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My Personal Journey W/ Red Skin Syndrome & Eczema

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Red Skin Syndrome, also known as Topical Steroid Addiction and Withdrawal, is a debilitating condition that can arise from the use of topical steroid creams to treat a skin problem such as eczema. (credit: Itsan.org website)

This condition can affect people who use or overuse topical steroids for eczema, rashes, acne and skin treatments after cosmetic procedures. Topical steroids come in creams, ointments, lotions and gels. They can be purchased over the counter or in stronger formulations by prescription. Other names are cortisone, glucocoticosteriords, coticortisteroids.

Not everyone who uses these topical steroids will develop RSS and it is unknown why some people are affected and others are not. Often when prescribed for Atopic Dermatitis it works initially, but when the cream is stopped a rebound will occur, often with even worse symptoms or it can show up elsewhere on the body. Many mistake this for the original problem spreading when often times it is a result of the use of a topical steroid and the withdrawal symptoms.

I have suffered from RSS due to many years of having eczema (atopic dermatits). I have been told there is no cure for my eczema, only treatment. My father had it as well and it is often linked back genetically in families. There was a time in my life when my skin burned, itched, cracked and bled at every knuckle and bend on my palms. Every crease in my legs, between my toes, along my hairline, in my scalp, my ears and the cracks and folds around my nose and mouth. I spent many years covering my skin with over the counter, as well as prescribed creams and lotions.  They would relieve it for a little bit then my skin would burn and itch tenfold. I soaked in oatmeal baths, tried coconut oils, shea butters, African Black soaps, apple cider vinegar, and more. I tried to cover the red and cracked areas on my face with makeup, only to have it look worse. The mirror became the enemy, so did my clothes.

Skin Treatment Mask

Me with a calming mask on my face

My anatomy teacher and mentor in massage school would tell me at times I looked like I had pseudo-icthyosis. It was a play on words for a real condition called Icthyosis. This is also a genetic skin disorder that often appears as fish scales or thickened cracked and peeling skin on portions or all over the body, again, no cure only treatment.

I cannot begin to tell you how miserable it feels to be inside a body that constantly burns and itches, let alone to look in the mirror and see yourself looking like you just survived a fire or chemical spill. Clothes rub and itch, cold weather burns your skin, the sun helps but then there is the conundrum of sun exposure, SPF stings, bug spray burns, perfumes, scented soaps, laundry detergent, make up, the list goes on and that is only topical irritants. Then there are the foods that trigger it; gluten, dairy, sugar, preservatives, dyes, alcohol, spices, etc.

From my own personal experience I will tell you what has helped me over the years. The FIRST thing is stepping away from topical steroids, this took many months (about 20) of rebound and misery. The SECOND was trying to learn the triggers that set off the eczema to begin with. For me it was stress, certain foods, and household and personal care items. I began using only high quality organic skin care products and toiletries. Eliminating chemicals in my home, ie: cleaners, fragrances, pesticides, etc. I wear organic cotton clothes when I can or very soft fibers. I rip out the tags, or buy things without tags.

THIRD and probably most important: Education, it equaled freedom for me! I am not suggesting you go to the extremes I did, the reason I did was to help others as well as myself.

 

I learned about the gut and how it plays such a huge role in our health and mental health as well. I became certified in the digestive wellness arena; Colon Hydrotherapy, Loomis Digestive Enzyme Specialist and other digestive supplementation workshops. I learned about nutrition, absorption, assimilation, and elimination. What to eat, what not to eat, hydration and so on. This eventually became my career and it helped get my digestion in order, but the skin component was missing. I could not discuss this on a expert level with clients so I decided to go back to school to learn about the skin. I needed to add that missing part to the puzzle of helping myself as well as others.

 

Eczema reared it’s ugly head again while I was in Esthetics school.  Many of my fellow students and now friends can attest to my struggle. They were concerned working on my face or body for fear of hurting me. Anyone who has ever gone to esthetics school can relate on how much stuff they did daily to each other in order to learn as well as “get our hours of hands on in” We were  introduced to many professional products some even that had steroids in them for the purpose of reducing the effects of redness and itching after treatments. I drew the line at putting those on my body. There were a few running comments in class; “No Cindy, it is not organic” “Yes, everyone has to get as well as give all the treatments” and from my own mouth “shit that burns, hurts, itches, stings…all the way up to Hell No you’re not putting that on my skin today” I had so many chemicals, petro chemicals, preservatives and acids put on my skin, waxes, dye, make up, micro-derm crystals, desincrustation fluids, galvanic, etc. that you can imagine how bad it felt.  It was all in the normal course of learning and I suffered most days with a smile plastered on my face, expletives screaming in my mind and many tears  alone in my car as I drove home with my skin on fire. I went in everyday on time with perfect attendance, graduating with the highest GPA of my class, one goal in mind; get my diploma(s) so I could continue on to learn the holistic skin care world and open Aqua Serene Wellness Spa! I went on to become the only certified Dr. Hauschka Holistic Esthetician in Indiana and have not looked back. One of these days I will write a blog about my time in esthetics school, there was much frustration as well as a few comical moments and I made some life long friends along the way.

Tricoci

My Esthetics class

Graduation Day!

The tagline in my business name is “from the skin to within” for a reason. It has taken all these components to battle my daily life as a person with eczema and sensitive skin, let alone the journey of life functioning with part of my large intestine missing!

From what you put in your mouth, on your skin, breath into your lungs and what you eliminate is a key factor in our health and wellness.

 

I still suffer from bouts of eczema, stress is the one thing I still have to conquer. I am working on that and have implemented services here at the spa to help with relaxation. We offer Massage, Jin Shin Jyutsu® and Acupuncture. We have our Far Infrared SOQI bed and our CellumaPro LED Light panel.

Far Infrared Sauna

Our Beautiful SOQI Spa room

CellumaPro LED

LED Light Treatments

Celluma LED

We offer two different types of foot Detoxes as well as other energy modalities. I enjoy the times I get to sit in the cozy reception area and visit with clients and friends over herbal teas and laughter. Do not dscount those moments of joining together in conversation and giggles, those are the absolute best stress reducers, and money cannot buy that! I will continue my love of learning,  I not only do it for myself but for my clients and family. We have some new things planned for Aqua Serene Wellness Spa in 2017 and as always we have a great team of businesses and practitioners we refer to in house as well as out.

We wish you a wonderful and health filled 2017!

We are Located at 301 E Carmel Dr Suite C-100 Carmel Indiana 317-564-0930

Disclaimer: This blog is for information only, it is not meant to diagnose or treat any condition or disease. Please seek professional medical advice before stopping or starting any medication or treatment. These are just my own personal observations and experiences and not intended to treat or diagnose.

For more information on RSS visit: http://istan.org
For more information on Ichthyosis visit:http://firstskinfoundation.org/about-ichthyosis

Should I do a Detox?

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How often should I do a detox?

I get this question often from clients and friends and it is always such a conundrum for me to answer. First off  I feel like “Detox”  has become one of those buzz words/phrases like Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Paleo, Vegan, etc. You get the idea, it is just another way to say DIET.

Let’s examine a little bit about the body and some of the organs of detox, in a very simplified summary.

First we have the Liver, this guy has so many jobs it is crazy! It makes cholesterol, regulates hormone functions, makes bile and deals with the stuff we like to ingest like medications, chemicals, sugar, alcohol to name a few. Have you ever said the phrase after a night of partying too much; “I think my check liver light just came on” I swear there have been times in my youth (and let’s admit still once in a blue moon)  if my liver could have climbed out of my body it would have slapped me in the face and said ENOUGH ALREADY! Did I mention I am not perfect!

The Kidneys….those bean shaped things in your back that filter about 45 gallons of blood a day! They filter out what is needed and not needed, then they send the stuff we don’t need to the bladder and what we do back into the blood. They also help your body maintain proper pH among other things.

The Skin…Lets think sweat. Your body sweats out water, minerals, urea and ammonia to mention a few things. It is good to work up a sweat! Just remember to hydrate!

The Lungs….When you breathe in air travels to the these grape like looking clusters that are called Alveoli (NOT Areola which will forever haunt me that I accidentally said that word instead of Alveoli while teaching the respiratory system to my anatomy class. To my credit they are located in the general vicinity of the lungs!) anyhow I digress…the Alveoli exchange gasses for your body, they grab the oxygen and bind it to the blood and the toxic gas of carbon dioxide then moves to the outside of the body.

The Gut… The gut wall is designed as a barrier to block harmful things from leaking into your body, that is if it is intact and working like it should. It is also designed to move things along (peristalsis) and on down the line to the toilet.  If it is not functioning properly then things either escape out of the compromised barrier or they hang out longer than they should decomposing making more of a toxic dump site. In that case your body gets to reabsorb and deal with it…again. Pooping is important!

So how often should I do a detox? You do it daily just by being alive! The better question is: “How often should I support my body so it can do it’s job?” Daily! By drinking enough water, eating food that is nutrient dense and organic, exercise, working up a sweat, do deep mindful breathing, dry brush your skin, be mindful of what cosmetics and soaps you use, go poop, more than once a day would be ideal! Our bodies are pretty amazing and it’s the only place we have to live in while we are here so the check engine lights are important to pay attention too.

At Aqua Serene Wellness we offer digestive consultation and support, organic skin care, traditional skin care, colon hydrotherapy, far infrared energy therapies, massage by Leslie, and Diana, Acupuncture and a wide range of supplemental support as well as organic skin care products. We are located in Carmel Indiana.

What is the SOQI Spa?

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bed1

What is the SOQI Spa? To us here at Aqua Serene it is about the best Power Nap around! Our clients love to come over and have a SOQI session on their lunch break or at the end of the work day! We often pair it with our other modalities, before a colonic session, or a massage. It is warm and relaxing, the music calms your busy mind and you find yourself drifting off, your daily “busy mind” gets a break! The official description is below for all you Need to Know the Science people (I confess I am one of those!)

Summary

The SOQI Bed is a piece of equipment developed to revitalize and refresh the body. The SOQI Bed incorporates natural therapies and high quality products using a unique “Multiple Energy Approach.” Combined with an ergonomically designed massage table bed and spa music, the SOQI Bed is a state of the art approach to relaxation, rejuvenation and vitality!

Features

Motion Energy – Proper circulation is vital for any living creature to thrive. Motion energy stems off of the concept of full body oxygenation. That is, delivering oxygen to all parts of the body internally so that every cell is functioning at optimal levels. Full body oxygenation can be achieved through exercise as well as our revolutionary heavily researched Chi Machine…

Thermal Energy – All living creatures in one way or another need the sun’s rays to survive. We use the natural energy from the sun to power our bodies. Our concept of Thermal Energy utilizes a form of infrared known as Far Infrared. NASA utilizes infrared in much of their research. Hospitals use Far Infrared on babies with Jaundice and other skin disorders.

Music Therapy – Research suggests that Music Therapy lowers heart rate, and blood pressure. Combining relaxing music with Thermal and Motion energies mix well together offering you the most relaxing experience of your life!

 

Our Beautiful SOQI Spa room

Our Beautiful SOQI Spa room