Unknown Source of Skin Condition After Giving Birth

Hi A. ,
I have been at home the past several years due to some medical issues. I was an ICU nurse and although dermatology wasn't my specialty I do know a little bit. Do you have any other symptoms? Aside from roseacea Lupus can cause a rash across the cheeks in the shape of a butterfly. I am probably way off base but just offering another potential answer.Hope it get's better.
J. H
http://www.workathomeunited.com/J.

Ask your doctor to test you for lupus. I have discoid lupus which affects the skin. With predisone and a topical steroid cream I got it under control.....but it also means you need to use a sunscreen on your face EVERY day. I use Neutrogena Healthy Defense daily moisturizer under my make up. If you have this you may also need to use it on the rest of you exposed skin and limit sun exposure. I can even go to the beach as long as I don't stay out too long and use a 55 sunblock and shade my face with a hat. Good Luck. Oh and it took over 10 years to correctly diagnose this problem.

I, like Jennifer have discoid lupus. It is a lupus that just a skin condition, not systemic. These conditions usually flare up after giving birth and here is why. While you are pregnant you body has a surplus of it's own natural steroids that go away when you deliver. This causes a rebound effect which flares everything up. I was diagnosed right after my first baby. This condition is usually found in women in their late 20s and early 30s. I was fortunate to have my condition diagnosed right away through biopsy. I highly recommend you find a doctor who will biopsy your rash. If it is discoid lupus, the rashes can actually damage your skin and leave scaring, not something, I am sure you want on your face. I hope this is not the case, I hope it is just a simple allergy, but you do not want it to go on for 10 years like Jennifer. good luck

Extreme dry skin can also be a symptom of hypothyroidism, which is common after pregnancy. You might look up its other symptoms and consider having your thyroid tested. It is easily treated. Have you tried sleeping with humidifier in your room? I also recommend Aveeno baby lotion, which does not have some of the chemicals that other posters have mentioned. Good luck.

I suffer the same way. Have you tried changing shampoo's and skin conditioners? I noticed that I wasn't allergic before birth but after I was. After my shower in the morning I my face would be so dry red and itchy that I have to put lotion on it. then I realized it was my shampoo and lotion that I was allergic too. When I stopped using them it went away.

My daughter had an excema type rash on her cheeks only. It turned out to be a dairy allergy. After pregnancy you can also become sensitive to things that didnt use to bother you. I would keep a food journal to see if something you are eating is making it flare up. and also use a mild soap like cetaphil. It could be dry skin and the cetaphil soap would be the most gentle cleanser to use on your face.

I would suggest making an appt with Dr Whalen at Mt lebanon dermatology if live close enough. I had the exact same situation as you and finally made an appt there. He was very familiar with these post partum skin disorders and gave me the correct medicine to take away the rash within a day or two it was gone.

I have a skin condition called peri-oral dermatitis that sounds similar to what you are experiencing. I have had this condition for many years and have been to many doctors. So, to make a long story short, the ONLY thing that has ever worked for me is pure vitamin E. You can buy it in a cream form at any drugstore. Put a small amount on the affected area twice a day and try washing your face with only Cetaphil soap.
Hope this helps you the same way it helped me!

Hi A.,
Congratulations on the new baby! Two dermatologists with no answer...how frustrating! A new baby AND working...how stressful!

A few suggestions for you... Keep a diary and chart when it flares or is at its worse. What were you doing, what did you eat, where were you and time of day. This will help to determine if its, stress, allergy etc, Some clues willl form a pattern. ( hopefully)

A new baby can throw your entire system out of order.

Are you having your blood pressure checked regularly? Rule out hypertension.
Have you switched soap, shampoo makeup? Is your makeup OLD? Irritants.
Are you taking in more caffiene ? Dilates blood vessels in face.
Have you recently moved and do you have hard water???? This is something most folks dont think of.

If you havent altered anything and you rule out these things then doing calming things for YOURSELF may help.

Get out if you can, even just to windowshop or take a walk around the block. Candle lit bubblebaths are always beneficial, deep breathing, listening to soft soothing music or just lying on the bed in the quiet for a 15 minute rest or nap can settle you down.

I was EXTREMELY stressed with my first, constantly vigilant and always on call for every whimper. At the time I didnt realize just how tense I was. I was on autopilot like a robot.
Let me know how you fare with this.

In the meantime there is a cosmetic powder by PhysiciansFormula Cosmetics, it's green! and it hides the rosey hues. JC Penny also has a green liquid cosmetic that hides redness one applies under foundation. Since you are already itchy I'd be careful about using anything on your face...you may be aggravating it with creams and makeup...(the powder might be the least irritating for a coverup)
I hope we've hit the root of the problem. Keep me posted.
Blessings to you and yours!
Justine

A.,
If you are having any other symptoms with the rash such as pain in your joints or fatigue. You may want to be tested for Lupus. You would ask to have an A1C panel done. If you are having no other symptoms then maybe you just need a good skin care regimen that would include a good toner, hydrating lotion and night treatment. It could just be from all the weather changes or even from dry air in the house. Your body makes a lot of changes after having a baby, maybe even a vitamin supplement would help you out. Visit my site at http://www.myfindoutmore.com to see some really good products. If your in a pinch I can set you up to get my prices on them. I can recommend some things for you if you need anything let me know.

Hope this helps!

M.

I work with a company that has great skin care products. Weird things happen after pregnancy. Blame it on the HORMONES. Any way I can help you set up an account so you can shop at discounted prices or you can shop and pay full price. I really think it would be worth trying. www.livegreeneasy.com

You are upset because your facial skin is red and uncomfortable, and the derms don't think it is "significant"!? If it is effecting your life, it is!

My understanding is that cortisone thins the skin...that is what my allergist said.
Your body chemistry has probably changed since pregnancy/birth/nursing. Your skin may be responding differently to the environment.
Look at what you put on your face. Some soaps have a detergent base. Facial cleansers are full of chemicals. I have a friend who always says if you can't eat it don't put it on your body. Read the ingredients. I finally cleared up skin issues when I avoided sodium laurel sulfate and all parabens. No sorbitol or hydolyzed milk (or wheat, or whatever) protein, in cleansers, toners, creams, etc. No fragrance or dyes.
In your shoes I would use nothing but diluted, unscented castile soap for cleansing and then put an organic oil on for treatment...jojoba, emu, aloe, you'll have to see which works best.
If you use makeup, Bare escentuals is great.
Try drugstore.com or sephora.com for natural products or GNC or your local health food store.
Check out
www.ewg.org
and look up "skindeep". It will explain what to avoid in your skin care products and why.
best wishes!

I agree with the other posters who said that if it affects your life, it's significant. I would look for another dermatologist who will take you seriously, but also consider that although topical corticosteroids can get rashes under control, they can also cause them with continued use (and especially, you will see awful looking flares right when you stop using them if you've been using them for a while). When you stop using them (assuming your skin is looking good when you stop), if your skin flares up again, you'll have to start again briefly and then taper off use over a couple of days or so(use half as often for a day or two and then half as often as that or mix with plain lotion 50/50 and then stop).

And, you can definitely try moving to a non-allergenic cleanser like Cetaphil to minimize external irritations. (and wear sunscreen!)

Good luck--this must be miserable for you.

Hi A.,
I had an issue with my hands, starting with my ring finger just like the other poster. It also affected my right arm. I tracked it down to 1. gaining weight which made my rings tight, and of all things, 2. dish detergent. It is the solidifier in the dish soap which has a very high salt content and when my hands and arms would get wet and soapy and my arm would make contact with the SS sink it would make this rash. The derms had no clue what it was. It was the chemists at the dish liquid co. that figured it out and all dish liquid co.'s use the same solidifier. So, as lame as this sounds...cut down or stop using detergents on your pillow case when washing them for maybe a week and use a washcloth on your face without your normal skin products and do not place your face against the baby or the baby clothes for a week and see if this makes a differance. I also cought myself using a little more than I should of baby det. on the baby clothes and using all of the "baby" brand products on my baby which did not agree with my skin, which was NEVER senstive before. I think it is hormonal in a way but I hope this "salt" thing sheds some light on it for you. Good luck!
I use Philosophy Purity face cleanser on my face with a washcloth and Bare Essentuals makeup (you can find these at QVC or Sephora)and I have no issues. My kids and husband use the Philosophy too and love it.

I also have some kind of rash and it started when I was pregnant with my child. Mine is on my hands, it first started around my ring finger and I just thought it was from water getting under my ring, but since then it has spread to both hands. It has this cycle that it starts to itch then it begins to seep just a little and it then starts to dry and crack and get all red. After that it almost goes away but it comes back and starts the cycle again. I'm going to make an appointment with my doctor to see if I can get rid of it. Let me know if you find out anything on what is causing yours. I've tried everything from removing soap, cleaners, lotions, and anything else that I thought that would cause it but, nothing seemed to help. If I find out anything more I'll let you know.

My skin is always *really* dry the first couple of months of nursing. The thing that helps me is making sure that I am very well hydrated. You might also try taking some flax seed oil. You can get it in capsules, in oil form or you can get the ground seeds (or the whole seeds and grind yourself). I get the whole seeds and grind myself and put it in my oatmeal or yogurt. Good luck!

Beth

I suffered with same conditions as you discribe after the birth of my second son. It started with redness across both cheeks, nose and some on the chin, after about 6 months of this I did find that indeed it was Rosacea, it always starts with just redness then progress to bumps,small pus filled bumps (it might take 1 year for progression to bumps and broken vessels) my suggestion is to get treated for this condition, I found that Metrocream (metronidazole topical cream 0.7%)work wonders, although it took a time to clear, by the time I was diagnosed I had to start an antibotic as well.

I had clear skin all throughout my teenage and puberty years. The occasional blemish every now and then. That was until I got pregnant with my first child! I've been told it has to do with the hormone changes that take place with pregnancy. Here I am 7 years later, mom of 2 girls, and adult acne (I look like a teen going through puberty, with really bad acne)!!! Good luck, my skin hasn't been the same since my first pregnancy.

Hi: If you don't mind me suggesting, maybe you could back off the cordisteroid treatments temporarily while you investigate into some natural treatments first. The only reason I mention that is I have gone through alot of trial and error with my daughter's skin condition. With that said, we had gone to a naturapathic doctor in Merchantville, Dr. Jen Phillips who actually helped us to see hers was a food allergy although that is not always the case. Some immediate hints are to 1. use a probiotic daily! This puts the absolutely necessary good bacteria back into your body which is totally depleted once we have taken any antibiotic. Did you have antibiodics administered in labor? 2. Fish oil or flaxseed oil is absolutely necessary for your skin from the inside out. 3. check out some natural creams and treatments either through online or a natural doctor or Wholefoods.