gave me antibiotics. They worked for all of one week, after that the spots returned with a vengeance, and the dry skin didn't heal at all. He gave me 'DoubleBase' to use on my face, and I don't think it was much cop. It felt as though I had put a covering on top of my face, bit like lip salve... didn't really sink into my skin, just sat on top of it.

A few months later I decided to mention it to my doc again, after going in for another reason. He again gave me antibiotics. He said 'sometimes it can take A YEAR before it works' Well, I am not waiting a year, and I am not taking antibiotics when I have trouble keeping thrush at bay.

I think I get spots because of my dry skin. I want to know why I get dry skin, and therefore eliminate both. Do any of you have any ideas?

I've tried these theories: Allergy to work uniform (I started at my place a few days before I got this problem) air conditioning at work (well I've been in three different stores now they can't all have the same aircon) allergy to washing powder (never had an allergy to anything before, and besides I don't get dry skin anywhere else) Irritants in face wash (I've tried many varieties now...) and none of these answer the question of why I got it so suddenly, after so many years of never having a single skin problem?

Because I have dry skin AND spots, I have to use spot stuff, which dries my skin out, then moisturiser which hydrates it again, and then I get spots because of moist skin... ><

The best I can do at the mo is:

Take Seven Seas Hormonal Balance tablets (in case it's hormonal)
Clean & Clear cleanser (after work, before bed)
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Ultimate Moisture Night Cream (before bed)
Clean & Clear Advantage Facial Wash or St Ives Apricot Scrub (to get the dead skin off)
Nivea Visage All Day Aqua Hydrating Cream (straight after shower)

This seems to be a useable cycle so far, but I don't want to have to deal with all this shit, so if anyone can point me in the direction I ought to go, I would be very very very appreciative. This isn't a one off, a break out here or there, this is every day for the last three years and it's just got to be wrong.

Have you tried a blemish remover?
Do you exfoliate?

Personally if I had that problem I would pop down to the local clinique counter and get a remedy of some kind, as far as i know they have a policy that if you purchase something and your allergic to it they will refund/exchange it because all of their stuff is hypoallergenic.

I guess this will fall into one of two catagories: hormonal (i.e. acne) or an allergic reaction. If it's allergic then aren't there tests that can be performed (tho probably not on the NHS!) to try to determine the cause? You should look into this, perhaps. If it's acne then the antibiotics that the GP can prescribe will only be able to "keep it under control," i.e. not stop the spots but limit their number (next-to-useless IMO). To get the really strong antibiotics that can actually clear up acne you'll have to see a dermatologist. There are (reasonably unplesant) side effects to these drugs, but they do work in about 90% of cases. They do take a few months to work, but once they've done the job you can stop taking them and the acne won't come back. If you think it is acne then you should go back to your GP and *insist* on a referral to a dermatologist.

(FYI, this info is from memory from a few years back. I could be wrong about some of this, or things may have changed since I found out about all this stuff.)

This has obviously been a problem for a while and your GP doesnt seem to be helping. You should ask your GP to refur you to a dermatologist. It sounds to me as though u've got a combination between achne and ecsma.
Have u ever been on the pill? that might help.
You can get allergie testing done on the NHS. They're called patch tests and the dermatologist can do them for you if he thinks that might be the problem.

I've often wondered how you go about getting yourself referred to a dermatologist, because my Doctor has said (about two different complaints I have)

'some people just get it for the rest of their lives'

am I supposed to accept that?

I am convinced there are no external factors involved in my problem, I think it's something to do with me. I did take the pill but that was when I was 16 and I suffered no side effects to my skin.

I don't think I have an allergy, as I've never had one and I've never felt ill in any other way.

However, your comments point towards getting it checked out by someone other than a family GP, to find out the proper cause, to have things explained to me properly rather than just hear 'sometimes that's the way it is' which is something I'm sick of hearing about any complaint I have.

Thank you for your help... now how to get a referral when all three of the doctors at my practice just write out prescriptions the minute I walk in the door? Can I demand it? Or is it up to the doc?

I would imagine that if you are insistent on being referred to a specialist your GP should respect your wishes. If you encounter any problems then contacting your local NHS Trust to find out how to get a refferal would be the next step. It's worth remembering that the NHS is there for you to make use of; they shouldn't make you feel unreasonable for simply requesting their services.

Yeah I know it sounds simple..

Dry skin = Lack of fluid intake

Drink plenty of clear fluids, then have another to be sure. I suffered with a similar prob and after 4 weeks of drinking water it was gone.

Up until recently, I had been sufferering from really bad dry skin with extreme itchyness. I thought that maybe I might be allergic to something, but I increased my water fluid intake by quite a lot.

Lately since increasing the amount of water I drink, I've felt loads better. Not itching half as much, and I feel better in general.

Hmmm pure water you say?

For years and years and years I've had an unnatural addiction to Diet Coke. I drink a 2 ltr bottle a day at least. Thing is, I was drinking more than 2 litres a day when I was 16 and had no skin problems, so I assumed that was nothing to do with it. Perhaps they've changed something in it...

Anyway, since it's all water with a bit of syrup, does this constitute as water intake? Or must it be water only?


*googles all ingredients...*

despite what it says on the tin... *diet* anything contains as much crap and impuraties as *regular*

As to if if should be water only.. consider this... You are what you eat (or drink). All things in moderation but 2ltr of any fizzy a day cannot be good for you.

Okay well tonight I had no diet coke. I guzzled 2 litres of water at work instead.

I piss a lot drinking coke but water leaves me doing two minute slashes every hour... it's going straight through me (good, cuz I hate bloatedness).

Felt my face and although it'd be daft to think it's all fantastic now after one night, it does feel a lot smoother than it normally would at 4am... could be down to that new Olay cream I tried last night tho :P

I shall continue down the path of Volvic to see if anything changes. Thanks :)

Hi,

yeah was gonna say try water too, but I too have that diet coke craving as well and always thought the purity in the water used in diet coke (fizzy drinks are 99% water anyway) is better than anywhere else.

Ok you could try taking vitamin E tablets, that should help the dryness. Also when you speak to your doctor ask him to prescribe you some acne medicine called Zineryt. All you do is wazz it on ur face at night before u go to bed, takes literally 2 seconds (is some sort of solution in a roll-on kind of bottle), what that does is completely speeds the life cycle of any spot that is on ur face and rids you of them blemishes on your skin that other spots have left behind (the solution contains antibiotics so saves u having to consume anything). I had that same prob with the blemishes on the skin and my doctor, i.e. my dad, sorted me out with that, will take about a month or two before it really starts kicking in, but it truly does work. If your doc is being a git prescribing it then just send me a pm and I'll get one sorted out for u.

yay for vitamin E.

Not only will it help sort out your face, it prevents scarring.

Right well, update!

I started the water thing not long after I started taking 'Seven Seas Hormone Balance' tablets.

My face is a lot smoother, with FAR less spots, and excitingly for me, the red patches that spots left on my face are receding. Unfortunately I can now see where they had ravaged my skin so much that it has a cellulite-type surface at the top of one cheek.

I am not sure if it's the result of hormonal balancing (zinc and magnesium) or if it's the B6 doing the job on my skin, but I am a lot happier.

As is usual though, 7 days after starting such a change, they appear to be coming back, and my skin is getting drier again. This has always happened in the past... things would be great for exactly one week then they'd go back to how they were... I can't understand why? It's as though my body is starting to recognise and reject the change. I still slap on the same moisturisers and although it sounds mad, I get really happy when I have a shiny, oily face because I've never had one before... problem is it's still just a layer of shiny oil on top of dry skin, not moist skin (bit like lip salve as I said before)

Well, I am starting to enjoy the effects of drinking lots of water. My body has adjusted so I don't pee so much, and if I do have a few glasses of coke my god I pee for England. I find I am not thirsty after drinking water, in fact I have a very wet mouth whereas with coke I am always reaching for another glass. I've actually gone off it for the first time in at least 10 years.

It's only been a week so I shall stick to what I am doing and hope it eventually works. :)

I had and still have a "Bad" spot on my right shin that was (might still be) a staph infection. For about 8 years the doctors told me it was nothing, just a rash and I just found out that it was a staph infection about 3 months into my pergnancy with Birdy. They gave me sommat called Zolomax to stop the infection and had me put a antifungal cream on it. Turns out that I am allergic to Hydrcortozone cream (you might be too. Check the lables on your cleansers/moistuerizers for any traces) and Neosporan (once again, Check for it. Anout 10% of the worlds population is). I am now allergic to the antifungal that they gave me. Iended up being refered to a dermatoligist and he said the reason the thing on my leg is from being Diabetic. Last I was told that I was borderline. Might want to get some simple blood tests ran for anything of that nature. I now put Cetaphil on it twice a day and it is recommended by my dermatoligist.
Wla*Mart has a knockoff for about $8.00 cheaper than Cetaphil. Works wonders on my Mother-in-Laws Ezcma. It is called "Moisturizing Lotion" (Imagine that!) fragrance free for dry sensitive skin long lasting relief. Might want to just give it a try if not, get to the dermatoligist.
Don't go to mine though, I just found out the other day that he does Botox. He might mess up and give you that! HAHA

Please don't burn me and pardon my ignorance on this subject, but could it be the fact that you are using 7000 different potions and lotions at the same time? My gf's daughter (who is 11) goes through bouts of spots and dry skin on a semi regular basis and always spends her pocket money on crap foods (way too much chocolate, icecream and other foods of dubious dietary value), drinks too much fizzy drink and not enough of the good foods (i.e anything that is not advertised on tv 1000000 times an hour) and washes her face with so many different potions and lotions on a daily basis and when her skin drys out and gets spotty starts to use more of the products which makes the problem worse which winds up in her using more of the products which are causing the problem in the first place.

As an ignorant male who knows little of these 'essential' beauty products that women insist on using every day (which don't seem to make any difference anyway no matter the price paid for them) why don't you try and cut the use of them down and then see what happens?

marie, it might be psoriasis, is it on your scalp or anywhere else as well? a friend of mine has a similar problem; dry skin, but redness also. Try washing your pillows in something mild. Hers tends to flare up when she is stressed.

Spots can be a sign of lack of zinc in your system . I had a prob like that , although not to that extent.Try taking a supplement me dear, i take a complete abc supplement on the recommendation of my nursey friend and it seems to have worked...

I occasionally suffer from dry skin and red patches. Normally in the centre of my chest and across my face. The Doc diagnosed is as seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff when it's on your scalp, fancy name when it's not). He told me it's a fungal infection, loads of causes, and went away within a couple of weeks when he gave me some steroid cream to rub in. It sometimes comes back (is itchy too) but clears up quickly with the cream. I noticed it when changing washing powder and in hot weather.

Not sure about the water thing. Your body will take water from your system, causing you to be dehydrated, your kidneys still work at the same rate no matter. Good tip for everyone drink enough water to makes sure your urine is a light colour. Too clear and your drinking too much which can lead to salt imbalance, too dark and your dehydrated. Don't forget coke has caffeine in it which is a diuretic.

Disclaimer:
"Doodlebug is not a Doctor, so the information is for information only"

i could post piccy's (uberminx woud rile) i am going "cold turkey" on pills, and steroids /topical... glad others have guts to post:cheese:
i did need to use one tube, as i was itching me face away, Clordane or sumt
...actually had a supervisor as i reported for bus job look at smee, he said "...yo Vaseline, dude" , but we skin handicapped know grease is "...bad...

Actually, Ashez, what Marie described doesn't really sound like psoriasis. If it were, the symptoms would he more severe (beyond a basic chronic dryness her skin would be scaly). Furthermore, psoriasis very rarely affects the face and is far itchier than what she describes.

I think that you may be stripping your face of essential oils...are you using an AHA product, or using a toner after you cleanse?

edit: avoid the "night cream." far too heavy for your age and no good if you have spots. Neutrogena make a moisturizer for acne-prone skin that you may want to try...think light creams, not heavy ones.