Serious issues with dry facial skin

[veleha]

I last posted here on summer but still would like to ask about this topic. I found an old thread were someone was complaining having extremely dry facial skin which seemed no improvement even with heavy creams. Other said that creams hurt the facial skin.

My situation started 5 months ago and at this moment the biggest problem is the facial skin. I am not even sure if I have particularly dry skin anywhere else even though some days I think that the skin of my body shows some signs of dryness too. I thought I had developed dry scalp and hair too, but not sure about that anymore. My hair is back to quite normal, at least at this moment.

But the skin of my face still feels very dry. At the beginning of the summer it felt just like that - no moisturizer seemed to help enough. I have always had dry skin type but this is different. It seems that there's rarely any sebum in my skin anymore and that mainly causes the dryness and irritation. I can't use any creams I have used all my adult life. Many of them make my skin red with irritation. I went to beautician who is specialized in Sjs patients and she admitted my skin was dry and the hydrolipid barrier of the skin surface was damaged, even non-existent. But she said that comparing to her other Sjs patients, my skin did not looked like I had Sjogrens, so she wasn't sure if the dryness was due to disease or some other factor. (I still think what else could it be? Hormones? Age? Too much moisturizing?) She gave me some creams, but at the end there was no long term help. I have tried tons of lotions and cream, oils and serums and it only seems my skin get worse and more irritated. The only thing that has helped a little has been cutting the creams and staying with only very pure natural ingredients, like jojoba oil and shea butter.

I am getting very tired of this. What I have been reading about dry skin and Sjs quite often there is some cream or other adjustment that offers help, sometimes even permanent improvement. The beautician told me that even her Sjs patients with much more dry skin which has been thinning too (she said I didn't have skin thinning typical to Sjs) have been able to treat their skin successfully, so it's hard to accept that I can't find any help.

And it is really confusing that why my hair and body skin have improved markedly (in the summer I had red patches on my chest but not anymore) and why I do not have dry hands or feet. I can shower normally and even use hot water what it comes to my body, but my face gets red and irritated from water. Why is it only the skin on my face that feels so enormously dry? I have read lot of suggestions for dry skin treatment from here and other sources, but haven't find a perfect solution for me. So I would like to know if anyone else is experiencing dry skin only or mainly in the face? Of course any tips are still welcomed too. 

I have also been to many dermatologists and they can only say that I have somewhat dry skin, but nothing that could be instantly said to be from Sjs. Or they have said that it's impossible to separate Sjs dry skin from other causes of dry skin and because I have Sjs it's likely the dryness is from that. And they offer ointments or recipes for medical creams, which I have tried with no permanent succes.

Creams and ingredients I have tried: La Roche Posay Lipikar Baume+, La Roche posay Cicaplast, Dermalogica Barrier Repair, Dermalogica Barrier replacement oil, Vaseline, Dermalogica Intensive Moisture balance, Xyliderm, creams with lactic acid, creams with urea, hyaluronic acid, Decubal creams, creams with linolenic acids, jojoba oil, almond oil, coconut oil, olive oil, multiple hydrating toners, roseship seed oil and tons of others both natural cosmethics and non-natural ones. Only the jojoba oil and shea butter have helped to somewhat.

I also take omega 3, zinc and vitamin B supplements and eat healthily. Sometimes I think I imagine this all. Sometimes I think it is just normal aging as I had dry skin type from the start (I am still only 40 years old).

[Maria3667]

Hi Veleha,

I feel for you! Facial dryness has been a big issue for me too. Like you I tried many creams and most don't work - or hurt.

Be careful with any ingredient containing an 'acid', like hyaluronic or lactic acid. It will cause a burning sensation. I even had to abondon Lipikar because of this. Urea too! Also refrain from creams containing preservatives (long list, Google it).

Have you looked into hormones yet? My skin is so much better now I'm on testosterone and DHEA (low dose). All I use now is vitamine E oil on my skin.

Yes, the biggest cause is probably hormonal decline (and aging).

Good luck.

[Carolina]

Hi veleha,

So interesting, because it hits home.  Up until age 27 I had super super dry skin and anything I put on my face triggered an outbreak of eczema.  So I was just dry skin everywhere.

At age 27 my entire body had a transformation, and my skin became oily, and my severe eczema (since birth) went away.  Needless to say I was amazed and overjoyed.

Beginning in my 40s, after I underwent very early menopause (41) I started on hormone replacement therapy.  I have used estrogen (as a bio-identical gel from a compounding pharmacy).  I am now 76, I still have estrogen gel, twice a day,  and I have almost NO facial wrinkles, and the skin on my chin and neck are firm.  I assume that is part genetic and part due to the estrogen. My skin continued to be moist and even slightly oily.

HOWEVER, in the past months, since summer, the skin on my face became dry and flaky.  I was shocked.  I always forget that things can change, AND of course I am getting older and older, as are we all

So recently I started using a lotion I had in my cabinet (since forever, probably from a hospital stay?).

And it is really relieving the dryness.  It is Lubriderm Advanced Therapy for Extra-Dry Skin.  I Googled it and it is still available, so maybe my bottle isn't that ancient.

Since my skin is no longer hyper sensitive, probably anything would have worked for me.  But this is nice since it leaves no oily feeling or feeling of 'coating' on my skin.

I wish you the best.

Regards, Elaine

[susanep]

I seem to be identifying with a lot of things today. I have this excessive dryness on my face and scalp. I am 65 and with lupus too. My face gets so dry it just peels in places and I have to pull it off. My face with the lupus turns red and can easily get sore and everyone can see it.

I recently went to a dermatologist to have some skin tags removed and also brought up to him my dry facial skin. He said that is from the lupus for me, and said the best cream he has found is the CereVe. I think it has ceramides in it. He also gave me samples of cream with the sunscreen in them by this brand. I looked up both the cream and the ceramides and found a lot of info.

This doesn't mean it will help your condition, because I know we are all different, but thought I would add this.

I hope you find something that helps.

susanep

[Judes]

Aveeno lotion works well for me.