Thank you for your advice on my skin

After my posts lamenting my skin problem earlier this week, I had so many helpful suggestions via email, Facebook, and comments. What helped most of all is knowing I am not alone in this struggle against my skin. I have always been lucky in that – apart from rosacea in my twenties – my skin is pretty hardy. So hearing your experiences made me feel less alone. Thank you!

I had a bad cold in early December, followed by another bad cold two weeks later. It was also really cold and windy so my running nose took a beating from all the blowing and the cold wind. It was sore and painful so I tried to remedy that by using barrier creams, which meant it could never dry out. That resulted in an infection. Courses of anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal creams did not work. I was in agony if I used moisturiser, and in agony if I didn’t The skin specialist put me on antibiotics which did not work. I have just finished a second course of antibiotics – penicillin – which has not really worked either. But my skin has improved and I am no longer in so much pain.

At present I am using Eucerin Ultra Sensitive Soothing Care for Dry Skin which has really helped. I am also gingerly trying Eucerin Calming Face Cream for the itching and burning. I have also been looking at CeraVE but I don’t want to make it more angry. Right now it is hanging in there and I no longer wake up several times at night in the pain.

If you are not squeamish, click here for the horror. I need to let it drain so I cannot use any moisturiser, but if it dries, it is so painful. The worst part is, I am a teacher so I have to face students looking like this. It seems wrong to call in sick for a skin condition.