Why does my skin itch?

The most common cause of an itch is dry skin. There are many causes of dry skin but in many people, the cause is the environment. This usually includes cold weather with low humidity or prolonged used of air-conditioning in warm weather. During wintertime, central heating is a common cause of dry skin. Individuals who frequently shower or bath are also prone to dry skin.

Other causes of dry skin are the following:

Skin disorders: Many conditions can result in skin dryness. The most common are dermatitis (eczema), scabies, psoriasis, chickenpox or lice infestation. In these disorders, the dry skin may be localized to a specific area of the body and may be accompanied by other features like redness, irritation or blisters on the skin.  Itching can also cause an intense desire to scratch and excoriations are not uncommon.

Systemic disorders can also cause dry skin. These include liver or kidney failure, iron deficiency anemia, certain cancers like lymphoma, low functioning thyroid or celiac disease. In these disorders, itching is constant and the entire body itches.

External causes of itching include certain detergents, soaps, cosmetics, fragrances, contact with plants, foods or certain clothing fabrics. Chemicals in these substances can irritate skin and induce itching. Most often, these substances induce an allergic response that manifests itself as itching. A very common cause of itching and flushing is eating spicy foods.

Drugs are a common cause of itching. There are hundreds of both non-prescription and prescription drugs that can cause rashes, itching and allergic reactions. Many of the drugs are made with other synthetic chemicals that act as preservatives or stabilizers. In addition, there are many herbs, minerals and health supplements that contain many unknown chemicals that cause irritation and allergic reactions.

Itching is quite common in women who are pregnant. The itching usually starts in the first trimester and often gets worse until the late second trimester and then subsides. The itching in pregnancy is often localized to the breast, abdomen, thighs or arms. The itching is often most severe in the skin creases or folds of the body. Pregnant women who have dermatitis or allergies frequently develop an extra ordinary hypersensitivity to external chemicals or foods and develop intense itching. For some unknown reason, itching during pregnancy only occurs at night. Once the baby is delivered, the itching subsides.

However, in the majority of individual no cause of itching is ever found. In such cases, the cause is always blamed on the environment. In most cases, there is no need to see a doctor if there is an itch. Common sense home remedies can help immensely. If you known the offending agent, avoid it. If your home is dry, use a humidifier and avoid excess heat in the home. You can start by applying a moisturizer and if that does not help, use a topical over the counter steroid cream. When this fails, then you may need to see a doctor.

Moisturizers may mess up your skin!

Moisturizers are widely used by both men and women. The majority of us buy moisturizers by looking at the shape of the container and the fragrance. Very few of us read the label to determine the contents. While this may not matter for most skin disorders, people with eczema had better pay attention what they apply on the skin. 

Recent studies indicate that use of water-based moisturizers that contain detergents may be harmful to the skin. These moisturizers may make the skin thinner and more prone to damage.

It is now recommended that people who have chronic eczema start using oil based moisturizers, which appear to protect the skin. Oil based moisturizers decrease skin thinning and cause less irritation. Finally, select a fragrance free moisturizer as these products contain fewer synthetic chemicals and thus, the chances of developing skin reactions is much less.

What are keloids?

Keloids are an over growth of scar tissue. Anytime skin is injured, cut, burnt or traumatized, the result is a scar. In most people, the scar is limited. However, in some people the scar continues to have exaggerated growth. Keloids commonly occur after tattoos, ear piercing, acne, ingrown hair and even minor trauma. In most cases, the trauma is so minor that one does not realize it and yet the body’s response is an ugly-looking large scar. However, the most common cause of keloids is after surgery. Keloids usually appear raised, thick, irregular and always have a poor cosmetic appearance.

Who is prone to keloids?

African American, Asians and Middle Easterners are prone to Keloids. Why this occurs is not understood. These same individuals also have a tendency to have recurrent Keloids.

How does one treat keloids

No matter what any doctor or surgeon claims, Keloids are very difficult to treat. Despite the glut of treatments, there is no satisfactory treatment and in fact, the majority of available treatments make Keloids appear worse than the original scar.

One of the most common treatments for Keloids is injection of potent corticosteroids into the scar tissue. The number of injections vary but most individuals require at least 3-6 injections spaced over 4-6 months. The success rate of corticosteroids is about 50-60 percent. The results are better for small scars but at least 40% see no benefit.

Surgical removal of Keloids is the least recommended treatment. In almost all cases, the resultant scar is many times worse than before. Other treatments include laser, compression garments, electrodessication (heating) and cryotherapy (cooling). Except for laser, none of the other treatments work well. Even though the laser does work, there is no guarantee that the Keloid will not come back. On average about 50-70 percent of individuals do see some benefit from laser. While laser is the preferred treatment, it is also very expensive, painful and there is no guarantee that it will work.

In the last decade, novel dressings and compression garments have also been used to treat Keloids. However, these treatments do not work instantly and have to be applied for long periods. In addition, these treatments are very expensive and the results are mediocre at best.

A relatively new treatment for Keloids has been the use of drugs like imiquimod, bleomycin or interferon. These potent drugs work by stopping cell growth and decrease size of scar. However, very few reports exist about efficacy of these treatments. Moreover, these chemicals also have nasty side effects that include burning, stinging and intense pain. These last resort treatments should only be done when all other treatment modalities have failed.

Final Point

Anyone with Keloids who wants treatment should avoid surgery at all costs. If you do undergo any type of treatment, be realistic and start with corticosteroid injections. If that fails, search for a competent health professional who has experience with the more invasive methods and is affordable.

StriVectin: More Junk in a Bottle

The question is, "does strivectin work for stretch marks?”

Well, only if you believe in Father Christmas- of course it does not. Strivectin is just another one of those skincare products with exaggerated claims. There is no scientific evidence to back up the claims made by the manufacturer of Strivectin.

Strivectin has been heavily marketed for the treatment of stretch marks. The product is made by Klein Becker and there are various formulas which can be used with on the face, hand and body. Even though each of the formulas comes in different fancy bottles or jars, they all contain the same unknown ingredients. The complete list of chemicals in strivectin has never been disclosed. If the product worked that great than one would think that the company would list the ingredients! From history, companies that tend to hide ingredients in products generally sell junk.

The usual ingredients found in Strivectin are just a bunch of oils including a vast number of synthetic chemicals. There is not one ingredient listed that has the capability to erase stretch marks.

Today, hundreds of online skincare companies sell strivectin but there is very little information on its effectiveness. There are no case reports and neither is there any clinical evidence that the product works. The worst part is that a jar of 6 oz costs an exorbitant sum of $135. So far, many anecdotal reports from consumers indicate that the product is bogus.

So bottom line is that if you have stretch marks, your best way to get rid of them is exercise and eating less. The only thing strivectin will do for you is bring a lot of “expensive disappointments”

I exercise a lot and I’m generally very healthy (I’m a triathlete). But the other day I got an infected hair on my leg where my jogging pants were rubbing. I popped it, and since then this itchy red rash has been spreading around the popped zit. It’s been a couple of days now and it’s just getting bigger and redder. Can you tell me what’s going on? (Female, 32)

Folliculitis is a skin condition that occurs when hair follicles become infected.  Folliculitis can range in severity but even mild forms can be upsetting, embarrassing and uncomfortable. The infection initially start off as white headed pimples around the hair follicles. The majority of cases of folliculitis are superficial and only itch. Anyone can develop folliculitis but certain risk factors make some people more susceptible. 

Folliculitis may be due to exposure to hot water (prolonged hot tub use), excessive use of topical corticosteroid therapy, trauma to the skin from tight and restrictive clothing, obesity or having acne. Mild cases of folliculitis usually do not cause complications but severe cases can develop into skin infections, which can eventually pass into the blood stream.  All cases of folliculitis that do not resolve or are associated with more redness need to be seen by a doctor.

The diagnosis of folliculitis is based on a physical exam and sometimes your doctor may take samples from the pustules to send to the lab. Mild cases of folliculitis usually resolve on their own with warm compresses but severe cases of folliculitis need treatment. Your doctor may start you on topical or oral antibiotics and recommend that you avoid shaving the area until the infection is healed. Moreover, if you must shave, use a clean razor blade each time. 

While at home, apply a warm moist cloth to the area several times day, gently wash the skin area at least twice a day and do not share your personal care products with anyone. In your case, it is important to see a doctor to make sure that you do not have an infection that requires antibiotic treatment. Hope this advice helps.