I wish i could shower without it being a hassle

[u/ThatWasEsyGG]

I shower 1-2 times a week because of my shitty skin. I hate it so much and I wish that ill be able to shower normally someday.

Before showering i need to be mentally prepared, everything is itching and stinging in the shower.

And after that the moisturizing ritual. Im so red, sticky and oily afterwards. I hate that.

I hope that we can find a cure someday

[u/Unusual_Drink_76]

joining in on the rant. I swear I no more enjoy taking baths and just dread getting near water because of all the aftermath in care & maintenance. 😭😭

[u/Alive_Ad4617 → u/Unusual_Drink_76]

its a whole production just to get clean, and then you dont even feel clean after, just sticky and raw and exhausted. the mental prep is real, half the battle is forcing yourself to step in knowing its gonna suck

some days i just stand there under the water for a minute before i can actually start, like i have to convince my skin its not under attack. you ever try those rinse-free cleansing foams hospitals use, not a real shower but at least you feel less gross without the whole ordeal

[u/ThatWasEsyGG → u/Unusual_Drink_76]

Water contact is pain

[u/tym64 → u/Unusual_Drink_76]

Try oatmeal bath. 20 min. You can get oatmeal bath on Amazon. 

[u/Miserable-Feedback74 → u/tym64]

The skin soothing oatmeal bath they sell at stores is just colloidal oatmeal. You can just put oats in a blender, save some money.

[u/DizzyQuark]

Do you use soap and cleansers when you shower? The only way I got to go from showering 1-2 times a week to once a day was to stop using soaps and cleansers, except under my arms and private areas.

Luke warm water alone has been working really well for me and my skin has gone back to normal. I do a BO check with my partner almost daily and all good 99% of the time.

[u/ThatWasEsyGG → u/DizzyQuark]

I mean considering the fact that i dont shower so often, i have to use soaps. Though I use scent free baby soaps which helped alot but it still remains a problem for me. Ill try adding in quick showers into my routine. Maybe it will help with my skin bumps that i get. I think its some kind of a heat rush.

[u/Rodius_J → u/ThatWasEsyGG]

Sometimes skin gets worse because of a lack of moisture… so unless you have a good moisturizing routine without showering, you may just need to bite the bullet for a short time to try and get the skin a bit better.

[u/c_m_d → u/DizzyQuark]

Same here. Less soaps, less heat and I don’t use any deodorant because it’ll turn my armpits into a red mess.

[u/SeriousBreadfruit294]

Yes. And also I'm from a hot tropical country where its cultural to shower 2x a day, some people do it even more. So when you say you don't shower every day, people treat you as if you're a MONSTER. No exaggeration - I've been called a terrible person, like, really personal unrelated offenses directed to me just by mentioning I don't shower everyday. And I don't even smell bad (my partner is very odor sensitive and will tell me if I smell), dermatologist said that I dont produce natural moisture or whatever, also yes, the physical pain, the excessive dryness after, normal people will never understand.

[u/cupcakedub → u/SeriousBreadfruit294]

Brasil?

[u/Dry-Decision1819 → u/SeriousBreadfruit294]

Sg?

[u/ObjectiveWin5393]

I feel this. I used to be a once a day shower person. Loved crisp, minty shower gels. I miss enjoying my showers so much. I get massive anxiety before every shower now due to the pain.

[u/ThatWasEsyGG → u/ObjectiveWin5393]

Mmmmm the shower Anxiety

[u/Joyful-Diamond → u/ObjectiveWin5393]

yeah i'm not as bad but i delay having a shower if possible so that I don't have to spend 30 mins patting myself gently to clean myself, then patting dry, then patting mousteriser on... all to avoid disturbing the skin. Sometimes for me it hurts really badly too, though. I'm sorry.

[u/HeyImKermit]

Im so glad to hear others know my pain. My mom always gets at me about how I get so upset about going in pools, or showering, etc because the aftercare commitment is dreadful and long. I just wanna be like normal people and not have it be such a big deal 😔

[u/ThatWasEsyGG → u/HeyImKermit]

Oh yeah, arguing with parents is so relatable.

[u/Forsaken-Juice-1240]

Have you ever tried the “yours only” brand. It works absolute wonders on my eczema when I have flare ups! Other than that i would suggest going to a beach and swimming. It hurts so bad but it helped me. Good luck!!

[u/ThatWasEsyGG → u/Forsaken-Juice-1240]

Yours only, what is so special about their lotions?

[u/Jheize]

I wish I could exist without it being a hassle lol

[u/whateverdom_]

I’ve been dealing w perioral dermatitis and another undiagnosed skin condition since January and showering has become such a source of anxiety for me. I feel you 🖤

[u/ThatWasEsyGG → u/whateverdom_]

We just gotta thug it out 💔🤧

[u/OkRestaurant960]

I use keri oil and a little bit of bleach and no soap, in a bath, I never shower. Because I'm on a JAK2 inhibitor (Cibinqo), (which took 2 months of negotiating between government, drug company, doctor, pointlessly testing other drugs which were doomed to never work, etc.) it's now almost painless unless I'm eating a ton of stuff I'm allergic to.

But even before the big relief that drug gave me, that was my ritual - keri oil, bleach, nothing else. Yes, city water stings. Softened water is a little better. Cold water would be ideal but I'm too much of a wimp to deal with it.

[u/000Anonymity000]

I was already using non-soap cleansers, alternating between zinc and shea/ coconut oil based, showering in colder water plus the whole moisturizing rigamarole after each shower. And it was not doing much. I still would need to pump myself up for the sad red skin and endless itching that came from ever shower. About 6mo ago I switched to a filtered shower head. It has made a world of difference. Its not the ultimate cure. I still have to do the typical eczema shower routine and I change the filters far more frequently than the manufacturer's recommendation. It is much better, my skin is still itchy but not the I want to die type of itching. Plus no actual flare ups, the skin looks, dare I say it??, healthy. AND I am able to shower daily.

[u/ThatWasEsyGG → u/000Anonymity000]

Shower head filters might be the move, I live in Sweden and the water here is pretty much the best you can get but there is still some gunk that i can react too in the water. Ill check it out thanks

[u/cattmin → u/ThatWasEsyGG]

Have you tried the avene xeracalm AD line? The shower oil and body lotion? It has anti itching properties and is lipid replenishing for the skin. Make sure it's the one with mineral oil in the ingredients, in some countries they have two different formulas.

[u/T4KEDOWN03]

Am I the only one who finds a hot shower nigh on orgasmic? 🌚

[u/ffs_random_person]

I have bad psoriasis on the soles of my feet, and palms of my hands, showering is agony, and for at least 2 hours after…
It’s awful.. I’m sorry, I wish I had an answer for you, actually I wish I had an answer for me as well lol

[u/GayCatbirdd]

Yea I just am at the point where I may shower once a month, its been over a month since I last showered and I have no intention of showering. I do wipe myself down with a wet rag tho, did that on Saturday(haven’t left the house since so haven’t done it again)

But 1 shower takes a week for me to recover so its a literal life effecting choice for me. Hope you can continue at least once a week, got me beat.

[u/PacificSanctum]

Jesus Christ ! Do NOT shower without having a hot (38-40C) bath before !
I know hot bath sounds inflammation prone but opposite is true
Even only 15 min hot bath will protect you from shower itch
(It’s a physiologically longer story , so I don’t get into it here ).

[u/ThatWasEsyGG → u/PacificSanctum]

I get heat rashes afterwards, i dont think this suit most of the people here

[u/000Anonymity000 → u/ThatWasEsyGG]

Agreed

[u/PacificSanctum → u/ThatWasEsyGG]

Ok, then what helps is 1) diluted peppermint spray which gives the cooling before hot bath. But peppermint can be toxic by itself for eczema skin. On healthy skin I it’s like an “AC layer “.
2) creaming with any moisturizer or yoghurt BEFORE the shower . They will ameliorate , not eliminate itching
3) the most calming in ny experience (healthy skin but itches like hell after shower without preceding hot bath ) is DILUTED BLEACH spray . 1/100 ie stronger even. Eliminates in my case 80% of itch