I’m cured. Big words right? OK, so let’s say I’m in a lengthy remission

Update 11/15/11:

I'm cured. Big words right? OK, so let's say I'm in a lengthy remission. I don't have any current outbreaks and as I read over my prior posts I think that means I'm now about 4 months without a flare up.

I've been using the sumaxin every day. I've actually grown to like the smell of sulfur. Smells like, victory (over skin problems). I also reach into the toolkit outlined above every now and then. In particular I soak in a bathtub with about 2 cups of bleach added periodically. I also do the treatment of my bedding described above regularly. If this problem comes down to bacteria/fungus/etc then that is a critical step...it can't be ignored.

Further, if this problem is really related to bacteria/fungus/etc then it probably makes sense to take a broad spectrum approach to the problem. Of course it helps to have some training in microbiology so you know what works to kill single celled organisms (that can get very complicated). Also, you have to use something that will kill the microorganism without also killing the host (you).

Sumaxin is pretty good for this purpose because both sulfur and sulfacetamide block a metabolic pathway that would be difficult for an organism to overcome via genetic mutation. The same could be said of hydrogen peroxide but it is also a skin irritant if used on inflamed skin.

And if all the above seems like a lot of work just to deal with a simple skin condition...you're right. I had perfectly fine skin up until a certain point when this problem came out of no where. Then I had a terrible dermatologist who gave me only steroid creams and that weakened my skin and allowed the spread of this over my entire face and head. Once that happens pretty much the only thing I think you can do is remove the offending microorganisms as much as is possible and in a way that will irritate your skin as little as possible. That is a delicate balancing act that requires a lot of effort and research. However, having a competent dermatologist from the start would have been most helpful in my case.

I hope these posts are helpful in some way. I know they are long but it is a complicated topic.