DSAP Skin Survey Results Are In!

For the last six months I’ve been collecting data from those with the rare skin condition Disseminated Superficial Actinic Porokeratosis. To my knowledge this is the largest collection of patient data in existence with over 250 surveys filled out. (I will be adding to this article as I have time to sift through and present the results, so keep checking back for more.)

Since DSAP is such a rare condition, most people don’t actually know anyone else (except a family member) with the disease so gathering data is an important step in both understanding and coping with the disease (though it doesn’t change anything, it feels better to know that others are sharing the same struggles as you are and you aren’t on this journey alone).

DISCLAIMER- I am not a statistician, doctor or related to the medical field so if you see a statistic not properly presented, please note that I have done this at my own expense for the mostly selfish reason of wanting to find a cure! If you are in the medical field or can help in any way, please email me on Lorna@dsapinstitute.org

DEMOGRAPHICS

Gender

Not surprisingly, the majority with the condition are women.

  • 85% female
  • 15% male.

Throughout the six months of data collection, this gender mix has remained constant.

Race

Also not surprisingly, over 99% of respondents are white/Caucasian. Is this because the survey was mainly presented to people in English speaking countries? Perhaps, but my guess is people with white skin are more prone to this condition. Over 12% of the US population is black, and their first language is English. But not a single person of the 170 who took the survey in the USA stated they were black. Also, there are enough English-speaking Asians in the UK and USA to get a sample result, but only 0.86% stated they were partially Asian.

 

etnhicity

The stated ethnic origins of the white/Caucasians are (in order of prevalence)

  1. English (majority)
  2.  Irish
  3. German
  4. Scottish
  5. Scandinavian (Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish)
  6. Eastern European/Jewish

Age

78% of patients were diagnosed with DSAP after age 30 and 53% after age 40.

age diagnosed

Where do you currently live?

in what country were you born

FAMILY MEMBERS with DSAP

Over 70% of respondents say they have a family member with DSAP! Doctors have said for years that a child has a 50% chance of DSAP if one of their parents has the condition. 30% say it was their mother and 22% their father. I was surprised at this statistic since 80% of DSAP patients are female. “No” means that the respondent does not have a family member with DSAP. Here’s the breakdown:

family members 1

* Other- people explained their answer, it should  not have been presented as a choice.

Here are some interesting responses to this hereditary question:

  • “I am one of 9 children. 7 have DSAP.”
  • “There were 8 children in my family of origin, and all of us had DSAP- from mild to moderately severe cases”
  • “Two out of three children have DSAP”

DSAP LESIONS- location & quantity

It seems that our DSAP lesions don’t discriminate over which body part they invade. That being said, some areas are more conquered that others. Almost everyone cites arms, calves and legs as having lesions. Here’s the breakdown:

  • Arms        93%
  • Calves     91%
  • Thighs     68%
  • Hands     52%
  • Chest       23%
  • Feet        19%
  • Back       16%
  • Face       15%
  • A few people reported: abdomen & ankles

Many of you may be worried over getting lesions on your face. I will make a note to go back to look at the responses of those who have them on their face to see if there’s any correlation between length of having the disease and facial lesions.  (Are facial lesions one of the last one to appear? If you were diagnosed quite young, is there more of a chance that eventually you’ll get them on the face?)  I suspect that might be true as 80% of respondents said their spots have increased over time, 16% have stayed the same and only 4% have decreased.

Regarding quantity of lesions, 90% said they have hundreds of lesions all over their body. Only a few respondents said they have less than 20. That being said, people who don’t have a severe case, may not be as likely to seek out information on the internet and certainly not as willing to take a 10 minute survey. Here are some responses that were repeated many times.

I have too many spots to count. They are red, itchy, scaly, some become open sores then heal to red spots.

LESION FLARE UPs

Do any certain situations trigger flare ups? 14% said that nothing aggravates their lesions while 85% said there are.

  • Sun                   66%
  • Humidity/Heat   47%
  • Stress               22%
  • Cold                   6%
  • Plane travel        2%

 

SUN EXPOSURE

There has been a lot of debate about the sun and  if it makes DSAP spots better or worse. 88% claim that it makes them worse while only 12% indicate that it improves their spots. Many of the people who think it helps say during the summer they are more tan, and so the spots blend in.

Here are some of the comments regarding this:

  • “As long as I avoid getting too much sun I find that careful exposure really helps to calm the irritation down. I try to spend a few minutes in the sun every day as soon as it warms up enough in the Spring and then if I maintain my light tan I don’t burn easily either. If I take asataxanthin regularly I am much less likely to burn and my skin is less irritated.”
  • “Sun is better on arms but worse on legs. Better because the tan makes the spots look more even and not stand out so much.”
  • “The lesions on my arm actually get better. When my arms tan, the lesions look less bad. My arm skin does get itchy and rough, but it doesn’t look bad. In winter, the lesions on my arms turn whitish and look more like age spots. The lesions on my legs, however, flare up and get angry red in the sun. I have wanted to test my legs in the sun to see if they would do what my arms do, but I fear more will grow. They are so UGLY!”
  • “I believe these spots are areas infected and weakened by bacteria and so are defenseless against ultra-violet radiation. Respectively, these spot areas get severely burned by the sun, turn red and itch, similar to symptoms associated with sunburn. Less visible spots are affected the same way and, are subsequently revealed when penetrated by ultra-violet radiation. Once the spot area is damaged in this way, the new spot remains pronounced and so it appears that the sun is causing them, but is actually only a secondary contributor. In short I believe that DSAP is a systemic bacterial infection due to a compromised immune system, and that melanin may be the bacteria’s true target. Therefore, the encrusted outer layer is not part of the bacteria, but is rather a protective layer that the body has created to try and prevent more damage. I further believe the root cause of the proliferation of the rogue bacteria is polyunsaturated fats. That’s just my own hypothesis which is rooted in observation and the knowledge that all disease is now being linked to bacteria. I hope that gives you some food for thought as well.”

Time Spent in the Sun

80% of respondents say that growing up, they spent “a lot of time” in the sun, while 20% did not. Those they did gave illustrations of what “a lot” meant to them. Here are some representative samples of the 140 comments, all were very similar to these:

  • “In summer, at beach almost daily. In winter, skating outdoors- quite sunny.”
  • “I have red hair and had pretty severe sunburns during my childhood. Then in my 30s I used a sunbed before going on vacation I would go to a sunbed to try and build a base”
  • “Summer every day sunbathing with no sunscreen, and used baby oil to increase suntan”
  • “Lived in southern Africa and spent a great deal of time outside; Spent almost every summer at a lake or ocean beach 5-6 days/week”
  • “Summers growing up. Pool, beach and tanning beds in 20s and 30s.”
  •  “Lived in Miami, Florida until I was 13.”
  • “I live in Australia you can’t escape the sun but I have never sun baked…always hunting shade.”

HEALTH & DIET

Autoimmune Disease

While 66% of respondents do NOT have an autoimmune disease, 34% do! This is very high considering that only 8% in the general population (USA) have an autoimmune disease.

Of those that have autoimmune disease, 13% have a thyroid condition, including yours truly.

In order:

  • Thyroid disease
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Psoriasis
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Type 1 Diabetes
  • Celiac Disease
  • Crohns Disease

Vitamin D Deficiency

Just over 13% said they have a vitamin D deficiency although I’m not sure how relevant this is as it seems that vitamin D deficiency is on the rise. It also appears that the level cited as deficient or healthy has changed over time. The vitamin D discussion comes up regularly among us DSAPers but for now I can’t see a correlation. If anyone else has other data we can compare these results to that would be fantastic. Please email me on lorna@dsapinstitute.org

Cancer

uggg. The Big C, no one wants to hear this one, but, shockingly 18% of respondents said they have had or have cancer. On the bright side, 82% said they haven’t. Another note to self is to compare the length of time those who have had cancer have also had DSAP.

Most people who had/have cancer had basal cell carcinoma and 8 people had melanoma.

Diet

Respondents were asked to describe their diet.

  • 42% say they eat a healthy diet but don’t follow any particular diet.
  • 29% said they eat whatever they want
  • 5% Low Carb
  • 5% Gluten Free
  • 4.5% Paleo/Whole food or raw diet
  • 1.5% Vegetarian/vegan

“One person said, “Lately my spots are a lot lighter. I’m not sure if this has coincided with taking a lot out of my diet I’ve eliminated milk, meant and the one that has made a big difference in my skin overall has been the elimination of added sugar. I ave in to sugar a few days ago and the lesions got red again, but could be coincidence.”

This statistic on it’s own is meaningless unless I go back and compare it against some of the other variables and ask questions like “do people who eat a strict or special diet have a lower/higher incidence of having cancer or an autoimmune disease.” This is in my list of ‘to do’s’

How has DSAP affected your life? What changes have you had to make?

The answers to this question was what most surprised me from this entire study.

Almost half stated that DSAP has gone from being one of life’s nuisances to a real issue that has greatly impacted their self-esteem and course of life. Words like embarrassing, ashamed and depression came up numerous times.  Only 7%  had a positive outlook and the rest were neutral or matter of fact.

When doctors casually tell us to stay out of the sun and send us on our merry way, I’m not sure they realize how this condition affects not only our skin, but our self-esteem.

I am going to share some of the responses so that others, who may be feeling the same thing, will know that they are not alone. These are just some of the many similar comments that came in. They are unedited (except for spelling)

“DSAP has caused quite a bit of depression at times. When I let it get to me it feels like a prison sentence- no shorts, summer skirts, swimming, vacations in the sun.”

“Embarrassing, depressing, and saddening.”

“DSAP has ruined my life. Prevented me from doing what I love to do most, enjoying the outdoors. Low to no self confidence and no relationships.

“To me they are gross. I hate how they feel and look. I love to be outdoors hiking and jogging and I feel that I cannot do that without wearing clothes that are too hot. I am young and feel unattractive because of this. I do not date. I do not feel comfortable in shorts and I don’t want to wear pants and long-sleeves the rest of my life. It’s something that isn’t life threatening but it doesn’t feel good either.”

“Between DSAP and other skin cancers I have basically become a recluse. I used to love to spend time outdoors, I no longer do. It has made me shy and withdrawn, my self esteem is in the toilet. I have difficulty finding clothing and makeup that will cover up my spots.”

“Unfortunately it controls a lot of my life. I stay away from the sun and heat. I stay indoors during a lot of daylight hours and I’m embarrassed about going anywhere without long sleeves and pants. I’m not the person I use to be. Extremely depressing!!”

“It has made me ashamed to wear anything that shows my skin. It’s very ugly to me and embarrassing. I love the water and summer. Now I just want to make excuses when friends and family want to do something that I would have to be exposed.”

“Having extremely ugly extremities as a young, active 41 year old woman is a giant bummer. I wear pants and long skirts all summer, even when exercising in 90 degree weather. I feel ugly and unattractive…not healthy. I choose not to swim with my young boys, I hate beach vacations…I am drag to be around in the summer.”

“DSAP has caused depression, change in daily activities and vacation choices, issues w/ dressing my age due to finding cute clothes that don’t look too old, gained weight due to depression, marriage/ intimacy issues.”

Here are some of the less negative comments (clarification, no comments were positive, just varying degrees of negative):

“I ignore it and get on with life but sometimes feel self conscious.”

“DSAP has not affected my life significantly. Yes, it looks ugly but I don’t really care. It does help me remember to put sunblock on.”

“I do what I’ve always done but I’m self conscious about  my lets and rarely wear shorts”

“I actually do most everything the same. I wear a lot of sunscreen when I go in the sun, but I still do and I vacation. Honestly, I don’t think it really makes it worse.”

“It hasn’t changed my life. I tried sun avoidance for 3 years but that made it either worse or more noticeable. I now go out in the sun again, albeit later in the day and wear what I like with high factors of sunscreen.”

“Can’t say it has changed anything really, apart from having to wear high factor sun cream all the time. I certainly wouldn’t let it stop me doing anything.”

Treatments- What’s Worked? What’s Not Worked?

Read the results of the treatment survey here.

[grwebform url=”http://app.getresponse.com/view_webform.js?wid=4602701&u=VqSj” css=”on”/]

 

22 comments on “DSAP Skin Survey Results Are In!

  1. Thanks Lorna for all your hard work in putting the results of the survey together. It somehow does help knowing there are others out there feeling the same as I do about my skin. I fit into both camps – cover up completely because I’m embarrassed for anyone to see my ruined skin but still get on with life and garden, sail, kayak but do get tired of the endless questions/comments about why I’m so covered up. It does help these days that even people with flawless skin are covering up so we don’t look quite so ‘odd man out’ at the beach.

  2. YOU ARE A MIRACLE AND NOW YOU ARE GETTING ATTENTION WORLD-WIDW. MAYBE THE DERMOTOLOGIST WILL PICK UP ON IT AND THE GOVERNMENT AND GIVE YO A GRANT FOR DSAP MISERY.
    WE NEED TO GET A GRANT OR UNIVERSITY TO DO RESEARCH ON IT (LIKE THE UNIV. OF MORMONS-UTAH THAT REALLY UNDER DNA AND MAYBE HOW TO TURN OFF THIS GENE-MVK. THIS MVK IS AS BAD A CANCER AND EVENTUALLY LEADS TO SUCH. I KNOW I GOT IT.
    THANK YOU SO MUCH FROM ALL OF US OUR “JOAN-OF-ARK” FOR MVK. GOD OR TRUMPH HAS TO LOOK DOWN ON YOU AND SEND YOU $$$$$$.TO REALLY PROCEED IN OUR QUEST FOR A CURE OR JUST RELIEF.
    SINCERELY,PORTER DOWNEY,DSAP PERSONIFY. WITH SKIN CANCER AND DSAP I SUFFER EVERDAY AND NIT. BUT I CAN HANDLE IT AS A FORMER COMBAT MARINE 70% DISABLED.PIECE OF CAKE,BURT NOT FOR YOU POOR WOMEN,HORRIBLE!
    PORTER-SEMPER FI
    ALSO YOUR MOTTO IS EITHER(YOURS) VENI-VEDE-VICI OR FOR ALL OF US “VIRIBUS UNITIS”.

  3. I WANT TO BE EXCUSED FROM MIS-SPELLING AS I LOST SOME FINGERS IN THE MARINE CORP .
    LOOK,I THINK THE GENTLEMAN WAS ON TARGET WITH THE AUTOIMMUNE DISE AND THE BACTERIAL INFECTION THEN TAKING OVER AND ATTACKING THE SPECIFIC MELANENE TISSUE. ALSO THER IS A TREATMENT FOR”DSAP” BY THE DERMOTOLOGIST(WHO BY THE WAY HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT DSAP,ANYWAY 90 DAYS OF ANTIBIOTIC DIXOCYCILINE FINALLY GOT RID OF THE INFECTIONS,BUT CAME BACK,SCABS,ERRUPTIONS,BLEEDING,BURNING,IRRITATION,ETC. THIS DSAP IS A REAL MONSTER AND NO CURE! MINE STARTED AT THE VA DERMOTOLOGY CLINIC BEING TREATED BY THE SO CALLED “BLU-LITE” THERAPY. DON’T DO IT YOUR DNA WILL BE EFFECTED AND CAUSE DSAP TO SHOW UP WITH THE MEASLE LIKE RED SPOTS.
    I GET SOME RELIEF BY RUBBING MY LEGS AND ANKLES WITH A BABY OIL BOUGHT AT WALMART-EQUATE.HEAVY DUTY,BUT RUB IN WELL.
    GOD BLESS YOU ALL,WE GOT IT NOW TRY TO FIND SOME RELIEF.NOT
    TRIAMCINOLONE,SOLORAZE,TRETINION,OR EFFUDEX. JUST AGGRIVATES THE CONDITION.SUN A NO-NO AS YOU WONT SWEAT
    AT SITE OF SKIN-SPOTS.
    MAYBE WE SHOULD ALL MOVE TO ICELAND,COLD,NO HUMINITY AND BATHE IN THE GLACIAL POOL! SORRY FOR YOU ALL,BUT WRITE NIH,CONGRESSMAN,SENATOR,DERMOTOLOGY SOCIETY AND TRY TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OR BREAK THRU. “GOD BLESS LORNA-UNBELIEVABLE THE AMMOUNT OF WORK SHE HAS PUT INTO “DSAP”.
    SEMPER FI

  4. I noticed my first spots around the age of 30. I am now 50 and they have progressively gotten worse. There are times that I am so embarrassed by them and hate that I was dealt this card, but then I try to keep things into perspective. I think back to my early thirties when they first became really apparent and hated that I had them. I was in the grocery store one day and this young mother with two children in tow was shopping and grabbing milk from the cooler. I noticed the rambunctious kids and then noticed she was missing an arm. She ended up in front of me in the checkout line. She didn’t miss a beat unloading the buggy and keeping her kids in check. At that point I thought to myself “I might have ugly arms and legs – but at least I have them”. Anytime I get bummed about the spots I look back to that day.

  5. I reviewed the results of your survey and you will be surprised to know that FINALLY you have a respondent who’s is African American. In my search for answers after noticing the lesions on my lower legs I was seen by two African American dermatologists who misdiagnosed my condition. The first time I was seen by a Caucasian dermatologist she walked into the room, looked at my legs and immediately asked if I had any Caucasian heritage (that of which I do); I was diagnosed with DSAP. As the data as shown, this condition is rare in individuals within my ethnic background but I am here to say that it does happen.

  6. My first dermatologist never told me I had this. She would just freeze spots ever time I went in, which was every 6 months because of previous cancer. Second dr did a biopsy came back negative & told me I had it. Went back to previous dr only to be told she knew it from the first time, thanks for telling me. I have found if you use Avon sunless tanning it makes your legs look better & it also makes the spots look darker not so red. I have a few on my arms & the only ones that itch are on my shoulders. Dr. gave me Cormax 0.05% but it is hard to find. This medicine stops the itch immediately. I have about 5 that bleed on my legs but the ones on my arms will bleed if I’m working with my plants and something hits it then they bleed like crazy. Really glad found this place to know others have the same problem. Thanks.

  7. My husband has this…started 15 years ago on arms, but now on legs arms hands and back. It was controllable but now bad. He has had one large BCC…was DSAP… removed from upper leg with need for grafting. 8 weeks ago had 2 large ones on lower leg..both BCC remove with large grafting. Has taken 8 weeks to heal..with infections..staphylococcus then Pseudomonas..at last healed but a long process and very depressing for him. Back to dermatologist last week and now has to have one removed from hand with grafting. He has had a big flare up and most sots on legs are infected and last night bleeding…he was given betamethazone ointment to take the redness out but now seems worse. He is borderline diabetic type 2 but HBA1C have been normal. The only thing that seems to work is the sea water…a couple of days in water and it clears up to some extent. We live in Brisbane Australia. His sister aged 78 now has it and also his cousin on fathers side…to our memory his father did not have a problem. Has anyone had relief from declofenic ointment?

  8. Just diagnosed with dsap with a punch biopsy. Was fortunate that I wasn’t misdiagnosed when I went to my doctor who immediately referred me to a dermatologist. She thought it was psoriasis but the dermatologist thought possibly dsap or psoriasis.
    Mine was never itchy so even though I have a mild case, I’ve had it for 20 years on mostly upper arms .I just thought it was dry skin that got worse in the sun. This summer I noticed it on my thighs so I saw my doctor.
    I’m 53 and a lifetime sun worshipper. Used baby oil in the 70s. I think it’s finally caught up with me and is more noticeable.
    Thanks for the tips on lotions and cover up. I’m fair skinned and will visit my folks next week to see if they have any sign of it.
    I must say that I’ve noticed a significant improvement in the scaly lesions after drinking 2cups kombucha daily (make my own now) and also 2 tbsp raw organic apple cider vinegar in water daily for 6 months . The lesions have significantly faded.
    This is totally anecdotal but I certainly noticed a big difference and these fermented liquids are known to help skin. Also keep in mind that it is winter and I live in Canada but I have noticed an improvement, all the same.

  9. About 3-4 little rings started appearing on each forearm around age 30. I am female, caucasian, 1/32 American Indian (maternal) with some German (paternal). Now I am 45 and have about maybe 40 spots on each forearm and maybe 3 spots on each lower leg. I wouldn’t mind if EXCEPT that I love fake tanning! And the dihydroxyacetone makes the little rings super dark so my arms have tiny little circles all over them. But it a somewhat rare condition – so its kind of cool. At least it fairly harmless (except for the pride factor). My parents dont have it.

  10. I’m literally covered in them. Mostly on my legs and my arms and now it’s starting to get on my face and shoulders. I started noticing them when I was about 31 and it was like almost overnight that I had thousands of them appear on me. I was on six months of antibiotics for urinary tract infections prior to this and had received a second round of vaccinations because my shot records were lost from childhood. I somehow think that has something to do with this. I also have Colitis and diverticulitis. To top it all off a bad case of photosensitivity and sciatica. I wonder if these things are all part of the same illness. If you have any other information that would be great. Thank you Brave ladies for sharing and making me not feel all alone in this world.

  11. I started getting spots when I was 13. I spent alot of time in the sun my whole life. I am now 63. My arms and legs have been covered in spots. They have been burned/frozen off several times with no positive effects – only extra ugly spots covering my body. I also had to use the “mind over matter” to not scratch. Very difficult at first. Once I quit scratching, the spots quit itching. However, if I was to run my fingernails over the area – I could get the itching started again – so I am very careful not to do it.

    What I have found that seems to help is waxing. I started waxing my legs about 10 years ago. The spots seem to have decreased and lessened in appearance. No scratching helps a lot too!!! I have waxed my arms twice – I probably will try doing it more regularly as my arms have gotten a lot worse over the past few years. A little sun helps my legs look better in the summer. In the winter it seems all the spots turn red from the inside when I get cold. I have tried many creams – lotions.

    Something I have found that seems to help is a salt scrub I make out of coconut oil, Himalayan salt, almond and avocado oil. I have used different combinations, but the salt and oils scub off the dry skin – it makes everything red for a little while – because I really scrub up. But when they cool down, my skin seems to look better.

    Still looking for the source of the problem to find the cure.

  12. Did not see an appearance of the lesions until very late in life. I am 82 and began about 3 years ago seeing some spots which have recently multiplied quite speedily on legs mostly but also on arms. Itching is prevalent and using anti-itch cremes doesn`t work very efficiently. My Dermatologist has suggested Zyrtec which is mildly successful in calming the itch. Learning anything we can is so very helpful. Thank you for sharing!!! And for those feeling depressed over the situation, Life is much more than spotless skin. People who care and are good people will love you no matter what!!!!

  13. I’m so tired of suffering thru this skin disease with no cure . I get looks now , side glances in shorts or short sleeves. I’m done with swimming except for 2 cruises a year . So very self conscious.
    I’m 55 . I’ve had them for 15 years , the last 5 years it’s turned horrible. I also have have RA and Sjogrens …those for last 7 years. Humor and ebrel did nada.

  14. My DSAP showed up after having kids. I noticed a couple of spots on my arms after giving birth to my seconds. They have since gotten worse after have my third child at almost 40. I definitely feel uncomfortable about my appearance and try to cover up legs and arms as much as possible. My mother also has it. We are fair , freckled and partly Irish. I would really like to find a solution….Is it a DNA change due to sun exposure? Is it battle against bacteria or fungus on the skin? How do you test for that? Is it an immune problem? I have been using a natural bees wax lotion bar on my skin and have seen the redness fade a little. It’s a start.

  15. My DSAP showed up after having kids. I noticed a couple of spots on my arms after giving birth to my seconds. They have since gotten worse after have my third child at almost 40. I definitely feel uncomfortable about my appearance and try to cover up legs and arms as much as possible. My mother also has it. We are fair , freckled and partly Irish. I would really like to find a solution….Is it a DNA change due to sun exposure? Is it battle against bacteria or fungus on the skin? How do you test for that? Is it an immune problem? I have been using a natural bees wax lotion bar on my skin and have seen the redness fade a little. It’s a start.

  16. I have DSAP on my legs, arms and now one on my face above my eyebrow, which has changed into a basal cell carcinoma, it is being removed next week. I have three daughters, two of whom have DSAP, the middle girl has had two basal cells removed from her shoulder. We are fair skinned, spent years in Africa and Australia but to my knowledge never had sunburn. No-one in my family had this as far as I know so although it has obviously passed on through me to the girls I have no idea where mine came from! We really don’t let this get to us, we don’t sunbathe but always wear a high factor sun lotion when out, and take vit D to compensate for lack of sun on our skin. Interesting to read other posts, and being able to share this.

  17. I’m 50 and think I’ve had DSAP for the better part of twenty years. Never used tanning beds or hung out at the beach, but played tennis in high school and golfed ever since. Been good about sunscreen for most of my adult life but didn’t think about it much growing up. I used to tan so easily! Those days are sure gone. I have lesions on my forearms, a lot more the last year or two, and a couple on my legs just below the knee. They itch more than ever, and I have to say the sun makes it worse. As someone else mentioned in winter they seem to turn white sometimes, but in summer they’re red. In fact, it seems like my sunscreen irritates them. As soon as I sprayed my arms the other day, BAM! So red. In fact I just bought some “Cooling Sun Sleeves” to try in order to forgo sunscreen on my arms. I used to have a red itchy condition on my nose and eyelids/eyebrows which would burn if I scratched it. A dermatologist said It was essentially dandruff and said to use my dandruff shampoo on it and he was right. I remembered that recently so I’ve been rubbing the shampoo on my arms in the shower but I don’t think it’s going to help much. I’m wondering about diet. My wife has a “detox” diet book which is inspiring me, but I’ve always hated vegetables and that’s pretty much the basis of the diet! Anyway, it seems to me as though it has to be an internal cause, whether a food allergy or bacteria. Like all of you I’m sure, I’ve tried laser and lotions and freezing. But things are only getting worse. It’s on my mind more and I starting to feel embarrassed and not wanting to be seen in short sleeves. I haven’t necessarily had people stare or ask about my condition, but sometimes I feel better if I bring it up. It puts everyone at ease. I’m thankful for this site and the support from fellow sufferers! Best wishes to you all.

  18. hi i live in perth western australia had this dsap for about 15 years i have gone to dermatolagist for years but they dont know or want to know so after a lot of research i found a person in sydney thats about 5000 kilometers away and he is the only that does ozone therapy he had a guy who had success with this treatment last year so once this carona viras shit is out of the way im flying over there hope all goes well. regards kevin french

  19. hello im going to try ozone therapy when the carona viras has gone will let you know how it went regards kevin french. i live in perth western australia.

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