Clearing BXO is like cleaning a house
Say you live in a house and you let the cleanliness slide. One day, you decide you need to deal with it, so you clean. At first, you start with the big items that are taking up the most space, then you get to the smaller ones, then you vacuum the floor and wipe benches, and it looks pretty nice. Only, then you look around and notice things like small patches on the carpet that you either missed when vacuuming, or have small stains on them. You notice the light switches need to be wiped, and you notice the skirting boards need a dust off. You also see some dirt marks on the side of a sofa that probably came from a dirty shoe. This is like if you got given a handout of money and told you could spend it all. First, you'd buy big things, then eventually you'd be working out how many single dollars you had left to buy something trivial with.
BXO is like that. When you first realise you have it, you are at the worst stage, but you also have absolutely no idea what 'finished' looks or feels like, because in all likelihood, you can't remember. Even if you have photos of yourself taken before you succumbed to the disease, there will not be enough to get a feel for what it really looked like.
So you treat your BXO, and it improves, very slowly. You photograph it as you do. Eventually, you reach the stage where you THINK you can see the finish line, but what actually happens next is that you become more sensitive to subtle variations in skin texture, and you realise you still have quite some way to go to be 'normal'.
That's the stage I'm at today. I used to think I was close to being back to normal. I think that, to an untrained observer in suboptimal light, I'd probably look healed. But to me, in daylight, I know I still have a long way to go. Exfoliation has definitely helped remove the dead white skin layers. The secret is to be gentle though. You don't want to irritate the surrounding skin. I figure it works because, the sooner you remove the dead top layer, the sooner the next layer below can start to dry out and come away. This is probably the whole mechanism behind exfoliation on normal skin too.
At some point in the near future I should really post some pictures.
BXO is like that. When you first realise you have it, you are at the worst stage, but you also have absolutely no idea what 'finished' looks or feels like, because in all likelihood, you can't remember. Even if you have photos of yourself taken before you succumbed to the disease, there will not be enough to get a feel for what it really looked like.
So you treat your BXO, and it improves, very slowly. You photograph it as you do. Eventually, you reach the stage where you THINK you can see the finish line, but what actually happens next is that you become more sensitive to subtle variations in skin texture, and you realise you still have quite some way to go to be 'normal'.
That's the stage I'm at today. I used to think I was close to being back to normal. I think that, to an untrained observer in suboptimal light, I'd probably look healed. But to me, in daylight, I know I still have a long way to go. Exfoliation has definitely helped remove the dead white skin layers. The secret is to be gentle though. You don't want to irritate the surrounding skin. I figure it works because, the sooner you remove the dead top layer, the sooner the next layer below can start to dry out and come away. This is probably the whole mechanism behind exfoliation on normal skin too.
At some point in the near future I should really post some pictures.
If the BXO or lichen sclerosus is only on the surface than its treatable..Mine there is atrophy so I dont now know yet if if have urethral LS with penile LS..or if the atrophy is just due to the top skin on the penis making pressure on the urethra which in turns give the atrophy...I had an std which we got rid of it with liquid nitrogen..i believe that the destroyed skin brought on the LS..could be a fungal version..as its weird..not to long after using my fingers in keeping the penis under a hydrogen peroxide solution..i started developing a form on finger nail fungus? So I'm wondering if some type of fungus might come out of the penis and intro the peroxide solution..So Im using peroxide, and tea tree oil or oregano oil and perhaps some baking soda in hopes of burning or killing off bad skin..I have put so much money into my health these past few years..I have rheumatoid arthritis and the doctors all think that my LS is an autoimmune...I dont think so...its just a coincidence created from the std..I am unsure though why my penis reacts badly to the peroxide..seems to atrophy more quickly..any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI've long been of the opinion that LS thrives on dampness, in particular, urine. I wonder if your case is being masked by the fact you have no foreskin, but because the urethra is still damp, you're seeing it there?
DeleteIt sounds like the treatment approach isn't working especially well for you right now. How about this...
Are you able to fit a q-tip into your urethra? If so, you could stop all treatments and just dab a q-tip into your urethra every time you finish going to the toilet. Really make sure that every last drop is out. I notice a tendency for one last drop to come out once I put my underwear back on again. Try to avoid this.
Perhaps there are underlying conditions that are contributing to your LS. I am of the opinion that either underlying conditions make the urine harmful to the skin, or that they make the skin vulnerable to something in urine. Traditional medicine says to treat the underlying condition if you want to get rid of LS. In my experience, that takes a lot more work and is more complicated figuring out what it is. In my experience, I found if I can break that connection between my skin and prolonged exposure to urine, even if there was still an underlying condition, I stopped being affected by it through LS.
So what I'm getting at is, if you can use the q-tip method to keep yourself dry, yes it's a lot of work for a while and yes it's annoying. But once your LS begins to subside, you can then work on figuring out what else might be causing it in a more controlled manner. It sounds like you're taking a bit of a shotgun approach. LS takes time to get rid of, and you must stick at a regime.
I never tried DMSO. I was never able to find a place to buy it.
Ever thought of trying DMSO?
ReplyDeleteI did have an STD prior to having the LS..got rid of it with liquid nitrogen..penis healed well...but phismosis appeared a few years later which brought on the LSA. I do think there might be something in the urine but if we cant get help from doctors, where do we go? My penis skin is good...normal but whitish..but the atrophy is inside and at the opening..I'm keeping in entrance and a bit on the inside dry but its hard to get in the Qtip ..I have been putting Tea tree oil on it a few times a day..but not around the entrance but no flaking yet..hoping the DMSO i ordered will help the TTO get in deep...Also ordrered Natures Way Red Clover as on another board a guy Dfrance used DMSO, TTO and red clover suplements to cure his BXO but his again was on the surface on no atrophy...a bit scary really
ReplyDeleteSo I have been putting TTO on my penis multiple times a day..I do not feel pain whatsoever which is weird..oregano oil did burn though..I have ordered DMSO and will try a 50/50 combination with TTO like they mention on ABC homeopathy.
ReplyDeleteI might order comfrey extract and try that on...would that equal to what you are using?I have started to dry out the urine as you said.
Everyone responds differently to treatments. TTO was fine for me in the early stages, and other than a weak 'burning' sensation, it was fine. But now I can't handle it, and it makes me itch for days.
DeleteI think any product with Comfrey in it will be useful. I wouldn't get too hung up on the concentrations