Hi All!

I wanted to share with you my first derm experience yesterday

I decided to go see a derm yesterday because my skin has been driving me crazy. Dry, sensitive, acne, I just couldn't get it under control.

He walks in asks me about what's going on and I tell him. He asked if I had dry patches anywhere else and I told him my arms and he took a look at them said I have eczema. ...this after just a few minutes. I was perplexed to say the least as I wasn't expecting this. And to me the diagnosis came rather quickly. He asked about allergies, I said I was sick a lot when I was a kid with sinus problems - had my tonsils and adenoid removed to help with the problem - and did get hay fever yearly.

He prescribed an oral anti histamine for one week, a cream for my arms and a liquid for any acne that may appear on my face. He's also stripped my routine...Cetaphil cleanser only...that's it nothing else. I asked about a moisturizer, he told me I don't need it and I'm too young to have dry skin. And reiterated that I have eczema not dry skin. He then proceeded to explain the difference between dry skin and eczema - the information was coming fast and furious and I can't recall all of it, but in a nutshell, eczema is inflation , dry skin is just that dry skin (right?).

I showed him the moisturizer I was using Atopalm body lotion (bought this to save $$$), he told me this is what's causing my acne - the fatty acids in the product (it seems a bit contradictory to what Dr. B has said, but I'm going to go w/ it), which kinda makes sense as my acne started a few weeks ago and that's when I made the switch - I never would have caught on to this.

He also told me I'm not DSPW but DSNT (I tested borderline N/T). I'll have to read this chapter in the book.

I'm wishing for a moisturizer, but am going to follow his instructions (no moisturizer too b/c he wants to see how i react to just the cetaphil), and am not longing for it like I thought I would be. And my skin is already a little less red - simplifying seems to be helping.

I know nothing about eczema and am trying to connect the dots, some were connected last night when I read some excerpts from Dr. B on eczema, but I need your help, Can you give me any info or point me to some good websites/books on the topic? I was confused about the allergies/anti histamine/eczema thing (they are all related?), but then realized that (I think) that eczema is an allergic skin type?

I'm suppose to go back in a week (after I take the anti histamine), but told him I may have to wait on that b/c I'm getting lasik tomorrow (no anti histamines before the procedure). AND I'm going to FL in a week, what am I supposed to do about SS? I may have to start the anti histamine in two weeks and then go back in. Augh...I have too much going on right now.

Sorry for the long post, I'm not one who likes to necessary read though long ones, but I have so much to share with all of you!!

Jen