One Month Update

I haven't quite started this blog at the beginning of my treatment. I've started it after one month of natural treatment.

When I initially realised that I was suffering from BXO, I got really worried about what it meant. I tried some of the natural treatments I'll be discussing here, but the speed at which they were working got me really worried. Then, I started to see results so I tried to accelerate them because I was so anxious. That act only caused injuries. What I did, in the end, was make a date in my calendar 3 weeks in advance to go and see a doctor. I even booked leave from work for that time. If, after that time, my natural treatment regime wasn't showing progress, I would have gone to see a doctor. It would potentially have been a hellish 3 weeks, but I was prepared to go through with it. I only needed that appointment for about one week before I decided I was happy with my progress and cancelled.

After I self diagnosed, I scoured the web for a people's success stories using natural treatments. Here's what I found people had tried with success:

• Tea Tree Oil applied topically
• DMSO applied topically
• Emu Oil applied topically
• Various combinations of the above three
• Red Clover taken orally
• 3% Hydrogen Peroxide applied topically
• Manuka Honey applied topically as an overnight treatment
• Keeping the area dry, with the foreskin pulled back as much as possible

I went through the list and ruled out a few options. I didn't have a lot of Tea Tree Oil at the time and didn't want to buy more, likewise for Emu Oil. DMSO was a bit of a contentious one, since it's borderline to get without prescription in some areas. I found a good thread on a Homeopathy forum where some had had good results using the first three, but not each one in isolation. I concluded I should start with something a bit lighter initially.

Red Clover seemed like a good idea, but with a lack of anecdotal evidence proving it worked on its own, I put that on the 'might try later' pile.

So I decided to stick to treatments in the last group. First and foremost, however, I realised I had a real advantage over other sufferers of this in that I'm already circumcised. Keeping my head and foreskin exposed was a lot easier for me than for someone with a tight phimotic ring at the tip of the foreskin. Certain underwear (eg boxer shorts) does a pretty poor job of holding the skin over my glans, so I decided to wear them as often as I could.

In saying all of that, however, I do have a bit of extra skin and it likes to come forward over the glans. So I decided to try coating it in nappy rash powder containing Zinc Oxide. I'd noticed in the past that that had the effect of making the skin peel, so figured it had to be worth a shot.

My treatments are therefore:

• Keeping the area dry, with the foreskin pulled back as much as possible
• Covering the area in nappy rash powder to keep it dry when the skin isn't pulled back
• 3% Hydrogen Peroxide applied topically
• Manuka Honey applied topically as an overnight treatment

I'm trying several variations of those, and I adjust depending on the circumstances, but ultimately, that's the treatment regime I've settled on. 

In the first month, I've experienced a few positive things.

First, the peeling of bad skin. BXO doesn't peel the way other ailments do. If you get sunburnt, you peel one layer then you're back to healthy skin. Same when you peel off a dry scab. With BXO, it's very different. It seems as though there's 10-15 layers that need to be shed. Also, you can't force the peeling. If you do, you'll end up injuring yourself as you force skin off before it's ready to come away. Inner skin also peels differently to shaft skin. This might not be noticeable for intact men, but it is when you've got a circumcision scar creating a clear definition between shaft and inner skin. The inner skin doesn't seem to peel at all. Instead, it seems to break down and shed very small fragments. I hardly notice it. I do hope that it is actually peeling.

Secondly, overall the thickness of the BXO skin has reduced a lot, particularly in the areas I was treating all month. I avoided treating a couple of spots for the first couple of weeks as I had some injuries and wanted to let them heal. The parts I did treat are a lot thinner. They also have a more 'pink' colour to them, as opposed to the white BXO skin. They're more sensitive too,

Thirdly, at the base of the BXO skin, the skin has raised back to the normal skin level, and is becoming more elastic. I call this phenomenon 'creep', as it is slowly creeping up onto the bad skin. The colour of it is still hypopigmented, and occasionally I see a little peeling on it, but nowhere near as much as the thicker areas.

Fourth, my phimotic ring has thinned out tremendously. It's no longer painful to slide back and forth over the head (I'm sure you can figure out why that might be useful).

I'll put some photos up at some point.