I Did it My Way

I have been reading this forum for a couple of years and tried many of the different suggestions before coming to a routine that works for me. I think there is no 'one size fits' solution with this affliction, so a trial and error approach is the only way to get to a place that works for you.

Firstly, I was lucky enough to move to Germany—a country where visiting a dermatologist is free. In Ireland I could never afford to visit one. Would have had to pay 50 to the GP then 200 plus a long waiting time. The following is the lotion they gave me. Acid salicylic : 3g; Chloramphenicol: 1g; Liniment oil: 10g. That is the ratio and I get it in a 50g tub which does me for several months. This cream is amazing. Just a tiny amount is required and it really clears up both the red and dry skin around the sides of my nose.

For my head, I use Head and Shoulders and I think this is about the best shampoo you can get. I have always used this and it does the job effectively of clearing up the flakes on my scalp that I used to think was just dandruff until I got the diagnosis of Seba.

Next switch I made was using only cold water for showers. I noticed that after a hot shower my sensitive skin was red and it definitely effected the dryness of the affected areas.

In my gym I am lucky to have both a sauna, steam room, and a cold shower, so this is my morning routine.

I read a lot about dietary changes, but to this day have never had the discipline to stay committed to any restrictive diet. I eat relatively healthily, but I also like to treat myself with crisps and chocolate bars regularly. I don't seem to suffer from diet related flare ups or at least nothing severe enough to force me to drop the sweet stuff.

I drink alcohol most weekends and often to excess. The day after sometimes my nose and forehead are a bit drier than normal, but of course not enough to ditch the nectar of the gods—me being Irish and all.

I have reached a point with this frustrating skin disease where I am very happy with the condition of my skin. Importantly, I see more of the sun here and I am sure more vitamin D is also playing a part. Perhaps I am less stressed living in Berlin too—it is less of a corporate rat race than my beloved Dublin.

I am quite sure there are many factors at play and probably hormonal fluctuations that could drive flare up also; but I don't really know.

I meditate and practise yoga as often as I can. Stress feeds into everything, a calm mind can lead to a healthy body and appearance.

So that's my story and I hope it can be of some help. Peace out to the community. Tweet