atopic dermatitis/eczema sufferer, loss of skin pigmentation (pic), help?

Backstory: About a year and a half ago I started to develop red, itchy, inflamed eyelids. At first I thought it was my contact lenses so I went to an optometrist and switched my contact lens prescription. This didn't work. On a followup visit the doc suggest I see a derm. The derm prescribed me a steroid (desonide) cream to use over my eyes. This worked for awhile but never totally cured the problem. After doing some internet research and reading about the negative aspects of steroid creams, especially when applied to the facial area and also noticing thinning of the skin around my eyelids, I discontinued the topical steroid use. Went to a few other doctors but nothing they've recommended has ever totally got rid of the redness/irritation. I've tried different moisturizers, special eyelid rinse/cream, warm compresses and a host of other home brew remedies. I still have not solved the problem to this day, but I can somewhat keep it under control with my current regimen.

About 6 months ago I also started having itchy, red, dry patches of skin develop on my chest, inner elbows, inner knees, neck, and face. Went back to the derm, diagnosed with eczema, got prescribed desonide cream (again). The cream worked somewhat but the eczema always came back. I moved to DC in January. After about a month in DC my AD/eczema intensified 10 fold. I started to develop bright red, intense, extremely itchy patches in the same places as before, but much more severe. Convinced it was something chemical, I discontinued the use of every scented, non-comodogenic product that I used. Switched to Dove soap, unscented moisturizers, mild/anti-dandruff shampoo, etc. I started using the steroid cream more consistently to battle the severity of the AD/eczema. One very annoying side effect of the steroid cream was a lightening of my skin. Growing concerned about this issue I went to yet another derm and asked to be prescribed Elidel or Protopic after reading about them on the internet. The doc prescribed me Protopic. The results of using protopic seem to be erratic. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but a very disconcerting side effect is that it causes pretty severe itchiness (wierd, since itchiness is one of the symptoms of AD/eczema and all). Since the severe eczema started when I moved to DC, thinking the climate played a major part, I moved back to Florida. The AD/eczema has become more mild again, but still persists. Where the patches used to form I have now noticed a loss of pigmentation in my skin. I have not used steroid creams in ~3 months (have used Protopic, sparingly) but the discolored patches still seem to remain. Sun exposure does not seem to have an effect.

I originally thought the steroid cream use was the main cause of the depigmentation but I also have noticed discoloration under my eyes as well. Thing is, I don't recall ever using steroid cream there.

Just wondering if anyone has ever encountered anything like this. Any advice? Any idea how to reverse the depigmentation? Is it permanent? Can I use some kind of tanning OTC product (like bronzer or something) to at least try to coverup the spots?

Thanks in advance...

1st post - question(s) about cyst treatment and the sun, please help

Hi everyone,

I've been lurking on this forum for about a month. A friend of mine recommended Dan's Regimen to me about a year ago and I ordered a starter kit and got going almost immediately. I would say I had moderate acne--my face was never ever really clear, maybe one or two days a month, max. Dan's Regimen got me to the point where I would be clear for a much as two weeks at a time until the occasional breakout at worst, or 1-2 pimples at best.

I feel like I've "peaked", so to speak. Dan's Regimen is great, and I can't thank him enough for coming up with the Regimen. Only problem is, it seems like once every 2 months or so I will develop a very severe cyst somewhere on my face. At least I think it's a cyst. It starts off as hard bump underneath the skin. Once I tried to just leave it alone and it hung around for about a month and a half before finally going down. The rest of them I've ferociously poked and prodded. When I compress the lump I can clearly see a yellow-colored puss looking substance underneath the skin, and when pressed hard enough it seeps out. Then it turns into a nasty looking red mess on my face that sticks around for about 2 weeks before it heals up. They are super annoying and painful, and it's almost impossible for me to leave them alone. What is the general consensus on the best method of treatment for these? Is there anything additional I can do to prevent them? I use a lot less BP then Dan recommends in the instructional videos, so I'm going to try and increase that first.

Also, what are you supposed to do if you get a lot of sun? I work all day in the sun and although I use sunscreen I sometimes get burnt. When I get a decent amount of sun it actually seems to help my acne, but then I'm afraid to apply BP to my face for fear of over-drying the skin. Is it "OK" to take a break from the Regimen for a few days if I've gotten a lot of sun the day before?

Thanks in advance.