Hi! I’m not posting this to my main feed, because I want to give people the choice of whether or not they want to look at these photos below.
I tried a number of things including coconut oil and my Tropical Traditions cream on this itchy spot, which Ashley has on both of her arms, just below her elbows. Nothing helped. Then, about a week ago a dermatologist told us it was lichen sclerosus.
Before you go googleing, beware: lichen sclerosus usually occurs on the genitals. It is not contagious, and I’m so grateful it’s only on Ashley’s arms. The cause is unknown, but hormone imbalances are suspected. (I’m going to look into Ashley’s hormones ASAP, but I suspect that the lichen sclerosus occured at a time when her hormones were imbalanced, then never went away. Still, it’s good to investigate.)
Treatment for lichen sclerosus includes Corticosteroid ointments (steroid cream) or Protopic. Symptoms of Protopic may include:
skin redness
headache
acne
“hair bumps” (folliculitis)
acne
stomach upset
cold or flu-like symptoms (e.g., fever, chills, stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, muscle aches), or
increased sensitivity of the skin to hot/cold/pain/touch.
However, I had just received my Body Therapy salve by the company I work for, Prime My Body. Knowing how anti-inflammatory cannabinoids are, I was eager to try the salve on Ashley’s lichen sclerosus. Spoiler alert: It got rid of it in just a week!! I think it would have taken even less time, had we not been swimming in the pool for the majority of those days 🙂 (I love summer!)
I am SO impressed that we could get rid of this naturally, with no possible side effects! Happy mama!!
And so here is the before photo:
Below is after 3 days of Body Therapy:
And below, day 6. This photo is enlarged. In real life you can’t even see it at all.
I will keep using the Body Therapy to prevent it from coming back 🙂
In other news, for most of my adult life I have had an issue with my feet. When I lay down to sleep at night, my feet jump and twitch, making it hard for me to fall asleep. Magnesium can be really helpful for this, but because my diet is 90% grain-free and naturally full of fiber, I have a hard time taking enough magnesium. Even forms of magnesium which don’t typically cause stool softening, like glyinate, cause stool softening for me in more than very small amounts. Since I got the Body Therapy, I have put it on the bottoms and tops of my feet, and around my ankles just before bed, and so far I have not had that problem once! Will keep you posted!
♥, Kelly