Turmeric-Free Challenge

It began 3 weeks ago with a dull pain in my lower abdomen. It happened a moment after dinner and it came with servings of diarrhoea as well. I felt sick.

I had an Indian curry for dinner, but it wasn't unusual. I eat curry all the time. But this time it seemed my digestive system didn't want to play nice with the turmeric. I'm not exactly sure it was the turmeric but this incident prompted me to stop taking my daily 3/4 teaspoon dose of turmeric.

As my scalp was pretty much free of irritation and folliculitis, I thought I would also take this opportunity to see how long I could go without the folliculitis starting up again.

Well, 2 weeks in, and I could feel a couple of spots coming up on the back of my scalp. They weren't the overtly infected spots that I used to get, but they were folliculitis nonetheless. I decided to test it further.

A couple days later, more spots would appear, along with certain areas that felt a little tingly and itchy.

I drew the line there, and decided to recommence the 3/4 teaspoon daily dose of turmeric. So there, about 2.5 weeks before I would have to restart the turmeric.

For the few days since recommencing, the follucilitis seems to be back under control.

This has proved once again that this natural remedy, turmeric, is working wonders for my folliculitis condition on my scalp.

But another thing is, perhaps once a week or once a fortnight, skipping a dose to give my digestive system a break so I don't get the abdominal pains.

This turmeric is powerful stuff!

Oh no! Acne and Follulitis Flare-up

Ok so the post heading is a little dramatic, but it's interesting that over the past couple of days, I've all of a sudden got new acne appearing on various spots on my face, and also small spots of folluculitis appearing on the scalp.

The facial acne is not appearing in any particular pattern so I can hardly say it is related to stress. For me stress-related acne occurs around the mouth and in the area just under the nostrils, where the moustache would be. But for these new acne spots, one is appearing on my cheek, another at my jawline, and a couple at either side of the temple.

In addition, the few new spots of folliculitis are mostly appearing at the hairline. I noticed a couple this morning at the forehead hairline, and I've noticed a couple at the side and back hairlines whilst washing my hair the past couple of nights.

This new flare-up, although minor, has surprised me a little, simply because I haven't been eating sugary junk food, and I've also been regularly consuming 3/4 teaspoon of turmeric in water each night straight after dinner.

One new change I've introduced though, is that I've started exercising regularly. Nothing overly exertive, just at least a 30 minute brisk walk on the treadmill to get my cardio and overall fitness into shape. I wonder if that has any link to this flare-up of acne and folliculitis?

Recurrence of Acne and Cysts

It's been a while since my last post, but here's an update on the condition of the folliculitus on my scalp. It is mostly under control, with a couple of spots normally at the back of my scalp, normally towards the hairline at the neck.

I am continually watching the food I eat to make sure I don't consume too much sugar content and that definitely seems to be doing well for me. In addition, I am still taking turmeric daily. At one stage, I was able to reduce the dosage to 1/2 teaspoon in water once a day (at night straight after dinner).

The seemed to go well for a number of weeks, but found I started to get acne on my chin and neck area and small cysts on other parts of my body which is rather strange about 2-3 weeks ago. So I have since increased my turmeric dosage to 1 teaspoon daily to aid in healing the acne and cysts.

Sugar Causes my Acne and Folliculitis

Ok, I said in my last post that I was going to reduce my sugar intake to see if that had the effect of improving the condition of the folliculitis on my scalp. Forgive me as I'd been on vacation the past 2 weeks and had very easy access to the most delectable cakes, pastries and desserts you could ever imagine and this definitely got the better of me.

I can say however that from all this extra sugar intake, the folliculitis did continue to flare-up on the back of my scalp as well as acne on some parts of my face. You could really notice the condition of my skin going backwards.

Since I've been back for 2 days, my diet has returned to normal, where I'm not eating too much sugar and it's almost miraculous the way the acne on my face has more or less cleared up and the folliculitis on my scalp healing nicely. What's more is the general condition of my face is so noticeably improved that I can truly say that for me, sugar is one of the major factors in bringing on acne and folliculitis.

Note that I've still been taking the daily dose of 1 teaspoon of turmeric in a glass of water on vacation.

Is Sugar Worsening the Folliculitis?

The folliculitis on my scalp has not gotten much better since I started taking turmeric once a day. The folliculitis particularly on the mid to lower back of my scalp has flared a little over the past week or so. The spots are similar to those I used to get prior to taking Roaccutane - they would bleed quite easily, which is a concern if they become infected causing the whole situation to worsen. I have however been eating a lot of sweets, chocolates and biscuits lately and have noticed a few pimples on my face as a result so perhaps that could be causing the flare up of the folliculitis. It's time to cutback on the sugar in my diet.

The rest of my scalp luckily is fine, so as an experiment for the next couple of weeks, I will reduce the intake of sugary junk food to see if it improves the condition of the folliculitis on my scalp and clear the few pimples on my face.

Giving Turmeric Another Try for Folliculitis

I've decided to start back on Turmeric, but this time taking it more cautiously. It's now about 1.5 weeks since restarting on 1 teaspoon of Turmeric mixed into warm water once a day. I'm taking it at night after dinner. It seems to be sitting well with my digestive system as I haven't felt or experienced any of the previous symptoms of abdominal pains or diarrhoea. I have noticed the folliculitis on my scalp is slowly healing since going back on the Turmeric. With more time, I hope this dosage of Turmeric will have the same measure of success with healing the folliculitis on my scalp without causing side effects with my digestive system.

No Roaccutane, No Turmeric

Two weeks have passed since I stopped taking Turmeric for the folliculitis on my scalp. It's interesting that the folliculitis hasn't returned with a vengeance like I thought it would. In fact, the top and sides of my scalp have been quite clear of any spots. It's only been the lower back of my scalp that's had a number of spots appear. But that being said, I've found the spots clear quite quickly within a few days and that the spots that do appear don't seem to be part of a cluster as it would have been prior to taking Roaccutane. It's almost as through either the Roaccutane or the Turmeric has made the condition of my scalp less prone to the spots becoming infected. I'm very glad of that as my body seems to be able to control and efficiently heal the few spots that do appear now.

Stopped Taking Turmeric for Folliculitis

I had to stop taking turmeric completely last Tuesday. In fact, I did not take the third dose on Monday night as my abdominal pains had gotten worse and was affected by diarrhoea. The pains and diarrhoea have now gone away. I've noticed a few new spots of folliculitis appear here and there on my scalp but it's not to a level I'm too concerned about. I'll see how many more days it will take for the folliculitis to flare-up again.

Experimenting with Turmeric Doses for Folliculitis

Continuing through the past week on Turmeric twice a day, the folliculitis on my scalp started to flare-up again. However, my abdominal pains did go away.

Given it's the weekend, I went back to taking Turmeric 3 times a day yesterday and almost immediately my abdominal pain returned.

Today I'm trialing a 1/2 teaspoon dose 3 times a day to see whether the frequency of dosage rather than the size of each dose has a positive effect on eliminating the folliculitis. However, I am still having abdominal pains today on the smaller doses. Will report back next week.

Is Turmeric Affecting My Digestive System?

I've now been drinking turmeric 3 times daily for 4 weeks now and it is continuing to control the folliculitis on my scalp and for that I'm very glad. But I'm not sure if the turmeric is now causing a bit of abdominal pains which started after dinner yesterday, or it could just be a small bout of food poisoning. My suspicions point to the turmeric because I've noticed it has softened my stool since I begun taking it, almost like a mild laxative particularly over the past 2 weeks.

So today I will reduce drinking turmeric to 2 times daily to see if that is sufficient to control the folliculitis and to reduce its impact to my digestive system.

Also, thought I might provide an update that my facial skin and scalp have returned to its former greasiness prior to taking Roaccutane.

Turmeric, a Cure for Folliculitis?

I had my doubts, but I was also quietly hopeful, praying that Turmeric would be the thing to control this damned folliculitis that's been ravaging my scalp and self-esteem for far too long.

I have one word: wondrous.

It's only been two weeks since I started taking Turmeric 3 times daily mixed in half a glass of warm water, but the folliculitis on my scalp has not only been controlled, but the majority of the ones I did have have disappeared with a few healing here and there, drying up. What's even more wondrous is I'm hardly getting any new spots!

How could this be? This highly affordable and simple concoction made from a humble spice has worked just as effectively as any other antibiotic, topical treatment and drugs I have consumed in the past. How could dermatologists not know about this? And if they did, how could they not inform their patients?

Why don't more people afflicted by this and similar skin conditions know about this? The world must know!

Thank you to earthclinic.com for making me aware of Turmeric as a remedy for folliculitis. Wondrous!

Can Turmeric Cure my Scalp Folliculitis?

Itchy patches have developed on my scalp since last week, the type of itchy patches that precede the appearance of folliculitis. From what I can observe, there are one or two small spots appearing at those itchy patches. They are red, though not as angry red as they used to be before I started the second course of Roaccutane, and some of them have pus.

I don't believe my face or scalp has become any more greasy since last week which is intriguing.

I'm currently still on a pro-biotic capsule, one dose twice daily. Also just yesterday at lunch time, I started my first dose of turmeric. I'm taking 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder (the stuff you get at the supermarket) mixed with room temperature water in a mug, 3 times a day. I happened upon this ayurvedic treatment for folliculitis, boils and cysts as well as other non-skin related conditions as I was searching for natural remedies to alleviate and hopefully cure my chronic scalp folliculitis. It seems like there are many positive testimonials about this turmeric treatment, most sounding too good to be true where their condition would recede in a couple of days of starting the treatment, and not come back at all with a sustaining dose of turmeric each day. The potion looks like orange juice, but it's got a bitter taste, but I've had worse with Chinese herbal concoctions. This is quite mild in comparison and it has a pleasant aroma if you like your curries like I do.

Here's hoping this spice will be the wondrous cure for my scalp folliculitis because quite frankly, antibiotics and Roaccutane are not effective in curing my condition without repeat courses.

Folliculitis Returns

I'm very disappointed that I've developed 3 spots of folliculitis over the past week. The first developed on the top right of my scalp. It was a below the surface type of acne which seemed to go away after a day. The second appeared on the right side of my scalp, just over my right ear. This one was a surface one, and it is still healing as I write. It's been about 3 days now for that one. The 3rd spot I noticed just this morning. It's a small one, appearing on the centre left side of my scalp.

My skin has also become considerably greasier since my last post 2 weeks ago. In particularly, my forehead and scalp are the most noticeable. When I cleanse my face with the mild cleansers I was using whilst on Roaccutane (Sebamed and Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser), my face still feels slightly greasy as though it is not properly washed. Similarly, washing my hair and scalp with the Oatmeal Shampoo leaves my hair feeling and looking greasy. My scalp also feels irritated in certain areas.

Whilst the greasiness of my skin has not returned to it's pre-Roaccutane levels, I hate to ponder what the state of my scalp will be when it does. It's worrying.

Suffice to say, the probiotic supplements I've been taking once daily since I completed the Roaccutane course doesn't seem to be preventing the folliculitis from developing. Or perhaps it is, and if I hadn't taken it at all, the folliculitis may have returned with angry vengeance.

Overall, I am disappointed that only 4 weeks since finishing the 8-month course of Roaccutane, that the folliculitis has returned to my scalp. Perhaps it's time to visit my dermatologist again and see what the next steps are.

2 Weeks After Finishing Roaccutane

It's been just over 2 weeks since I finished my second course of Roaccutane and in general my scalp and skin condition has been stable. There hasn't been any violent flare-ups of folliculitis on my scalp nor has there been an increase in greasiness of my scalp or facial skin.

I did however notice what felt like a spot of folliculitis developing on the top of my scalp as I was washing my hair yesterday as the area was a little sensitive.

The dermatitis on the back of my hands seem to have almost gone with a few rough scales here and there but they're hardly noticeable. This is probably because the warm weather has come about and I've started to use cooler water to wash my hands and to shower.

I also noticed I don't have to put the extra layer of moisturiser on my face each night in order for my skin to not feel and look dry anymore. I do however still need to apply lip balm after meals as my lips do still get quite dry.

My nosebleeds have also ceased over the past week and a half which is fantastic, but I am still being very gentle with my nose, in that I'm not blowing it and trying my best not to sneeze where I can which is a challenge what with the perfect hayfever conditions recently.

What's been particularly interesting though is that I don't feel depressed anymore. I don't feel like normal daily activities or work are a challenge that required a lot of emotional and physical energy to get done like I did towards the end of my Roaccutane course. Could it really have been the Roaccutane causing my depressed feelings?

Roaccutane Course for Folliculitis is Complete

I have just completed my second course of Roaccutane this evening. It's hard to imagine 8 months has passed since I took the first tablet of my second course for the folliculitis occurring on my scalp.

My scalp is free of any fresh spots of folliculitis. There is just one very small spot on the front hairline that's drying up.

The greasiness of my scalp, face, neck and upper body is significantly reduced compared to 8 months ago. In particular, the skin on my face and neck would be immensely dry right now if I didn't follow the strict moisturising regime every morning and night, and through the day for my lips.

My scalp however still got a little greasy towards the end of the day even at completion of the course of Roaccutane. The itchiness in some areas as I'd mentioned in some recent posts have gone.

The dermatitis on the back of my hands are under control by applying Eucerin cream twice a day.

The nosebleeds from the left nostril are still happening, but have in the past week had it cauterised, which in itself has caused more frequent bleeding and general blockage in the nostril due to the healing process after cautery. My doctor said to expect the nosebleeds to happen still up to a month after cautery.

I don't seem to be feeling as depressed as I was when I posted about my self-diagnosis of moderate depression.

Whilst I have now completed my second course of Roaccutane, I think it will be valuable to continue writing about my condition to track the lasting effects of Roaccutane. My general feeling is that the folliculitis could return within a short period of time.

I recently did some brief research on the Internet about the potential causes of acne, and there were links drawn to candida overgrowth in the digestive system. This is very interesting, and will be seeking to start myself as soon as possible on either supplements of "good bacteria" for the digestive system or on what many have proclaimed in cyberspace as a superfood called Kefir.

Is Roaccutane Causing my Depression?

Ok so I've been feeling rather depressed particularly over the past couple of months or so. I'm of course self-diagnosing myself as experiencing depression based on a depression-related website beyondblue.com.au which assesses that I'm suffering from moderate-level depression. It's hard to say when exactly this feeling all started or whether it is in fact caused by Roaccutane, but I currently have a persisting moody undercurrent where I don't really have interest in anything and feel that many things require a lot of effort where previously they didn't such as making a phone call.

This feeling is also making me feel very uninspired and uninterested at work. The way I've been feeling about work and at work, has probably been the greatest trigger that prompted me to explore whether I am suffering from depression. It's now just so hard to concentrate on my work and everything at work just seems such an effort, constantly watching the clock to hit 5pm and thinking of resigning. It's like I've stopped caring about work. But then again, doesn't a lot of wage-slaves feel like this too? So is this really depression I'm feeling?

With only about two and a half weeks left of my Roaccutane course, I can't see the depression getting much worse. It'll be interesting to see whether this feeling alleviates itself after I finish the course. Sure hope it does.

On the topic of how my folliculitis is going, I recently got a small spot appear on the top of my scalp. The top of the scalp is also feeling itchy again. The spot is healing itself and no others have appeared, so I hope it is just a one off thing. It makes me nervous that with only a short time until the course finishes I've got an itchy scalp and a spot, so here's hoping everything goes well the next two and a half weeks or so.

Roaccutane and the Bleeding Nose

For the past 2 weeks, the frequency of nosebleeds have increased. Lately, it's been bleeding every 2 to 3 days. The bleeding is coming from my left nostril which is the one that's always been the bleeder of the two. It seems to happen at times when I'm eating or drinking something warm. My theory is that inhaling the steam from the food or drink is causing the capillaries in the left nostril to dilate and bleed.

Mind you, the bleeding seems to stop in a few minutes after applying gentle pressure to the front of the nostril. Maybe it's because I've been able to lie down and relax and I think I know the best place to apply the pressure these days. What worries me is that if it bleeds when I'm at work or just not at home which has happened 3 times on this course of Roaccutane. They're not comfortable places to have nosebleeds. I think I'll go see my GP this week about getting the left nostril cauterised as soon as possible.

I don't remember my nose bleeding this many times during my first course of Roaccutane several years ago.

Some Spots of Folliculitis Appearing?

Oh dear. It seems there are a few spots of folliculitis appearing here and there on my scalp even though I'm on the 7th month of Roaccutane. This is what I dreaded. It all seemed to be going well and now as the course of Roaccutane is about to wrap up in about a month and a half, the folliculitis seems to be trying to make a comeback. I don't feel my skin has become greasier over the past month, nor has it become dryer either. One thing's for sure is my scalp has become itchier in some places, in much the same way that would see spots of folliculitis appear like before I started this second treatment of Roaccutane. I don't know what to make of this, but it seems similar in pattern to my first treatment of Roaccutane years back where the folliculitis flared up at the end of the course. How odd. Perhaps my body is getting used to the Roaccutane, such that as soon as when I do complete the second treatment, my skin and scalp will become immediately greasier than before I'd started the treatment. I hope to hell not.

Minor side effects over the past 1 to 2 months: An increase in frequency of nosebleeds from my left nostril (which has always been the nostril more susceptible to bleeding). Damn I hate it when my nose bleeds at work. Productivity goes down the drain.

Folliculitis - One Spot or Two?

Just in the past couple of weeks, I noticed two small spots of folliculitis appearing on my scalp. The first that appeared was near my front hairline and the second, which I noticed just yesterday is near my back hairline. Luckily, they seem to be just once-off appearances rather than a dreaded outbreak. How do I know this? Well I can't feel the general itchiness at the areas of the spots that normally precedes a flare-up.

The spot that appeared near my front hairline has since healed itself and the one at the back I'm still keeping a watchful eye on.

On a different note, it seems the area around my lips is undergoing a dryspell once again. The skin is peeling in the area just above the chin and its an annoyance more than anything else. This must be directly related to why the dermatitis on the back of my hands flared up again. That and also the skin on my neck and earlobes are drying out too. I can definitely point blame on the luxury of using warm water during these chilly winter months when washing the face or showering. On the bright side, at least my lips are fine which I'm very glad about.

Roaccutane and Dermatitis

I saw my Dermatologist today for a check-up on how things are progressing with the course of Roaccutane. He was very adamant that the dermatitis on the back of my hands are directly related to the Roaccutane and suggested that I was able to continue using the topical cortisol cream Advantan twice a day for up to 10 days (contrary to the initial directions from my local GPs). In addition, he suggested that I use a much greasier moisturiser for the affected areas on my hands rather than the water-based Sorbolene cream.

Apart from that, he was incredibly positive about the state of the folliculitis (or lack thereof) on my scalp and advised that unless there was anything untoward as I complete my full course of Roaccutane, that I did not require to return for another check-up. However, he warned that whilst things are positive, there may be a 30% chance that I may need to eventually go on another course after completing this full course. I hope that this second course of Roaccutane will build upon my initial full course by further significantly reducing the sebum production by my skin.