i keep it well under control, that is, no desquamation or scaliness and very little roughness/redness while i don't fail to do my daily routine. if i don't put on cream for a few days, it's all back and it takes kinda long for it to go away again. it's frustrating and sometimes it feels hopeless. if i neglected my treatment and the thing is back on my face and i need to look good for something, i just use topical corticosteroids (Locoid is the best for me, but i've used others that helped, such as Alphaderm, Nystaform etc.) for two or three days. they do wonders, my face is almost instantly clean, but they're not recommended for prolonged use. my doctor says that they can cause bad acne and other skin problems, plus, you can develop resistance, your skin can stop responding to them.

my doctor also explained the mechanism: the skin regenerates too fast, so the outer layers peel off to make room for the immature (premature) inner layers. basically, excess skin is produced. thus, kerato regulators (keratolytics) are also of use (they regulate the way our skin regenerates, they inhibit premature regeneration. i used Mustela for kids, and liked it. i don't find it anymore).

i took Zinc for a while, didn't help all that much. i heard it worked better for others, though.

sometimes i just get tired of it and let it do its ways. and then i regret, cause it's more difficult and long to put it back where it belongs - under control.

what do you do? how does it manifest itself in your case? did a dermatologist give you this diagnostic or you self-diagnosed?

Do you know of any sites where they show before and after shots of certain treatments, Id like to see some results to find the best treatment for my case. Is your case pretty bad or is it 'not so bad' (without treatment, I mean)

Even if you don't want to use any medical cream, hydration helps, so you could use a mild cosmetic cream, hypoallergenic and unperfumed, preferably. i use clinique, it works the best for me, but it's a bit expensive. putting just regular cream makes my flaky zones look much better.

gonna look for what you've asked, will be back later

I think you should all know that there is no real cure for this - the treatment is designed to control the disease.

Here's an article: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000501/2703.html

It's written by MDs (one of them a Ph D), so I guess what is says is pretty reliable. Don't just avoid getting treatment, Gelly, there are known and verified methods to manage this condition, and the chances to make it better are sky high compared to the chances to make it worse by treatment... it actually may get worse without doing anything about it, and then it will be much more difficult to make it go away when you actually make up your mind about attempting to improve it.

It even has pictures, for Gelly , but not for BEFORE and AFTER. It only shows how bad this thing can get. And I think you'll feel better .

Hi y'all.

I think you should all know that there is no real cure for this - the treatment is designed to control the disease.

Here's an article: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000501/2703.html

It's written by MDs (one of them a Ph D), so I guess what is says is pretty reliable. Don't just avoid getting treatment, Gelly, there are known and verified methods to manage this condition, and the chances to make it better are sky high compared to the chances to make it worse by treatment... it actually may get worse without doing anything about it, and then it will be much more difficult to make it go away when you actually make up your mind about attempting to improve it.

It even has pictures, for Gelly , but not for BEFORE and AFTER. It only shows how bad this thing can get. And I think you'll feel better .

Id need to know how well it worked before I tried anything. It seems like the skin gets red when it gets wet so I fear that applying cream will make it worse.. I dunno, my methods now seem to just get me by, I fear treatment will make it obvious to everybody around me that I have SD, thats why id want to see before and after pics. For some reason articles dont do anything as far as boosting my confidence on stuff that works. Id rather hear if from people that have actually tried treatment.

My case sounds like yours... How long have you had SD, and do you wear make up at all?

I've had it for 10-12 years, I think, since I was a teenager. Almost never wear makeup.

I know what you're looking for, and I'm doing my own research too. Will be back with more .

Maybe even my own pics, with treatment and without. I hope it would convince you that mild treatment (nothing drastic) is not so bad . You know what? I'll leave it a couple of days without putting anything on it, and I'm gonna take pictures. And then, I'll start using my stuff and take some pics a few days after. Hope it will be a start.