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@toniacook I'm so sorry - I totally understand how frustrating this is! If I were you, I'd definitely go to an infectious disease specialist at this point. That is my plan as well. I'm going to try one more dermatologist and if that doesn't work I'll be searching for an infectious disease doctor. I'm also going to try a few more things - water fasting for at least 10 days is one of them...not looking forward to that.
After reading this blog I wanted to tell everyone use the white athletic tape on areas that itch or bumps!!! I wish I had known this 20 years ago! It is like magic with our problem! I also just started meds for herpes, I never had herpes before, my test did come back positive, I am convinced this is something viral. I have tried ivermectin a few times which did help my skin but did not fix the problem. I do have a thyroid problem, not sure if anyone else does? We only have each other- no doctors care, we will figure this out
@25years what does the athletic tape do? do the "plugs" disappear? how long do you leave it on for? Any specific brand you're using - Nexcare?
The most sticky athletic tape, leave it on as long as you can, you will feel when the tape is too itchy and then replace it with a new one. It is as if the thing cant breathe and will not let it get worse, also helps it heal dramatically faster! It pulls the infection out, the acid liquid stuff, you will also see tiny little hair things and plugs on the tape. It kills the bad and does nothing to the good skin! The biggest part it takes the itch out of your skin. And takes the pain away! I keep this all the time (even a roll in my purse). Nobody will know you have tape under your clothes during the day! And its cheap! Try one roll and you will be on amazon buying buy the bulk- I promise you! Let me know your results, I have to figure out how to heal this shit- if we figure out what it is we can fix it
I wanted to add, the outside of my body I have got much better at- use vinegar, baking soda, dawn soap in the tub~ you will see all the things in and around the tub- so much so you will have to immediately have to clean the tub when you get out! I wipe it all down as the water drains out the tub and start a shower (you will see why you need to rinse) with only water! When you get out and completely dry off add the athletic tape to all your areas, then get dressed! The inside of me is my issue- they just wont stop appearing! Its something in the bloodstream or something! Also buy oregano vitamins! Oregano kills infections and parasites! I started oregano 2 weeks ago- read about it!
The keratin plugs/nodules are caused by the fungus, or more strictly, by the body's immune response to the fungus - either (or both) malassezia or candida. Urea and/or salicylic acid will help get rid of the keratin plugs/nodules, but they will just come back if one does not treat the fungus.
Edit- some posts are just genuinely acne. Like the post above me is just picked at acne. But for some, this is beyond acne-
This is not fungus! It's not parasites! It's not any weird disease or condition or anything like that.
This is straight up inflammation/disorganized skin from a wound healing process gone awry.
if you have tried the anti-acne approach, and find that your issue is more of a non-healing wound, keep reading.
I honestly think when the skin or a wound is picked at, it just makes the skin cell layers super irregular/messed up, and it never really heals right.
But the plugs ARE real. So how do you get rid of them?
1. Order IODOSORB online.
2. Get on a strong antibiotic - doxycycline/clindamycin/Bactrim. If you've been digging around in an open wound, I 100% guarantee there's some level of bacterial infection going on. Go to an urgent care and say you've had impetigo, have been on Keflex/some other generic antibiotic, but it's not working, and you're still experiencing pain/tenderness/yellow oozing. Say you've had MRSA before, and doxycycline cleared it up. They will put you on doxy or some other MRSA-effective antibiotic. Also request mupirocin.
3. After being on the antibiotic for at least 48 hours, with clean skin and whatever clean, sterilized tool, GENTLY remove any LARGE keratin plugs. Sterilize the tool as you go! Do not make a mess. Do not traumatize the sh*t out of your skin. But yes, the LARGE plugs need to be mechanically removed. You do not need to get every one! Just the large ones causing pressure/pain.
4. Now, clean the wound with a gentle cleanser, such as Cetaphil. Apply mupirocin to the edges of the wound, slightly overlapping the healthy skin. Do not gob it on! You only need a very thin layer over the edges of the wound. You can also use very high quality/high MGO (like UMF 25+ at least) Manuka honey.
5. Apply Iodosorb to the wound bed. Do not get it on the healthy skin. The Iodosorb will essentially 'debride' all of the messed, damaged surface skin of the wound that is causing the havoc/irregular keratin plugs to form.
6. When the Iodosorb changes color, it's time to change it. Very gently remove it with a Q-tip and repeat the process.
7. Keep doing this. You might have to continue this routine for 3-5 days until the wound sloughs and reveals a beautiful, healthy, smooth, even later of skin that will not go on to heal normally.
8. Once it is at this stage, you do not need to continue using the Iodosorb. Iodosorb doesn't work on dry/clean wounds. At this point it should heal like a normal scab with a little TLC.
DO NOT PUT ANYTHING ON IT THAT WILL IRRITATE IT, DAMAGE IT, INFLAME IT!!!!! No acids, no anti fungals, NOTHING THAT IS NOT SPECIFICALLY INDICATED FOR OPEN WOUNDS!
Please understand. You do not have some never-heard-of-before ultra rare disease. You have an irritated-as-sh*t open wound that you've been relentlessly digging at and messing with and is not just like WTF because there is so much damaged/irregular skin in it.
Debride the skin and leave it tf alone!
@25years what does the athletic tape do? do the "plugs" disappear? how long do you leave it on for? Any specific brand you're using - Nexcare?
Have you by chance used the tape, and what are your thoughts about it
@toniacook I'm so sorry - I totally understand how frustrating this is! If I were you, I'd definitely go to an infectious disease specialist at this point. That is my plan as well. I'm going to try one more dermatologist and if that doesn't work I'll be searching for an infectious disease doctor. I'm also going to try a few more things - water fasting for at least 10 days is one of them...not looking forward to that.
Mine has somehow gotten better than it was. No major open sores. I still have obvious overgrowth of Demodex and they're still jabbing at me. I have a couple of trouble areas that won't let up. Infectious disease dr won't see me for this. Still searching for a dr that actually is aware of Demodex. One dr said he'd put in a referral to wake forest for help. Dr after dr misdiagnose rosacea. It's crazy. Good luck to you.
Edit- some posts are just genuinely acne. Like the post above me is just picked at acne. But for some, this is beyond acne-
This is not fungus! It's not parasites! It's not any weird disease or condition or anything like that.
This is straight up inflammation/disorganized skin from a wound healing process gone awry.
if you have tried the anti-acne approach, and find that your issue is more of a non-healing wound, keep reading.
I honestly think when the skin or a wound is picked at, it just makes the skin cell layers super irregular/messed up, and it never really heals right.
But the plugs ARE real. So how do you get rid of them?
1. Order IODOSORB online.
2. Get on a strong antibiotic - doxycycline/clindamycin/Bactrim. If you've been digging around in an open wound, I 100% guarantee there's some level of bacterial infection going on. Go to an urgent care and say you've had impetigo, have been on Keflex/some other generic antibiotic, but it's not working, and you're still experiencing pain/tenderness/yellow oozing. Say you've had MRSA before, and doxycycline cleared it up. They will put you on doxy or some other MRSA-effective antibiotic. Also request mupirocin.
3. After being on the antibiotic for at least 48 hours, with clean skin and whatever clean, sterilized tool, GENTLY remove any LARGE keratin plugs. Sterilize the tool as you go! Do not make a mess. Do not traumatize the sh*t out of your skin. But yes, the LARGE plugs need to be mechanically removed. You do not need to get every one! Just the large ones causing pressure/pain.
4. Now, clean the wound with a gentle cleanser, such as Cetaphil. Apply mupirocin to the edges of the wound, slightly overlapping the healthy skin. Do not gob it on! You only need a very thin layer over the edges of the wound. You can also use very high quality/high MGO (like UMF 25+ at least) Manuka honey.
5. Apply Iodosorb to the wound bed. Do not get it on the healthy skin. The Iodosorb will essentially 'debride' all of the messed, damaged surface skin of the wound that is causing the havoc/irregular keratin plugs to form.
6. When the Iodosorb changes color, it's time to change it. Very gently remove it with a Q-tip and repeat the process.
7. Keep doing this. You might have to continue this routine for 3-5 days until the wound sloughs and reveals a beautiful, healthy, smooth, even later of skin that will not go on to heal normally.
8. Once it is at this stage, you do not need to continue using the Iodosorb. Iodosorb doesn't work on dry/clean wounds. At this point it should heal like a normal scab with a little TLC.
DO NOT PUT ANYTHING ON IT THAT WILL IRRITATE IT, DAMAGE IT, INFLAME IT!!!!! No acids, no anti fungals, NOTHING THAT IS NOT SPECIFICALLY INDICATED FOR OPEN WOUNDS!
Please understand. You do not have some never-heard-of-before ultra rare disease. You have an irritated-as-sh*t open wound that you've been relentlessly digging at and messing with and is not just like WTF because there is so much damaged/irregular skin in it.
Debride the skin and leave it tf alone!
There are different conditions in this thread it would appear, however Demodicosis/Demodex is a real condition.
Demodex attacks the compromised immune system and becomes overpopulated. It's not rare, it's just misdiagnosed. Dermatologists and Dr's gaslight instead of wanting to help or test for it.
I know for a fact that's what I've been fighting and can't get proper treatment for. Often the antibiotics prescribed hinder Demodex and make worse. The correlation of antibiotics, the immune system, and Demodex is real.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8942344/
This is also something that makeup cannot really cover to make more presentable. It shows under makeup with the flakes/tails all over your face and really cakes up. It's almost like trying to cover up sandpaper.
I have another Dermatologist appointment I made coming up sometime. I'm hoping they can help me and maybe I won't have to drive to Winston Salem.
Dr's that I've seen don't want to prescribe ivermectin oral and the ones I did get it from only gave me the one time package. I've read that you have to take it for a bit to do any good. It's awful.
I ordered this from Amazon and received this evening. Fingers crossed it works for me. It's expensive and a tiny jar. I've been eyeing it, but finally ordered.
Ovante Demodex Mite Eliminating Facial Cream for Humans With Demodex | Original | - 0.5 oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZEK50D
its proboscis connects to the red collar around the outer end of the stomach
@finerfeedback did you ever end up trying Accutane for this? I am considering it!
I wanted to give a update for anyone following...... I wrapped the athletic tape around my arms for 12 hours and seen the difference immediately! Followed with a apple cider vinegar bath- I then rubbed cinnamon on each part of my body then rinsed 30 sec later. After 25 years of this I'm seeing and feeling the difference. Now I will have to work on getting rid of these scars. I'm now taking cinnamon vitamin, oregano vitamin, and the herpes meds. The athletic tape pulls out the infection and kills it. Cinnamon is a ancient skin remedy!
@25years turn myself in to apple cobler check...
i spoke with my doctor thismorning , they looking in to this page , i want to 1st say thank you for suffering with these bastards before me , i still say we can turn them in to a mechanicism that converts rust in to bio sub strait , ( soil creator just ad rust) to convert mars in to a life giving planet the eco system living in us would do it.
@25years turn myself in to apple cobler check...
Lol, , it really is working! I'm shocked at the results, and cheap! I been going to doctor to doctor for 20 years. Try it and please let me know your results
@finerfeedback did you ever end up trying Accutane for this? I am considering it!
Hi. After seeing another Dermatologist, they prescribed the 2 week dose of Ivermectin. They were more accepting than any other DR. They still don't fully understand it though or able to believe my experience with it. It's always rosacea first. It's frustrating. They say don't pick and try to tell me that Demodex are microscopic.
You almost have to get most of the mites out before it will heal. That's the only reason mine isn't as bad as it was.
Also, we aren't talking about a normal amount of Demodex. I'm talking extremely severe amount of them and yes you can see them. You obviously can't actually see the true body, however you can see and feel them.
They are sticky and stick to your fingers. They look like white boogers and flakes of skin. I posted that Pic of one them, one of about 5, that was hanging from my face one night.
That freaked me out for real! Those were a good size and you could make out the body close to its true self. I've showed that picture to Dr's with date/time and they dismiss it. They have it in their mind that the circumstances are the same as normally being microscopic.
Why? The game changed when Demodex overpopulated with a compromised immune system. There is a fb page (Barbara's Demodex...) that has some info.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086502830383&mibextid=ZbWKwL
It's unreal the regiments and treatments trying to get Demodex under control. That mite cream didn't seem to help, either. Like all, we've tried so much.
I was considering asking this last Dermatologist about Acutane/isotretinoin tablets (substitute for Acutane) if the ivermectin doesn't help. I haven't had much luck with ivermectin really. I found this the other day when researching ivermectin study.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9350859/
I can't get the tape to really work for me. My issues are on my face and it doesn't seem to stick well. My face is extremely oily and is worse with Demodex. It's more than oily. It's kinda gooey.
I have used the compeed or mederma coldsore patches. They seem to help sometimes if you're able to leave it on about a day. The heat melts coverings/band aids sometimes, though. I've also used the All Health fast healing hydrocolloid bandages. (All from Amazon or Ebay). They do cover and not as noticeable as a regular band-aid on your face.
I can not even begin to explain how validating it feels to actually see others dealing with the same exact condition as well as the mass disregard we all have been receiving from doctors. It's become very depressing and creates this feeling of isolation and makes you question your sanity.
I am absolutely going to look up some of the ideas offered here. This has given me a needed boost to continue on with looking for a treatment.
Thank you so so very much for sharing and starting this thread. It has, at least for myself, given me ba k some hope and confidence in my sanity.
@fumi83 Welcome! The good news is: judging by your photos, you're in the right place, you have what we have! The bad news is: we don't know what we have 🙁 different things have worked for different people, and some of us are still dealing with this with no solution 🙁
please keep us posted on your trial & error!
PS. hope you feel less alone & you're definitely not crazy!
@fumi83 Welcome! The good news is: judging by your photos, you're in the right place, you have what we have! The bad news is: we don't know what we have 🙁 different things have worked for different people, and some of us are still dealing with this with no solution 🙁
please keep us posted on your trial & error!
PS. hope you feel less alone & you're definitely not crazy!
It looks like hers may be Demodex. The white crud and the hairs. Demodex will push the hairs out like that. The problem with Demodex is it's almost impossible to get under control since it is a part of our ecosystem. It has survived a lot and is immune to many things. It also depends on how severe the overpopulation is and our immune system. If our immune systems are still out of whack, it can't fight them and keep the numbers down. Mine hasn't really itched and that is something that supposedly is associated with it.
I will say when mine was worse and I had the huge ulcer like sores all over my face, there was a sorta burning/stinging feeling. I think this was due to the huge amount of Demodex attacking and I could feel them. I never could describe the feeling, but on that documentary Skin Deep/Morgellons; it was described perfectly. Pop rocks. That old school candy.
Now, I still have signs of it under my skin/face, that I can't cover. No sores on the left side, but I have 2 sore like patches on the right side. It's a scaly/hard patch below the corner of my mouth. Dead Demodex form this scaly crusty stuff and it won't heal. They just keep attacking it. I have another on my cheek close to my nose. Although no sores on my left side, it's still eat up with Demodex and looks horrible. It's hard to describe. Glossy white appearance with a little red and streaks. It's under my skin and you see it. Track marks of Demodex and whatever else associated with it. It's horrible looking. Not normal skin.
I hope we all can beat this war waged on us. It's awful.
@toniacook I do not think this is demodex at all. At this point I think it's most likely autoimmune and/or related to abnormal hormone regulation and/or sebum production.