| SKIN
INVOLVEMENT: MAIN MENU |
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| Xerosis
(Dry Skin) |
| This page
was written by Shelley
Ensz, and has not yet been medically edited. Scleroderma
(SD) affects everyone differently. Just because something is
listed here does not mean an individual patient will ever experience
it. See Disclaimer. |
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| What is Xerosis? |
| Scleroderma can cause dry, itchy
skin. Xerosis is the medical term for dry skin. Scleroderma
can also cause sensations of burning, tingling, and tightness |
. |
| In Diffuse
Scleroderma, itching may precede skin tightening, and
is a temporary phase. The prescription drug Atarax (generic
name: Hydroxyzine Hydrochloride) may help in this situation. |
| Consult your doctor if you develop
sudden or severe itching, as this may be a symptom of other
things, such as kidney
failure or liver
disease. |
| What's
Your I.Q.? (Itch Quotient?) Lanacane Itch Information
Center |
| Treatments for Xerosis
(Dry Skin) and Itching |
| Moisturizers |
| Common treatments to reduce the
skin itching of Scleroderma include KeriCream, Lanalor, Lubriderm,
Eucerin Moisturizing, Nivea Moisturizing, UltraDerm, Alpha
Keri Bath Oil, Serna, and Penederm alpha hydroxy cream (1) |
| Bag Balm |
| One product that many patients
find helpful in relieving dry skin is Bag Balm, which is an
antiseptic and healing balm made for the udders of cows. Bag
Balm comes in square green tins and is sold in drug stores
and other outlets (in the United States). |
| Udder Cream |
| Another brand is "Udder Cream" and
they can be reached at: |
Redex Industries Inc.
Salam, Ohio 44460
Phone number 1-800-345-73339 |
| These products do have a bit of
a medicinal aroma to them, so they are best used before bedtime
and then covered with cotton gloves and stockings. I also use
Bag Balm when the "burning skin" is at its height — not
because it decreases the burning, mind you, but rather because
rubbing in lotion distracts the mind, momentarily, and gives
the skin (and nose!) a different sensation to report. |
| Baby Products |
| My dermatologist recommends Johnson & Johnson's
new line of baby products for sensitive skin — for soap,
shampoo, lotion, etc. She also highly recommends Cetaphil which
is a gentle cleansing bar (or liquid) for dry, sensitive skin,
and Vanicream, a skin lotion. |
| Tips from the Skin
Site |
| Some tips from the Skin Site include: |
| • Add Baby Oil to your bath
water; do not use soap as you wet clean simply soaking in the
oil-water combination. |
| • Only use lukewarm water,
because hot water dries out the skin. |
| • When toweling dry, do not
rub, just blot gently. |
| • While you're still slightly
damp, apply more baby oil. |
| This is reinforced by this
practical advice from Dr. Vázquez-Abad for dealing with
Raynaud's and dry skin: |
| The Scleroderma Bath by
Dr. Dolores Vázquez-Abad(1) |
| A practice that has been beneficial
for most of my patients is also highly appealing: taking
a warm bath with either a simple and inexpensive baby oil,
or a fine bath oil (whichever you may fancy.) The bath should
last for at least 20 minutes, and be done just before
you go to bed every day, and will achieve three desired
goals: |
| 1. The warmth of the water will
almost immediately increase your body temperature. |
| 2. The oil will prevent the quick
evaporation of water, and thus, will keep you warmer
for a longer time. |
| 3. The oil will also treat
the dryness and itchiness of the skin which frequently
parallels the severity of the Raynaud's. |
| Pamper yourself: do something that
may notably improve your disease, and may allow a reduction
of medication. It is important, however, not to
do this in the morning, since it is imperative to prevent drastic
changes in temperature. That's the reason it should be done
always and only before going to bed. |
| Bag balm is useful for dry skin.
When you apply it on hands and feet, you should put on an old
pair of gloves and socks before you go to bed, because the
balm is oily and may soil the linen. In addition, I recommend
flannel pajamas, warm socks, and flannel sheets, with layers
of blankets. |
| References |
| (1) Excerpted with permission from "Understanding
Scleroderma" by Dr. Dolores Vazquez-Abad © Copyright
1997. All rights reserved. |
