I want to have opinions from other people who struggle to conceive. Based on what I read + doc recos, I have cut on alcohol, reduced sugar, tried to eat more healthy. This is SO hard for me because I am extremely anxious and have PCOS and so carbs and sugar are my comfort zone! On top of that, I am taking so many medicine every single day (myo-inositol, metformin, Femara or progesterone, etc.) and suffer so badly from them (gastric issues, mood swings, fatigue etc).
On the other hand, my husband who wants the baby as much as me is not ready to cut on alcohol and to change his (unhealthy) diet. I tried to change him by all means but I simply don’t manage. He drinks twice or thrice a week (3-4 single vodkas). FYI he got diagnosed for varicocele grade 3 but the doctor told him to wait before going for surgery as his SA is average and not horrible.
So I guess I have two questions: 1) How do you not end up having resentment against your partner when you are the one making so many sacrifices in your daily life, whereas maybe the problem is coming from him? 2) Are those sacrifices worth it? I mean, all our friends are becoming pregnant after 2-3 trials and they all have more issues (ie diabetes, dr*g use, etc). So when every negative test comes I am like - why am I ruining my life? For what? Should I really push my husband too? And if it takes more years, am I supposed to live frustrated forever?
Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts 🙏🏻

18F, 5'7, possible endo, severe menstrual pain and appetite loss. at my limit with my symptoms and have no idea where to go from here.
Around March/April 2023 I began having 2 periods a month, significantly heavier than usual and significantly more painful than I've ever had. This pain has been so significant it will make me curl to the ground when I have cramps, even with alternating 800mg Ibuprofen 2-4x daily and Tylenol.
had been on Hailey Fe 1.5/30 for 4 years, and after discussing with my doctor I then went on Ortho-Cyclen (28). My doctor believed it to be PCOS after my ovaries appearsd to have too many immature follicules (I've had 4 ultrasounds since, all of which state everything looks normal), and stayed the Ortho-Cyclen was more effective for women with PCOS). I had no improvement and continued pain, so we discussed the potential of Endometriosis (I also have cyclic difficulty urinating with my period), and I had the Mirena IUD inserted.
Shortly after insertion (~2 weeks) I began noticing appetitie loss (not nausea, more just a complete lack of desire to eat food, nothing seems appetitizing ever and forcing it down makes me feel sick). Besides this, I've had a great experience with the IUD- no bleeding, and while I still have pain, it's tolerable if I alternate Ibuprofen and Tylenol.
Fast foward to now, the appetite loss has gotten so severe that I'm having difficulty eating more than a few bites of food a day. I haven't lost a TON of weight, but I feel insanely weak. I'm usually very active as I'm a full-time college student and figure skate (usually 1-2 hours, 5-6 days per week, now managing once or twice a weak for maybe 30 minutes). I had a hard time getting in with my regular doctor so I was placed with a different OBGYN, who told me it likely wasn't the IUD and to drink smoothies and protein shakes and cream (which I was already doing, main source of nutrition over the past 3 months). She also did several blood tests, which showed nothing other than a slightly elevated Anion Gap (14 iirc). I was told my next option would be remove the IUD and get a Kyleena placed, although that would carry the risk of returned pain. I was told if that would happen, I could get a laproscopic surgery to check for and remove any endometrial lesions. I weighed around 146 at this appointment at the beginning of March. I began bleeding once a month like a regular period just after this appointment as well, after having no bleeding since the insertion (the strings are still in place).
I had no improvement in symptoms and noticeably lost weight, so I visited another doctor (again, could not get in to see either previous doctor until June). At this visit on April 4th, I weighed 128 (~16 lb weight loss). This doctor was incredibly dismissive (as well as two different nurses saying to my face "they wished they had my problem") ans told me she's never seen a case where someone has had appetite loss from IUD and that it was more likely another medication of mine.
I'm on 300mg Modafinil daily for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome I developed in 2022 after getting Influenza A. I've been on this medication since early August 2023 (1.5 months after getting the IUD placed). While I had no increases appetitie loss after starting it, I had suspected this to be the case, so I paused taking it to find no difference in my symptoms back in January. I told her this and she said while she would take the IUD out, she doesn't believe it to be the cause and provided no further discussion on options.
I found IUD insertion to be rather uncomfortable, but no where near as painful as my menstrual cramps. That said, I really didn't want to remove the Mirena and replace it with a Kyleena unless I needed to. I followed up my primary and decided to take a 3 week break from the Modafinil. I've had absolutely zero improvement in symptoms.
Im about to make my appointment to swap the IUDS, but I'm just so frustrated with the care I've recieved.
I understand my weight loss isn't that significant, but for someone like me who has a very consistent weight and a very active lifestyle, it is for me. I can't function how I need to, and my symptoms are interfering with my life significantly. I still have no idea if its PCOS or endometriosis, but I feel my symptoms better align with endo.
Is there any advice anyone can give me going forward? I'm terrified the pain is going to come back after swapping these IUDs, as the pain is so bad I can't handle it twice a month. I can't continue not eating either.
Thank you to anyone who got this far

I know this long and not along the funny lines. But I need help raising awareness to make it easier for people like my brother and his wife to get help with IVF. It’s so expensive and insurance doesn’t always cover it. They recently tried to win votes in a contest for $5000 toward the $30000 IVF costs. Sadly they lost. Due to the contest not having caps on people voting more than once. Two of the winner already had a child and the other had insurance to help cover it. This is their story below. My guilty part in this is that no matter how bad a feel for them. All I want is to be an aunt. My kids grew up being the only ones in the family and it makes me so sad to not have all these children for me to spoil and love. Charlotte please help me spread the word on infertility. I just want to be an aunt so bad and I can’t believe money is what’s stopping us right now. I’m holding bitterness in my heart that I haven’t been able to be the amazing aunt I will be. But the real heartbreak is my brother and his wife.
“The struggle to be happy and grateful while you feel like the world is passing you by, waiting for your turn when you want something so badly - it’s indescribably hard. It’s isolating and lonely, even when you have a support system to lean on and lift you up. Recognizing you’re not alone doesn’t fix the heartache or take away the anxiety, mental exhaustion, mood swings, side effects like weight gain, hair loss, migraines, nausea or bruises on your belly from all the shots.
You dare to be hopeful, again and again and bargain with yourself over all the things you could be doing differently or better or more or less. Infertility is the hardest full time job you’ll ever have - you don’t get paid for it, but it’s all consuming and no matter how hard you work, you’re not promoted to the only title you actually want, “mom and dad”. All the love you have to give has nowhere to go, and you often spare others’ feelings rather than share how it affects you every day.
Infertility can tear you apart - it’s cruel and unfair. It’s a roller coaster of emotions and you never know when the next drop or turn will come. It’s draining - mentally, physically and financially. But infertility can also show you how many people are willing to fight with you and for you, you just have to let them in. We build our walls so high to protect ourselves we forget that the cracks let in sunlight and that’s where love grows and heals.
Sharing something so personal and private is tough, but so is infertility. Suffering in silence is even harder. We are in awe of the support system that has shown up for us and we are beyond grateful for the outpouring of love. Everyone who has liked, commented, posted, shared, voted for us to receive funds, prayed, hoped, asked, messaged, reached out, sent a positive thought or good vibe our way, THANK YOU.
The intent behind the generous “Fertility Diaries” giveaway from The Fertility Center is increasing awareness, especially this week. We are hopeful to be in the running to receive $5,000 toward our treatment, which would make such a difference for our family. If you have voted or continue to, we are very grateful and fortunate to have the support.
I read a quote that inspired me to step out of my comfort zone in hopes that even one person suffering in silence can see all the good that comes from letting people in. To honor National Infertility Awareness Week, for those interested or wondering if there are different approaches out there that may lead to answers, here’s our 3.5 Year Ongoing Journey (it’s a long one).
In 2018 after unexplained recurring and worsening pain several doctors I had seen dismissed, a new doctor asked me if I had ever heard about endometriosis. She explained that she had a hunch endo was the cause of the pain I was experiencing, but that the only way to diagnose definitively was with surgery. We got scheduled and the pain worsened quickly. It became so severe that I was bedridden for a month - confused as to what was happening inside my body. I had to quit my job and was struggling while Pat flew missions for the US Air Force, gone for weeks at a time.
I had surgery, anticipated to be diagnostic and fairly quick, but based on the abdominal scope the doctor found pretty severe endometriosis and several cysts that needed to be removed. My husband made the decision we discussed ahead of time to extend the surgery and remove all of the cysts and endometriosis present. What was described to me as routine and something most people recover in a couple of days from, was not what I was experiencing. I was still having trouble getting out of bed and walking around on my own after several weeks.
Post-surgery I was told the doctor saw a presence of over-active nerves and she attributed the severity of the endo she removed and the overactive nerves to my longer recovery. She gently mentioned that if we planned to have children we should consider bumping up our timeline to the next 1-2 years, but I thought of it more as a passing comment (insert regret). I was 25, newly married and not ready to think about babies yet. I wish I asked more questions then (hindsight).
To keep the endo from returning, I was put on a low dose birth control. I was pain-free for about 18mos. before I started noticing the familiar feeling creeping back in. We had relocated to Grand Rapids and I researched an OB/GYN that treated endometriosis. Their suggestion was to try a drug called Orlissa, which puts your body into a temporary medical menopause to “starve” the endo of estrogen it feeds on.
The side effects were wicked. I had hot flashes you could see coming on from a mile away - my whole body turned purple. I wasn’t sleeping and before long I had dark circles that looked more like black eyes (SO much concealer). I had just started a new job, so these symptoms at work were embarrassing and not something I felt I could talk about openly. I lasted 6mos. before throwing in the towel, but the endo pain was gone. I was no longer triggered by certain foods (gluten and chocolate) and started to feel more like myself again.
I was referred to a new doctor by a friend shortly after - this office is application only and specializes further in endometriosis. Fast forward to 2020, celebrating our 3rd anniversary and deciding to casually start trying for a family. Given my history, we were hopeful but involved our OB/GYN after 6mos. who suggested we do a second laparoscopy to check for endo and perform the HSG (tube test) while I was under anesthesia.
To my surprise waking up from surgery a second time, I got the great news that they did not find any returning endo and my tubes were open! We started Clomid and kept trying, hopeful this would do the trick. We doubled the dose and did some baseline testing, but ultimately reached the end of the road for treatment with our OB/GYN after 6mos. (a year in).
We were referred to The Fertility Center and began a new protocol with Femara, which my body didn’t respond to. My husband was tested and everything came back fine on his end. We were introduced to a laundry list of supplements and FSH injections - and as a person who was terrified of needles (broke out in a sweat just mentioning the word) I was less than thrilled and needed friends and (eventually) my husband to do the injections.
FSH injections require closer monitoring, so we became very familiar with the ultrasound machine and (you guessed it) more needles! Monthly blood draws. With several medicated cycles, my body adjusted sporadically. There were a few months we missed ovulation all together and had to wait, which meant a lot of sunken cost with nothing to show for it.
I started acupuncture after reading about the benefits online and finding a local clinic that offered fertility-focused packages including IUI and IVF support. Talk about exposure therapy for needles! I felt the calming and de-stressing effects immediately and still go every 1-2 weeks, 2 years later. I’ve taken the advice of my acupuncturist over the years with supplements and have learned more about balance.
We tried IUI twice, our second procedure our levels looked really great and we were so hopeful. After 6-7 months, I needed a break. Mentally I was not in a good place so we took a month or two and decided to start IVF in the new year. After talking with a friend, something their family member did to conceive really stuck with me.
This friend told me of someone in their family who needed their partner’s sample to be immersed in their bodily fluids before transferring in order for her body to recognize and not repel for being foreign. Then a lightbulb went off - my entire life my body has repelled anything foreign; tubes in my ears multiple times, all piercings, even an IUD.
We pushed for more answers before pursuing IVF and were referred to a doctor that some in the RE world would consider “experimental”. Dr. Derbala from Derbala Institute for Reproductive Immunology (RI) is one of less than 5 in the country practicing this approach. After extensive testing (25 viles of blood, an hour long internal ultrasound, hysteroscopy and uterine biopsy while awake and unmedicated - triggering trauma) a few genetic mutations believed to contribute to inflammation and implantation failure as well as over clotting of the blood were found.
We also discovered my blood contains much higher than normal levels of NK cells and anti phospholipid antibodies - in short terms, my immune system is an overachiever and is overactive. We have worked for over a year now with varying aggressive medication protocols, including immune suppression.
With monthly blood draws to monitor my immune levels, we were tweaking the medications to address the ebbs and flows of different markers. Traveling for work during this time forced me to conquer my biggest fear - administering my own shots. We were hoping by treating the underlying issues we would conceive on our own and not need more intervention.
Due to worsening side effects (increasingly frequent and debilitating migraines, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, prednisone withdrawal, weight gain, hair loss, extreme bruising) we decided that IVF is necessary to control the medication timeline and condense side effects.
We had consultations with 4 fertility clinics in the surrounding areas and learned a lot of abbreviations along the way (IVF lingo). Our insurance does not cover any fertility treatments or medications. After 3.5 years and over $13k out of our savings with nothing to show for it, we are investing in IVF out of pocket. The financial uncertainty with IVF is daunting, all for the chance to conceive with no guarantee.
It’s difficult to choose the right fit - financially, geographically and to feel well taken care of and understood by your providers. We are hopeful that we have found a great team of doctors to help us conceive with The Fertility Center and Derbala Reproductive Immunology.
We realize the next few months through the IVF process will be challenging, but we will have an uphill battle ahead of us if we find success with IVF. According to predictions based on all of the immune testing, we will likely be classified as a high-risk pregnancy with weekly monitoring throughout. It’s been a blessing to have transparency with next steps, but like so many facing infertility, the outcome you want so badly is also ironically the scariest outcome you can imagine.
There are deep scars from this process that no one sees - mine are still healing slowly and sometimes old wounds can re-open. Every pregnancy announcement on social media, someone innocently asking if you want kids or when you’re having kids, birthdays and holidays that feel empty, the parts of your body that feel traumatized and the disassociation with discretion you experience to name a few.
We are grieving the people we would have been if we had not gone through this struggle. We are grieving the memories we could have made with our grandparents and parents having great/grand babies. We are accepting that our dream of our kids being in the same class as our friends’ kids isn’t going to be a reality. Those are tough things to let go of.
We are leaning on our system of support and taking this one day, one step at a time. I feel lucky beyond words to have my husband Pat Schmidt, who picks up the slack when I’m tired or sick or sad (which is more often than not lately). He’s affected in all of this too, but he’s holding it all together for us and I’m toughing it out for him. He will be the world’s best dad and I can’t wait for that day. The supporting role doesn’t ever get enough of the credit.
If you’re still reading, thank you. Being part of this conversation is helping remove the stigma associated with infertility little by little. I’m hoping that by being vulnerable enough to share our very private struggle, someone else will feel empowered to seek answers, speak about their experience and let their support system help carry some of the weight infertility burdens 1 in 6 with.
With National Infertility Awareness Week highlighting such a vulnerable part of our lives, we are thinking of all those struggling - you are brave for continuing to hope and fight for the family you deserve. Continuing the conversation is an important piece in validating all of the resilient couples out there who’s every day involves infertility. We are stronger when we uplift each other.”

sorry in advance for the vent post but I'm literally at the end of my rope. I got diagnosed with folliculitis about a month ago after suffering from a bad hair fungus for 3 years. about half a year ago I started getting pimples all over my scalp which I thought were just from greasy hair so I didn't pay it any mind. found out recently it was folliculitis, not sure what kind. everything I've tried has not worked. I've been using BP 5% on the pustules, it does nothing except take away the itchiness. I completely removed all sulfates from my shower routine. I've tried a bunch of shampoos like Neutrogena T/Sal which is doing nothing. I swap my pillowcases and towels every day.
I don't care about the pustules or the itchiness or the dry flaking skin on my scalp. I could live with all that. the thing that is killing me is the hair loss. I used to have the thickest hair out of anyone I'd ever known to the point that people would always comment on how nice and thick it was. when I would wear a ponytail my hairties would snap and fly across the room because my hair was too thick. I had super thick, super strong, healthy hair all the way down to my butt, and now it's almost all gone. the crazy thing is is that I didn't start losing hair until about half a year ago. it all happened so fast. the hair all over my head is paper thin and snaps at the lightest touch. my dad who is away on business was shocked and mentioned my hair first thing when he saw me for the first time in months on facetime. I don't go outside at all anymore because my hair is such a big insecurity. I'm losing it so fast and have no idea how to make it stop.
I went to my family doctor the other day and asked her how to get rid of folliculitis. she told me you can't get rid of it, and even though I had a list on my phone of a bunch of stuff I'd researched she told me none of it will help. I told her it's a big deal to me because my hair is falling out like crazy and she said there was nothing she could do. how am I supposed to live my life as a 25 year old girl who is going to be bald soon????? she said there was no antibiotics or oral medications she could prescribe me because they don't prescribe oral medications/antibiotics for folliculitis in Canada. so then I asked her what I should do, and she said medicated shampoos. I've tried so many!!!!!! She didn't feel my urgency at all!!!!! It's not normal for 75% of my hair to fall out in half a year!!!! I'M 25!!!!!!!!!!
I have chronic gastritis which was diagnosed 3 years ago (the same time I contracted the hair fungus) so I think they're somewhat related as I've seen a lot of people on this subreddit say that gut health and folliculitis are related. But 3 years into my gastritis I'm pretty much cleared of it. and my doctor said I can never get rid of chronic gastritis either, just avoid trigger foods. Because I was basically pleading with her to do something she referred me to a dermatologist and I'm waiting for them to call me but she said they're just going to say the same thing. I am literally on the verge of tears while writing this. this is genuinely making me so suicidal and I can't even look in the mirror anymore even when I brush my teeth. I have no idea where i'm going with this I just needed to get this out because I can't even tell anyone what i'm dealing with because I'm too embarrassed to tell my friends I'm dealing with severe hair loss

I’ve been on this long & treacherous journey since February. While I acknowledge many of you have been on this journey longer, I’m desperate for answers. At the end of May, my biopsy came back as bacterial acute folliculitis. After much reading about others experiences, I’m refusing to take oral antibiotics…still undecided on topicals, but I’m desperate for answers. Dermatologists don’t know how to cure folliculitis so really it’s up to us as individuals to find what works for us I guess. She told me wash with pan oxyl & alternate between this & Hibiclens. Since I refused to take another round (longer this time) doxycycline, she prescribed Clindamycin lotion. Has anyone used this before? Did it help? I already take probiotics & have been for 5 years now. I truly don’t know how to help my gut bacteria & find the root cause of this insanity.

Hi All,
I am starting a new "strategy" to hopefully cure folliculitis. To start, I'm not a doctor or dermatologist or related to any medical field in the slightest. I have learned what I "know" through a lot of research. I also recognize that there are different types of folliculitis and different causes so even if it works for me (remains to be seen) then it may not work the same for someone else. I'll provide some context on my situation for you to compare as well.
For context, I hit puberty later probably around 16 years old. I got what I would classify as moderate acne, got it pretty frequently at times but nothing crazy. I went on acutane twice, both times it cleared me up but would eventually return (two six-month courses). I was about 21 when I found an online dermatologist called "Apostraphe". They perscribed me the antibiotic, doxycycline, in tablet form as well as a topical antibiotic mixture with clindamycin. I had great results with this, kept me clear for a while. Eventually this stopped working and I began breaking out again, only this time it was different. The pimples would mostly appear in my beard area of my cheeks and jawline, they were itchy and sometimes painful and didn't pop like a typical pimple would. After doing some research I figured out it was folliculitis, due to what I suspect from the overuse of oral and topical antibiotics wiping out all the good and protective bacteria i had on my skin and in my gut. An intereting thing about my folliculitis was that it was caused by shaving as many online searches might tell you. Keeping my facial hair short actually helped manage it, but when I would let it grow out it would get worse.
--- If you don't care about my context, start reading here ---
After initial research on treatment options, I loaded up on Benzoyl Peroxide. I used it as a face wash and shampoo twice a day. Then followed up with moisturizer and 10% benzoyl peroxide cream on my face chest and back. While this was effective in treating and managing the number of outbreaks I would have, it made me very uncomfortable. My skin was really dry, sensitive, prone to sunburn and made my beard hairs brittle and sharply stuck into my face, not a good feeling. This is when I did a deeper research into how the body is supposed to work. Essentially what I did was kill good bacteria in my gut and on my skin, without this beneficial bacteria as a defense, I was thoroughly infected inside and out with staph bacteria. I confirmed this with a gut health test from Thorne, my results came back showing really high levels of Staphylococcus and Staph Aureus, one of the most common causes of bacterial folliculitis.
For those of you like me who self-induced follciulitis on yourself by mis-using products that are disruptive to your body's natural operating procedures, this is my theory. If you replenish your gut and skin to healthy levels, it should be able to protect itself from future outbreaks.
Here is how I plan to attack this problem. I'm sure many of you dealing with issues similar to me have read the study on Bacillus Subtilis. If not, Bacillus Subtilis is a probiotic that effectively reduced the levels of staph bacteria in the gut by 97% and 65% in the nose (two of the most common and highest levels of staph colonization) without disrupting healthy bacteria. Now, if you want long-term results you must treat the cause, not the symptom. I found a probiotic online with the same strain from the one used in the study (https://www.ameolife.com/products/probiotic). I intend to take this probiotic twice daily for the forseeable future. In the study, the participants show the listed levels of staph reduction after 4 weeks, however, I think it may be helpful to take it for longer because you want to give your beneficial bacteria a chance to repopulate so it can defend itself long-term.
In addition to adressing the gut, I will also be taking extra care of my skin to restore the skin barrier. Making sure to use a moisturizer with ceramides to help restore and strengthen the skin barrier is a good start. I also want to try introducing the Bacillus Subtillis to my skin as well. I'll probably try and create a makeshift "mask" by opening the probiotic capsule and letting it sit on my skin for 15 minutes or so every now and then. I will also empty a capsule into a spray bottle and spray around my room and on my bed sheets/pillows to introduce a bacteria capable of wiping out staph bacteria. This I saw on another post so don't give me credit for this idea, lol. Lastly, for the nose, I saw many posts about using TAO in the nostrills twice a day for 5 days to kill staph in the nose. I tried this and found it to be effective and I think TAO is hard for staph to build a resistance to this (this may not be true so look it up for yourself and correct me if I'm wrong).
In conclusion, treat the cause, not just the symptoms. Most treatments I find are good at managing symptoms but they are also harmful to your natural self. Instead, I'm going to try to strengthen my natural self so it can withstand the harmful bacterias that it once could. I believe it will take time, probably several months or longer. But I am hopefull that in time it will help restore my body to how it was before I destroyed it. I will update you along the way.
Last I'll just reiterate that this is only what I plan to do to take action and my thinking behind it. I am not trying to provide any health advise or anything like that.

This is going to be a long post, but hopefully, it’ll help other people who are currently struggling with folliculitis in potentially finding some relief.
I’m going to write my story using a timeline because I think it’ll make it easier to read and understand. Also, English is my second language, so I apologize for any mistakes I might have made.
It all started in April 2021 when, out of nowhere, I started developing cystic bumps in my beard. At that time, I didn’t know what folliculitis was and I just thought I had some crazy pimples that eventually would just go away so I didn’t think much of it and just went on with my life.
August 2021 - Several months went by and the “crazy pimples” not only did not go away but had gotten worse. My entire beard area was now inflamed, red, and painful. This is when I decided to see a dermatologist.
The outcome of my derm visit was that I had cystic acne. I never struggled with acne before, and it seemed a bit strange that at 25 years old, all of a sudden, I had developed this condition, but I trusted my dermatologist and based on his advice I was put on Accutane. For the first few weeks, I also took Prednisolone (a strong steroid) to calm down the inflammation and to help with the pain. Over the following year, my Accutane daily dosage increased gradually. At some point I reached 80mg a day, and that’s when I decided to stop taking it. The side effects were too hectic, and I was still dealing with new bumps daily; I remember that one day I was driving and all of a sudden, I had tunnel vision. I couldn’t see anything but a small area, and all the corners were like blacked out. I also started having what I can only describe as electric shocks down my legs every morning.
End of 2022 - One year of Accutane didn’t work. My skin was breaking out while taking this medication and kept breaking out after I stopped. I also started developing the same bumps on my scalp, not as many, but they were becoming more frequent with time passing, and obviously my morale was at record lows. By this point I had accepted the fact that I would have to live with whatever was going on with my skin and that there was no cure.
Beginning to mid-2023 - I finally found out about folliculitis and realized that I could be dealing with that and not “cystic acne”. I began to hyper-fixate on it, and I started researching everything I could to learn more about it. I started reading studies and papers, and I came to the conclusion that the only real way of finding a cure is to know what kind of pathogen is creating this infection. I then booked an appointment with another dermatologist, who confirmed that what I could be dealing with is bacterial folliculitis as this infection only seemed to affect the areas of my face covered in hairs and the rest of my skin was perfect. What follows is a swab test of the lesions and eventually a diagnosis of gram-negative folliculitis caused by Klebsiella Aerogenes. A different doctor had put me on a 2-week course of Ciprofloxacin, which permanently got rid of the bumps on my scalp but unfortunately didn’t eradicate the pathogen from my beard.
Mid to late 2023 - The pathogen was identified, antibiotic sensitivity was also performed, and I was then put on Bactrim indefinitely. One week into taking Bactrim I finally had relief for the first time in years. It felt amazing. While taking this antibiotic my skin was clear, the bald patches were filling up, and my confidence came back, up until I realized that for me it wasn’t an option to be on permanent antibiotics. I personally can’t justify that for something that isn’t life-threatening, so I was pretty much back to square one: if I take antibiotics I can keep this at bay but if I stop.. it’ll come back.
Beginning of 2024 to now - The next step for me was to address this condition more as a symptom. I started looking into how diet can affect the skin, what foods can trigger this condition, and exploring the possibility that my body is trying to tell me something’s wrong rather than thinking a random bacteria just decided one day that my beard was a good place to live in. That’s when I started to deep dive into various posts and articles about how a ketogenic/carnivore diet can help with inflammation and a whole array of other conditions, including folliculitis.
I personally never ended up trying either of those diets, but what I did instead was removing anything “inflammatory” from my diet. I never had a bad diet in itself; I exercise and eat carbs, protein, healthy fats, and I’ve always been toned and of a healthy weight. Being Italian, carbs like pasta, bread, etc have been part of my diet since I was born, but 3 years into this I decided that maybe it was a good idea to remove them to see if the situation improved at all.
Now - My dietary experiment started by removing the following:

• Wheat
  
• Dairy
  
• Added sugars and more in general foods with high sugar content like fruit/honey, etc.
  
• High GI foods/carbs, so foods that can spike your blood sugar like white rice, potatoes, etc.
  

Upon starting my new diet, I didn’t get to appreciate the benefit straight away as I was still taking antibiotics; the goal was to see if my skin would stay clear upon quitting them or if it would break out again like last time I quit the antibiotics but wasn’t on an elimination diet.
The day I started my new diet was also the day I stopped taking antibiotics, I was scared but also hopeful. The first thing I noticed is that a whole array of other smaller issues I had started to go away; I began to have more regular bowel movements, the bloating I’ve been experiencing for the past few years pretty much disappeared overnight, my permanently congested nose cleared significantly, the eye irritation I’d experience every day also went away, my skin also wasn’t breaking out, and for the first time in a long time, the redness I had in the affected area (even while I was taking antibiotics) began to dissipate.
Over the years, I became so familiar with this condition that I could almost anticipate when I would get a severe breakout. The skin would start by going red and kind of tender and then the bumps would start to appear. Seeing the redness going down and the tenderness with it was definitely relieving.
I’m still figuring out the best way to manage this condition. I’m also aware that just because I’m not breaking out now doesn’t mean I won’t break out in the future. Ever since I started the elimination diet I’ve reintroduced dairy (in small quantities as it’s been bothering me since forever so I don’t want to have too much regardless) and sugar (again, in moderation, as sugar isn’t good for you regardless of the skin).
One thing I must say is that the only time I slipped and had some cake (made with wheat flour), I experienced all of the symptoms again along with one new bump and redness/tenderness.
It is very much still trial and error for me. I went from trying to kill the bacteria to approaching this more as a broader issue, and so far, it’s been working! Hence why the title “fix your diet fix your skin”.
I believe that in some cases, folliculitis is more of an autoimmune condition, see it like as if your body is trying to tell you you’re doing something wrong. Most doctors, unfortunately, won’t have all the answers and will treat this condition with antibiotics/accutane/whatever and won’t deep dive into other reasons as to why you developed this condition in the first place.
General notes:

• Please keep in mind that my condition was caused by what I would describe as an immune system over-reaction to a gram negative pathogen; staph, fungal infections etc are a different thing.
  
• I don’t know how or why I got this condition in the first place. Some studies show that antibiotic usage can cause gram-negative folliculitis, and to be fair, I did take doxycycline for a bit before I started getting these bumps in my beard, but again, there’s no way to prove it.
  
• I’ve been tested for celiac, and even though I’m not celiac, I do have the celiac gene (from memory 30% of the population does). From my understanding, people with the inactive celiac gene shouldn’t eat gluten/wheat anyway, or they should at least limit it, but don’t quote me on that.
  
• I’ve tried several other ways to get rid of it over the years, including but not limited to: BP, bleach baths, isopropyl alcohol, chlorexidine, anti-fungal shampoos, various creams including ones with antibiotics in it, etc.
  
• The reason why gram-negative folliculitis is so persistent and hard to get rid of is because the bacteria creating the infection lives and breeds in the nose and travels down to then infect the follicles. By hiding in the nose, it can also escape antibiotics and start reinfecting once the antibiotics are stopped, hence why antibiotic therapy is considered suppressive and not curative in most cases.
  
• Accutane has shown to be the most effective cure, as it seems to be effective in rebalancing the flora on your skin. It didn’t work for me, but I also believe it can work for some people.
  
• If my dietary protocol doesn’t work, my next step is going to be laser, it seems to be effective in a lot of people.
  
• I think I will stick to my new diet regardless of my skin, as by switching to this diet I’ve gained so many other benefits, and my body is definitely thanking me for it.
  
• I’ve read of some people reporting that the covid vaccine has caused some autoimmune skin conditions on them. Again, there’s no way to prove that, so I won’t really address it, but make it of it what you wish.
  
• Different people react to different things, in my case so far it seems to be gluten/wheat. I don’t seem to react to anything else, some people might need to be on a stricter protocol than me some others might find relief in having smaller quantities of whatever could be bothering them; my best advice again is to listen to your body, it won’t do any harm to remove all the unhealthy and inflammatory stuff from your diet: best case scenario you’ll fix your folliculitis worst case scenario you won’t fix it but you’ll be healthier regardless.
  

I’m also going to attach some pictures with timestamps so you can visually see what I’ve been dealing with.
This is it, everyone. I know this post is really long, but I hope it’s gonna help someone out there struggling with the same condition as me. I’m going to try my best to reply to the comments and to keep this post updated.
Cheers 🙏

Hi guys
I really have to apologise… this is long. I’m not sure what I’m looking for by sharing, but I think I really need to just rant and complain a little bit, because this is incredibly difficult to process and I am just in so, so much pain. I’d welcome tips, advice etc but even other people saying they understand would make me feel a little better I think. I feel really alone in it all and like no one really knows or cares how much this is affecting me.
I have recently been told I have HS. No medical professionals have really told me much about it or given much advice, or information on the condition, which then led to me googling, and oh boy, I regret that! I was really happy to find this HS subreddit. All I’ve been told is that it’s a “particularly nasty” case, by a couple of doctors.
For context, I’m 37, F, white, live in the UK. I am not in great health, suffering with cardiomyopathy, osteoarthritis in lumbar spine; a diagnosis of a particularly aggressive case of breast cancer (dx in 2019 and had a mental breakdown from that, it was super aggressive so I was given the whole damn bumper size package of treatments, chemo etc); major depressive disorder and eating disorder (restrictive). My vit D levels are on the floor, & so’s my ferritin. That’s highly likely eating disorder related. I’m currently on supplements prescribed by my GP, however this is far from the first time this kind of malnutrition has occurred.
Before January, I’d never had any kind of skin condition. I’m not obese or overweight; I don’t smoke; I have no family history. Basically I don’t hit any of the common contributing factors.
It’s been incredibly distressing to have it so abruptly pop up. It started as a single lump in my left armpit which grew and grew and grew, and became so painful I couldn’t rest my arm down to my side naturally. I was sent to A&E several times, with concern being an infected hair follicle/folliculitis and potential cellulitis (I have had that before, turning septic, from what was initially mastitis back in 2018).
I have so far been put on several courses of antibiotics, I&D once, and a few ultrasounds of both axillaries.
That first sole lump didn’t respond to antibiotics (both flucloxicillin and Coamoxiclav) growing into a very large angry abscess, and I ended up needing incision and drainage under general anaesthetic end of Feb. They got 10ml of pus out. Very, very soon afterwards, more lumps appeared, in my right armpit, more in my left armpit near the abscess, and on my groin. It just went completely crazy.
The op to drain the abscess caused quite a few issues. It still hasn’t healed two months on. Green pus leaks out all the time. It’s red raw and excruciating.
The lumps in my right armpit were just sort of… there - palpable, lumpy etc but all smallish and solid, no “head), and not painful at all - until this past week/10 days.
Side note - my breast cancer was in my right breast. I had a lumpectomy, not mastectomy, and they also removed lymph nodes in my right arm too, putting me at an increased risk of lymphoedema. I’m so scared the HS will trigger that….when I said this to a surgeon he just really bluntly told me it was “quite likely” which REALLY has upset me).
Thankfully, the lumps in my groin went away. My left armpit also has many more lumps all around the abscess site, which are also incredibly painful.
Since that first lump appeared in mid Feb I have been prescribed six - yes 6 - courses of oral antibiotics. Just back to back courses. They are all doing absolutely nothing. It has been Flucloxicillin, then co-amoxiclav, more flucloxicillin, more co-amoxiclav, then ANOTHER course of flucloxicillin earlier in the week, and then two days ago, clarithomycin.
The pain is still excruciating. I’m talking sobbing, in excruciating pain. My arm movement is really restricted. And when I say I feel this pain - I am literally under the chronic pain management team for spinal osteoarthritis, for which I am already on a Butec patch AND oral morphine. Yet my armpits are seriously more acutely painful than my back is.
I’m at a loss. I genuinely feel so hopeless. The pain is so bad especially at night, I get this really unbearable burning, stinging pain coming from really deep within my armpits. Every time I see a doctor, I keep either getting sent to the surgical team at my hospital (who are telling me the lumps are either too solid, or they can’t mess with them much because it’s more complex than just like…lopping them off) because of tunnelling and sinus tracts or something? I don’t really understand it.
But no one is telling me what they CAN do!! As I say, Google has not been my friend, and I am already struggling badly with my mental health (a lot stemming from mycancer diagnosis age 33, very, very shortly after I had delivered my third baby) and subsequent, unrelated chronic health conditions.
Life feels utterly hopeless and difficult. I can’t stop crying because I’m so devastated at getting yet another pretty life limiting condition (which is quite unlike me, I’m usually pretty numb/stoic to most stuff, yay dulled emotions from depression 🫠).
I’m in so much pain, I’m frustrated that doctors just carry on chucking more antibiotics at me even though they’re clearly not doing anything or cleaning up an infection I supposedly picked up post surgery that is NOT HS; but some other bacterial infection that got into the site of the incision. Yay me.
I read that depression is common with HS. Also lower life expectancy. And higher skin cancer risk. “Rarely do these complications occur” is not reassuring to me, given my already quite dramatic medical history. But this flare up out of absolute thin air, and it being so aggressive and persistent and non responsive to antibiotics; and the fact I’m already on two different strong opiates for a completely different condition and it still hurts like crazy, and the lumps are STILL growing, still producing bright green pus, hot, red, burning raw pain and I’m just told time after time that yeah, sorry, just keep it clean blah blah (I do keep it all clean, I use warm compresses, I was told to keep away from wearing wound dressings, which I’ve done but makes things even worse as then my clothes rub against my armpits…no deodorant, no shaving (I usually take quite a bit of care in how I look, probably care more than is healthy tbh, but all the same, I’m just not a hairy pits girly, and I always feel like I STINK).
My life feels over. Too much. I’ve been sectioned (like legally detained in psych wards) 9 times in the last 3/4 years for eitheboth anorexia and severe depression/suicidal ideation. My mental health is already extremely poor. I don’t think I can take much more of this.
If you read all this, I’m genuinely so grateful for your time. Like I said at the start I don’t know what I really hope to achieve or what I hope people can advise, but I’ll take anything, even if it’s just someone saying they understand.
If nothing else I’m glad to have stumbled on this Reddit community.
Thank you for reading so much of my complaining!! It’s been a really, really tough week health wise and I feel close to breaking point now. Words of hope and encouragement would be so, so appreciated and meaningful right now.

I got scabies sometime around december last year, and I still don't know how. Probably a hookup, but no one has contacted me, could also be from the gym or some entirely random thing. For context I am a man in my 20's.
The symptoms started around new years, and I can see that my first google search for scabies was december 30th (I know multiple people that have had it long ago, and I started getting symptoms that seemed like what they've described, which is why I got worried so fast). 3 days later I went to the doctor, who said that it was probably folliculitis. I saw him two more times throughout january, and he was adamant it was not scabies, but gave me a prescription for scabies medicine (permethrin and ivermectin) and an appointment to the dermatologist, which was 5 weeks later. I was quite certain it was scabies at this point, and did the cure, but when I came to the dermatologist (around the beginning of march), he spotted a live mite on my wrist almost instantly. This meant that I had finally confirmed that it was scabies, but also that I'd been reinfected after my first cure. Now a month later, I'm quite certain that it is over, and I thought that I would make a type of post that I wish was available all the way back 3 months ago. Throughout these 3 months I've done a lot of research, I've felt it on my own body, and I've followed this subreddit, where I see a lot of misinformation, but also decent advice, so I thought I'd compile that here.
So quick TL;DR and timeline before we go into it:
Got symptoms around ending of december - Saw doctor three times throughout january. Thought it wasn't scabies but gave me prescription and derm appointment nonetheless - First cure (permethrin and ivermectin) ending of january - derm appointment a month later in early march confirmed I had scabies and had been reinfected after first cure - last cure beginning of march (first round of treatment 6 weeks ago now).
Firstly, what were my symptoms?
My itching was very local, situated almost entirely around my ass, my penis and my thighs. The itch was never super bad, but it did wake me up sometimes because my ass would itch like crazy, but went away with normal itching cream. I never really got any symptoms on my hands, but my knuckles and my elbows became almost irreparably dry and downright ashy. Symptoms vary a lot, so you cannot know 100% from what others describe.
How do I know its scabies?
If you're a man, nodules on the penis is basically pathognomonic. What this means is, if you have the symptoms of scabies (itching worse at night, rashes etc), and you start getting bumps on your penis and testicles, it's very very likely that it is scabies. Besides this, you can look for burrows, but I only ever found one (!) in the time that I had it.
How do I cure it?
It's well known on this sub that permethrin isn't really that effective. My dermatologist also told me not to bother with perm the second time around and only use ivermectin (I still used perm lol, not taking any chances). I personally know 3 people that have used ivermectin and gotten cured first time around. However, I also heard from one of these people that she gave it to two others, where the pills weren't effective and they had to use sulphur, which did the trick. I don't know anything about BB or similar, but my dermatologist told me that ivermectin is "the golden standard" right now. I also know another person that did the sulphur cure, which also worked instantly.
How much do I have to clean?
This is where I'll start to talk about this sub. Some people on here go full panic mode, which is understandable, but you have to remember that these mites don't want to leave you unless they can go on someone else. They are in their natural habitat on a person, not on your clothes, and you only ever have 10-15 on you at a time. So the cleaning is effectively just minimising the risk of something quite unlikely happening, unless you have crusted scabies. Change sheets and towels every day the first 3 days after the cure, don't use the same clothes more than once in this period as well, and don't use the clothes that you used in the 3 days up to the cure. Wash in 60 degrees or above, or put away in a bag for long, or a few days in the freezer. No need to throw anything out or get new furniture or whatever.
If you do this, you've effectively minimised the risk of coming into contact with a live mite again. I also took out my carpets for peace of mind during the first 2 weeks of my treatment and put a plastic bag over my desk chair.
How did I get reinfected?
I personally think I got reinfected because I was dating someone at the time, and we kept "seeing" each other while we were both taking the cure, which was a massive mistake. I believe that the first cure would've worked if I didn't do this. Other common ways of getting reinfected I've heard of has been using the same jacket, and also shoes (this was specifically pointed out to me by my dermatologist).
How long do I wait before treating again?
This one is important, because I see sooo many people on this sub overtreating themselves to the point where they are actively harming themselves. The cures are essentially poison and really tough on your skin, and you won't see results instantly. In fact, you'll probably feel worse right after taking the cure. But you HAVE to remain patient. Do the cure without cutting corners so that you can rest assured that you have done everything that you can, and then leave it for at least 4 weeks. It took me 3-4 weeks before I even started seeing gradual improvements, and even then I was sceptical. If you have to get one thing from this post, I hope that it will be this: do not overtreat. People get scabies all the time and get cured all the time as well. The medicines work, but you won't see results instantly. I think a lot of the horror stories on this sub come from people overtreating, and then seeing the effects of those treatments as still being active scabies. I'll say it again: DO NOT OVERTREAT.
How do I stay strong mentally throughout this?
Remember that after your first cure, all of the mites living on you have essentially been killed. After your second, you technically don't have scabies anymore. This gave me a lot of peace of mind, because the worst was knowing that something was actively crawling in my skin. Post scabies is just your body reacting.
Also, for me the worst was the thought that I would give it to someone else. But if you know that you have scabies, you can easily take measures to not do this. The worst case scenario with this thing is easily avoidable luckily. I live with 4 other people, and none of them got infected in the 3 months I had it.
What can I do while treating?
I used completely normal moisturiser for the places where my skin was dry and damaged (especially my hands). My doctor also prescribed me a mometasonfuroat cream for nodules and rashes, which has helped immensely with the healing process. I see a lot of things like tea tree oil and permethrin sprays on here, which I don't have any experience with, although using permethrin outside of your treatments seems really hard on the skin.
I should also add that antihistamines and steroid creams help a lot managing symptoms, but be wary of using these too much, as it completely masked the symptoms for me when I got reinfected, so I didn't actually suspect that I'd been reinfected until I went to the dermatologist.
Finally, how do I know that I'm cured?
You don't, sorry. My improvement was really gradual, but I think the most telling thing was the nodules on my testicles slowly going. Keep in mind that these are very normal, and my derm told me that for some people they stay for months (you can also see posts on here saying the same). But the gradual improvement there, and in the aforementioned dry skin on my knuckles and elbows, has made me believe that I am actually clear this time. Also apart from the odd tingle in my thigh or foot I don't really itch anymore, which is like the main thing lol
I'm not gonna lie, these past few months have been horrible for me. The uncertainty, the disgust, and the feelings of isolation are really really hard on a person, but try to remember that so many people get this and beat it. They get the medicine from their doctor, take it, and go on with their lives without ever thinking about this again. The people posting horror stories on here are not representative. If I hadn't been playing so fast and loose, I probably would've been rid of it in less than two months. You will beat it, and I wish the best for you.
I will respond to comments if I feel like it's necessary, but honestly a lot of questions on here are better suited for dermatologists, and any question about "is this normal?" is really subjective. People have vastly different experiences with symptoms - both active and post. I understand the desire for clarity, but as I've stated multiple times, you have to be patient. Hope this helps someone out there, good luck everyone!

Paper and links

This is a review of "YAP/TAZ activity in stromal cells prevents ageing by controlling cGAS-STING" in Nature. 2022 Jul 1; 607(7920): 790–798.
medline: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7613988/
pdf: on https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7613988/pdf/EMS158105.pdf

YAP/TAZ our old friend for scarless healing

I love to talk about verteporfin and its potential for scarless healing: understanding how verteporfin scarless healing works under the hood was very instructive.
YAP/TAZ is a mechanosensor for the cells: it detects tearing and shearing.
In mammals, this detection causes the activation of a pathway that creates a scar - but we still have "under the hood" in our cells the same ability for scarless regeneration as seen in other species, so if you put something that blocks YAP/TAZ mechanosensor (such as verteporfin), then there's no scar, and the tissues heals perfectly - with hair follicule and everything!
Personally, I can't wait to buy some verteporfin to test on myself! (2 small problems: I don't have any surgery planned that should leave a large scar, and there's a worldwide shortage, but a good friend told me it's available in China, so I'll see what I can do)
But this begs the questions: wtf is YAP/TAZ doing when you don't have a gaping wound?
In the human body, most things are multipurpose, so it should play some other kind of role the rest of the time. This is the principle of "no free lunch": blindly putting verteporfin anywhere like some kind of holy water should be bad - and if we don't know just "how bad", it means we don't know nothing.

TLDR: YAP/TAZ other job: limit aging

We now about the scar stuff, but YAP/TAZ is mostly involved in preventing senescence, by sensing the force applied to the cell (it's a mechanosensor) and respond to them by maintaining the ECM (extra cellular matrix)
Think about cells as being surrounded by a bunch of stuff: the stuff is the ECM (made of collagen elastin etc). When cells detect mechanical forces, the feedback loop is they make a little more ECM, to limit the tearing/shearing.
Compared to scarless healing, that means YAP/TAZ works the other way around: a knockout (removing the normal function) should give you a animal with scarless healing (unfortunately, something they didnt check) yet it would come at a price: faster ageing!
Here I'm jumping a big ahead, but let's look at how the paper came to these conclusions

YAP/TAZ knockout gives a faster aging mouse

"To experimentally mimic the decline of YAP/TAZ activity during physiological ageing, we carried out YAP/TAZ inactivation in stromal cells of young adult mice (...) YAP/TAZ were genetically deleted by Tamoxifen administration at 2.5 months of age, and mice were analyzed after 5-8 weeks (see Methods). Histopathological assessment of the skin of young Col-YAP/TAZ cKO mice showed a decreased number of fibroblasts (Fig. 2a, b and Extended Data Fig. 2b), upregulation of Cdkn1a mRNA (Fig. 2c and Extended Data Fig. 2c), and aberrant collagen deposition (Extended Data Fig. 2d, e), all established phenotypes of the ageing dermis11,14. YAP/TAZ ablation in dermal fibroblasts also led to non-cell-autonomous effects, such as reduction of subcutaneous fat and reduced density of hair follicles (Fig. 2d), well-known traits of the ageing skin15. In addition, the phenotype of Col-YAP/TAZ cKO mice overlaps with that of old mice"

After being captivated by the introduction and this detail (and it's just the beginning of the paper!), I thought, we're not so interested in artificially aging mices, but keeping them young and healthy.

Inducing YAP/TAZ prevent this

Well, doing "pulses" of YAP/TAZ activity with doxycyclin-inducible transgenes helps keep these faster aging mice in good health:

"In light of the above results on YAP/TAZ cKO mice, and given that declining YAP/TAZ activity accompanies physiological ageing, we next asked whether the converse experiment - experimentally sustaining YAP/TAZ activity - could delay or suppress features of ageing. For this, we used mice carrying a doxycycline-inducible transgene encoding active YAP (TetO-YAPS127A;R26-rtTAM2)16; starting from 3 months of age, mice were kept under a pulsating regimen of YAP expression (as measured by western blot on tail tip fibroblasts, Extended Data Fig. 2g) by administering low doses of doxycycline twice a week until they reached more than 21 months of age. We found that sustaining YAP function prevented several features of ageing, rescuing fibroblast density (..) and hair follicle density (Fig. 2d), all to levels comparable to those of younger mice."

So not only the mice didn't loose their hairs, but they also had good arteries:

"We next extended these conclusions to a second example of declining YAP/TAZ mechanosignalling during ageing, that is the aortic wall" (..) Thus, YAP/TAZ mechanotransduction in aortic SMCs is an essential signal integral to the youthful homeostasis of the aortic wall, and its attenuation drives pathological features typically associated with natural ageing.

YAP/TAZ mechanosensor needs a working ECM

After reading that, my first thought was: "could YAP/TAZ involvement in skin aging simply be a reduced signal sensibility due to the ECM degradation?
They indirectly tested the ECM idea by looking at mutations of Fibrillin-1: it does to the aorta the same changes as seem in aging, but again pulsing YAP/TAZ stopped progression of aorta elastic aging:

"If YAP/TAZ mechanotransduction is relevant for controlling the ageing process, then attenuating mechanotransduction through direct manipulation of the ECM should also favor the emerge of ageing phenotypes, and in a manner driven by YAP/TAZ inhibition. An ideal playground to test this hypothesis is represented by mutations in Fbn1, which encodes Fibrillin-1 - an adhesive protein associated with the elastic fibers." (..) As visualized by immunofluorescence for YAP/TAZ, p-MLC2 and by western blot for p-FAK, we found that Fbn1 mutation recapitulates, in a few months, the mechanosensing decline that normally occurs over a lifetime (Fig. 3c, d and Extended Data Fig. 3d-f).

They didn't directly test the ECM idea, but it's a good enough proxy!

YAP/TAZ shows all the signs of actual aging

It's the real aging stuff: take old cells and put them in a culture: they're still old

"old fibroblasts, analyzed shortly after explantation, retain the same cytoplasmic YAP/TAZ bias they display in vivo"

The cells also shows a SASP (senescence associated secretion profile) and beta-galactosidase, 2 well known hallmarks of aging, so it's likely YAP/TAZ causes both scarred healing (upon injury) and anti aging functions (upon normal condition):

"Loss of YAP/TAZ in cultured fibroblasts also activates senescence-associated β-Galactosidase (SA-β-Gal), a classic marker of senescence (Extended Data Fig. 4f), consistent with prior in vitro findings. (..) experimentally sustaining YAP/TAZ activity rejuvenated these cells, suppressing SASP and SA-β-Gal expression (Fig. 4b, Extended Data Fig. 4g,h). SASP suppression was also attained by sustaining endogenous mechanotransduction and YAP/TAZ nuclear levels, through treatment with the integrin agonist pyrintegrin22"

And it goes both ways:

"Conversely, senescence was readily induced in young fibroblasts by experimental attenuation of YAP/TAZ mechanotransduction through inhibition of Rho-GTPases (Extended Data Fig 4k, l), one of the key upstream inputs that, by modulating the actin cytoskeleton, positively controls YAP/TAZ activity6. Thus, induction of senescence in old fibroblasts functionally associates to declining YAP/TAZ function."

Finding ways to hack YAP/TAZ

YAP/TAZ mechanosensing is needed to limit senescence and if it's prevented for working by making a super rigid ECM, things like those seen in aging happen:

"Next, we investigated the role of mechanical cues in the regulation of the YAP/TAZ-cGAS axis. For this, we inhibited YAP/TAZ activity by plating fibroblasts on compliant ECM-hydrogels, as such reducing the pulling forces from the ECM6. Mechanical inhibition of YAP/TAZ led to activation of cGAS, which was indeed rescued by adding back YAP (Extended Data Fig. 6a,b). Similarly, in another model of low tensional state (cellular confinement onto small adhesive areas6), mechanical inhibition of endogenous YAP/TAZ also triggered activation of cGAS (Extended Data Fig. 6c); under these conditions, cells are forced to adopt a more rounded morphology, a phenomenon that has also been observed in human dermal fibroblast during ageing"

The most interesting is how it works under the hood, and how it can be avoided even if the ECM "rigidity" couldn't be fixed, by using drugs: then all the bad things can be avoided by inactivating STING!

"in the skin of YAP/TAZ cKO; STINGGt/Gt mice, STING inactivation prevented loss of fibroblasts and preserved youthful ECM organization, subcutaneous fat layer and hair follicle density" (..) Taken together, these data indicate that YAP/TAZ restrain cGAS-STING signalling during adult tissue homeostasis in vivo, preventing emergence of senescent cells, of a proinflammatory microenvironment and age-related tissue dysfunction"

That's a super long and detailed paper, each of the experiment would by themselves be worthy of a standalone paper. The coherent whole is worthy of nature!

Putting it all together

Let's look at the discussion:

"Here we identified a molecular mechanism regulating in vivo cell senescence and ageing centered on the YAP/TAZ-cGAS-STING signalling conduit (..) we show that physiological ageing of multiple tissues parallels declining mechanotransduction, as visualized by attenuated YAP/TAZ activity and reduced cellular mechanosignalling. Future work will be required to further dissect the intimate causes underlying changes in mechanotransduction during ageing; these may be due, for example, to alterations in the physical properties of the ECM, in the viscoelastic properties of the whole tissue, in integrin-ECM association, or linked to more cell intrinsic alterations, such as defective contractility, or other changes."

So they aren't fully certain the ECM degradation,

"The findings break new ground on the nature of the signals and mechanisms inducing senescence in vivo. Depletion of senescent cells by senolytics has been shown to ameliorate ageing traits as such connecting accumulation of senescent cells to ageing1,2. Yet, the upstream molecular events that induce senescence in living tissues have so far remained unclear"

But now we know at least 1 cause of senescence!

"The identity of the cell types initiating senescence in living tissues remains poorly investigated. Here we found that waning levels of YAP/TAZ mechanotransduction is not a generalized feature of all cell types but occurs primarily in stromal and contractile cells. It is in these same cell types that we validated the YAP/TAZ-cGAS-STING connection to senescence and ageing-related tissue dysfunctions; it is thus tempting to propose that ageing may primarily initiate in tissues providing the structural framework and mechanical support to mammalian organs"

And it's at least as important as scarless healing:

"Irrespectively, the endogenous function of YAP/TAZ as regulator of senescence in adult tissues in vivo, and in specific cell types, remained unexplored, let alone the role of YAP/TAZ in ageing. The present results establish YAP/TAZ as factors playing physiological functions in youthful tissue homeostasis. This represents a departure from the current view of YAP/TAZ as relevant for cancer and tissue regeneration but irrelevant for normal adult homeostasis, as inferred by the inconsequentiality of YAP/TAZ genetic ablation in many epithelial tissues49"

And it can be used to limit aging, at least in vitro

"Our work contributes to fill this gap by showing that STING inhibition in vivo is sufficient to prevent accrual of senescent cells and, in so doing, the later emergence of accelerated ageing traits"

And why:

"YAP/TAZ activity is in turn instrumental to preserve the mechanical resilience of the nuclear envelope. This raises the possibility of mechanically regulated feedback loops between YAP/TAZ and the physical attributes of the nucleus and the cytoskeleton to be explored in future work, and particularly in the context of ageing biology."

And how:

"STING inhibition may represent a valid alternative to current senolytics approaches, aiming to preserve tissue integrity by preventing senescence rather than eliminating cells"

My conclusions

It's an absolutely incredible groundbreaking work that'll certainly lead to major advances in healthcare ... and skincare!
If you activate YAP/TAZ mechanosensor or inhibit STING, it should stop the tissue aging, as is shown in their aorta examples, and maybe even rejuvenate them if the process is enough to restores the ECM (so make elastin, collagen etc), as the cells could then "sense" again the forces, and maintain their ECM.
Eventually, it should make it possible to "undo" the UV damage (80% of facial skin aging), so that the facial skin is like sun-protected skin (which responds well to E2 or E3!)
The only thing we need is something that:

• either does the opposite of verteporfin and instead of "disabling" the mechanosensor (like, disconnecting the sensors: an antagonist) pushes the trigger (an agonist)
• or disables STING (like they did in the paper)

Given what we keep learning about YAP/TAZ, I have no doubt that we'll get eventually drugs like that in a few years.
In the meantime, scarless healing is already a very cool thing, and verteporfin is an FDA approved drug. The shortages suck though!

Suggested side readings

As a more accessible version of the paper, another paper that's more a comment on this original work https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9632523/
For the ECM aging, elastin is what matters first: it declines after 25, while collagen declines after 60.
While it's mostly focused on what's regulating elastin transcription, this paper has a good intro: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9448287/
Many papers attempt to increase elastin by making peptides, to talk about things like matrixmetalloproteases (MMP) check https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10408523/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9827338/ : just focus on the introduction and the discussion.
For a recent paper on the E2 effect on the ECM, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10813671/

*UPDATE* - May 2024, I'm still on the diet and I'm still clear
My gram-negative folliculitis (GNF) was healed by eating a keto/carnivore diet.
My top 4 rules for healing GNF with diet, which I will elaborate more on in this post:

1. Eat little to no carbohydrates
2. Eat little to no sugar
3. Eliminate processed foods (Instead, eat whole foods that contain 1-5 ingredients - think meat and low carb/low sugar fruits and veggies)
4. Eliminate vegetable oils and seed oils (Instead, cook with butter, ghee or tallow)

For the record, I am not a medical professional, and this is not as in depth as it could be. I strongly encourage you to do your own research on keto and carnivore diets. I will say, thousands of people have done this diet and have healed numerous chronic illnesses and auto-immune diseases. In this article, I will discuss what a keto/carnivore diet is, how it heals GNF, and how it benefits overall health. I will also recommend some foods to try, tips to follow, and resources to use for additional research.
Some background on my GNF history - I began showing symptoms in early 2020. I spent 3 years on and off multiple antibiotics that would eliminate the GNF while I was on medication, but it would return as soon as I stopped treatment. In September of 2022, it worsened significantly, so I went on a 9-month Accutane course. This nearly eliminated all of my GNF, but it actually came back within one week after my Accutane course ended. My doctor then told me I would most likely have to stay on Accutane for the rest of my life, for which I was paying $200/month.
At the time, I was engaged (now married), but I knew that relying on pills at a high cost was not looking like a healthy future - for my body, my wallet, and even my future family. There had to be a better solution.
After thorough research, I then began experimenting with a keto/carnivore diet, which I have been doing since July of 2023. I am now completely clear (and was clear after about a month on the diet). Plus, I am doing even better than when I was on Accutane (without the horrible side effects).
Some of you have been following my comments over the last year and a half on other GNF posts, and I greatly appreciate those who have reached out directly (feel free to DM me at anytime). I have been studying GNF extensively, and have also read almost every reddit post on this topic regarding what other people's solutions are. Some have found healing/treatment with long-term topicals, such as retinols. Some have decided to go on long-term oral medication, like Accutane. There is no right way to tackle this, and whatever works for you - do it. However, I have found that healing through a keto/carnivore diet has been the most effective option for me, and also the healthiest and most natural. If you can heal your body through food, and not be dependent on medication, that is a feeling of immense victory. For the first time in years, I feel I am in control - not the medication. Feed your body what it needs, and it will not fight against you.
What is a keto/carnivore diet?
Keto and carnivore diets ultimately focus on consuming foods that are low in carbohydrates and low in sugars. These foods are often animal-based foods, such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy (if you can tolerate dairy), along with low carb/low sugar fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. These are also mostly unprocessed, single-ingredient foods. A keto diet includes all foods I mentioned above, and more can be incorporated. Carnivore, on the other hand, is strictly animal foods and no plants. I personally eat a carnivore diet 90% of the time, and a keto diet 10% of the time.
I have talked to some low carb folks who are vegan - no judgement either way. I personally don't care what you eat, I just want you to be healed. However, I will say animal foods are far more nutritious and satiating (we'll expand more on that later).
Carbs (glucose) and sugar (fructose) are known to be two of the most inflammatory foods one can consume. When you eat a carb-heavy or sugar-heavy meal, your body's insulin spikes, causing various forms of inflammation in the body. This could be inflammation in your joints, your brain - anywhere. For those with GNF, this insulin spike can capitalize on inflammation in the gut and on the skin - hence the flare-ups/breakouts one may experience.
How does a keto/carnivore diet heal GNF?
Overall, what causes GNF? Inflammation. What happens when one avoids carbs, sugar, and inflammatory foods? Little to no inflammation. Put simply, if you can keep inflammation down, then flare-ups and breakouts will be minimal and likely non-existent. When I stick to a carnivore diet, I rarely have a breakout.
However, more importantly, when you avoids carbs (as grains), sugar, and inflammatory foods, your gut health improves drastically. Good gut health is the main attribute to clear skin and a healthy body overall - inside and out. When consuming a standard American diet full of carbs (mainly refined grains) and sugars, negative bacteria in your gut, on your skin, in your nasal cavity - anywhere on your body - feed off of these yeast and sugars, causing an overgrowth. Regarding GNF, this overgrowth of negative bacteria is what contributes to flare-ups (hence gram-negative folliculitis). When you eat a keto and carnivore diet, you cut-off fuel for the bacteria to survive and they are eliminated. This is what people are referring to when it comes to treating the "root cause" and not the symptoms. Your gut health is the root cause. Topical medications and pills treat the symptoms. Foods treat the root cause. Heal your gut, and there's a likely chance you will rid yourself of GNF.
Plus, you're also feeding your body the fuel it was meant to eat - single to minimal-ingredient, whole foods. Foods containing high levels of carbohydrates and sugars are often highly-processed (with the exception of certain fruits and veggies). And yes, unless you're baking it yourself, nearly all bread you buy at a traditional grocery store is made of refined and processed grains. No matter what you buy, I strongly encourage you to read the ingredients.
So, thus far, keto and carnivore diets: 1) Eliminate inflammation, and 2) Heal the gut. This is a perfect recipe for healing GNF, and for living an incredibly healthy lifestyle in general.
How does a keto/carnivore diet benefit overall health?
Inflammation in the body is also responsible for the majority of illnesses we experiences - from obesity, to even most cancers. So, many people do this diet to lose weight, heal metabolic diseases, and reverse auto-immune diseases. Some even put cancer into remission - all with the goal to eliminate inflammation.
Obesity, diabetes and heart disease have all tripled since the 1970s. Today, 42% of the US population is considered obese (according the to CDC). If you look back at trends, the mid-20th century is when the modern food pyramid was introduced, and when the US began cooking most of its food in vegetable oils and seed oils instead of healthy and natural animal fats like butter and tallow, which were used for centuries prior. This is also when processed foods started becoming just as, if not more, socially acceptable than whole foods. Today, vegetable oils and seed oils are used in almost every processed food, with practically no nutritional significance. Again, I strongly encourage you to read the ingredients.
Many people do raise the concern, "Isn't all this meat bad for you? Shouldn't it clog your arteries, raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of diabetes?" Well, not really - quite the opposite, actually. As an example of good health, let's look at Hong Kong. They have the longest life expectancy of any geographical region, and the average citizen consumes 1.5 pounds of meat per day. Animal fat is healthy for you - we have been eating it for millions of years. However, we have never eaten sugar in as high of quantities as we do today. Fat has taken the blame for sugar in a number of ways.
In 2021, Harvard conducted a study in which they observed 2,029 participants - all of whom were diabetic. They put all participants on a carnivore diet for 6 months and found:

• 100% of participants came off of injectable medications
• 92% of participants came off of insulin completely
• 84% of participants came off of all oral medications
• All participants lost an average of 20 lbs.

Similar observations could be made about cholesterol. While there are many variables that play a role in cholesterol (HDL, LDL and Triglycerides), and further research could be done - one's cholesterol tends to regulate itself when eating a lower-carb, whole-food diet. Many people who had high cholesterol and were on statins actually claimed they came off of statins naturally over time after beginning a carnivore diet.
Unfortunately, the food pyramid most of us were taught encourages us to prioritize grains (which ironically have minimal nutritional value) and to avoid meat, eggs and dairy - the most nutrient-dense and least inflammatory foods we can consume. Animal-based foods make us strong physically and cognitively, provide us with every vitamin and mineral we need, and are the foods that can help the body heal the most. When people ask me what vitamins and minerals are in meat, I typically respond, "What vitamins and minerals aren't in meat?" You can get adequate amounts of all nutrients from meat and animal foods if you are eating a low or zero-carb diet.
The only two vitamins that are often questionable are Vitamin C & D. However, for Vitamin C, glucose (carbs) and Vitamin C actually compete for resources in the body. When you stop eating high amounts of glucose, Vitamin C doesn't have to compete, so your body requires less. Meat does contain small amounts of Vitamin C, and if you're eating little to no carbs, you're typically acquiring enough. For what it's worth, thousands of people have been doing carnivore for years, and there has never been a single reported case of scurvy.
For Vitamin D, fish, such as salmon and sardines, and dairy products contain varying amounts. However, I do supplement with Vitamin D (1000 IU/day). In addition, I recommend getting adequate amounts of sunlight. And yes, the sun is good for you (if you're eating the right foods). This may sound controversial - I thought it did too, at first. However, as we know, animal foods are rich in cholesterol and saturated fat. Cholesterol actually aids in the synthesis of vitamin D, which is sun-protective and helps you tan rather than burn. Saturated fat is needed to help displace polyunsaturated fats, which are inflammatory due to their high Omega-6 content. The Standard American Diet is typically loaded with polyunsaturated fats from vegetable oils and seed oils. Inflammation from PU fats is what actually makes your skin more susceptible to sun damage, and actually amplifies sunburn. But, when eating the right foods, your body is not in an inflamed and exposed state. Intentionally seeking sun exposure is beneficial, and the more often your body is exposed to the sun, the more your body will adapt to it and be less prone to sun damage. Does this mean we should lay out in the sun for 8 hours per day? No. However, if you're eating a nutritious, non-inflammatory diet, the average person should rarely ever have to consider sunscreen, unless they spend hours on end outside. While there are varying types of skin cancer, British dermatologist and professor Richard Weller found that melanoma was found more in office workers and un-tanned people than in outdoor workers and tanned people. Why? The skin needs to adapt to the sun at consistent, healthy levels of exposure in order to protect itself from it (take a listen to Dr. Weller's podcast here). I encourage you to get healthy amounts of sunlight, but don't overdo it. I aim to be outside intermittently for 1-2 hours per day, in roughly 20 minute intervals. But, start slow - begin with just 10-15 minutes total per day. I wouldn't just jump right into longer periods in the sun, or you may burn. Also, a natural tan is typically more effective in defending the sun than most heavy-chemical sunscreens - and it's healthier. I have experienced this first hand, as I tan much more quickly now with little sunburn. If you do use sunscreen (which I'm not opposed to), just make sure your sunscreen also has minimal ingredients. Mine contains only beef tallow, beeswax and non-nano zinc oxide. We have to remember sunscreen is a modern invention, and we have done pretty well as humans without it for thousands of years - until we changed our diet.
Not to be snarky, but if folks are doubtful of the benefits of meat, I then ask them to name one vitamin or mineral in grains, which according to the food pyramid and even most doctors, is what we should be eating most. Needless to say, most people are stumped. I'm not trying to shame or outsmart anyone, but I just want to shed light on what we're prioritizing as a society. And I don't think grains or bread is necessarily bad. Minimal-ingredient/homemade bread is delicious, and if you enjoy it and it doesn't negatively affect your health, go for it! However, I do not believe grains should be the nutritional cornerstone of one's diet.
Furthermore, even when it comes to plants, meat is still far more nutritious due to its nutrient's bioavailability. Bioavailability is our body's ability to absorb nutrients from food. While plants do contain beneficial vitamins and minerals, our body has to convert plant nutrients for them to be absorbed, so you're never fully absorbing 100% of those nutrients. However, with meat, your body does not have to convert anything, so you will absorb 100% of all nutrients. Not to mention, meat typically has higher amounts of most vitamins and minerals, generally, and meat is significantly more satiating due to high amounts of fat and protein. Are plants bad? No, not for most people. Again, plants do offer a great variety of vitamins and minerals. Eat what works for you - there is no right answer. However, when comparing foods, meat is nutritiously superior.
What is my current skincare routine?
I no longer have one. Diet is the skincare routine. I wash my face with water - once in the morning and once in the evening, that's it. I no longer use a facial cleanser, moisturizer or any medicated topicals. My skin has never looked better. Praise God, I am completely clear 99% of the time. The only times I get a breakout or flare up is when I stray from the diet.
When you eat a clean diet of whole foods, your body tends to regulate itself in many ways. When it comes to your skin, if you're eating the right foods, your skin will heal and protect itself on its own. Your skin will not be dry nor oily, and again, if you eat non-inflammatory foods, there will be little to no inflammation. I spent years being told by dermatologists that diet does not have any affect on your skin. I am now realizing diet is responsible for every aspect of skin health.
God did not make your skin tolerable of a 10-step skincare routine. God made your skin to function perfectly fine on its own, as long as you are feeding your body well.
The only hygiene product I currently use is toothpaste. I do not use shampoo or conditioner - my hair is never oily/greasy. I also no longer use deodorant - I never have body odor anymore. I also no longer use soap in the shower - I wash my body with only water. I do keep a bar of tallow soap in the shower to use on the "pits and bits," but that's it. I know this sounds incredible unusual - I originally thought it was too. But, after seeing others who were eating this way be successful in having little to no skincare routine, I had to try it.
I am a male (28) and do shave my face 2-3 times per week. For this, I use a mild cleanser for shaving cream, and then after I shave, I rinse, then rub an alum block all over my face. I let the alum sit on my face for about 60 seconds, and then I just rinse it all off during my morning shower. I don't even moisturize afterwards, I just go about my day, as my skin is never dry. On days I don't shave, I just wash with water. I encourage you - men and women - to research alum blocks. Alum is a natural antiseptic that helps fight off infection after a shave, and prevents any cuts/nicks from excessive bleeding. It's a natural element that people have used on their skin for thousands of years.
Again, your body regulates itself - you don't need all these skin and haircare products that dermatologists and large corporations market toward you. This diet has also been coined the "Proper Human Diet" because it's not just that you're eating the right foods, it's that, as a whole, your body is operating and regulating in the ways it was made to.
What are some keto/carnivore foods?
As I mentioned, I eat a carnivore diet 90% of the time, and a keto diet 10% of the time. So, I prioritize meat. I eat about 2-3 lbs. of meat per day, usually beef. I find beef is the least inflammatory and most nutritious food I consume, and I would say most keto/carnivores agree. I also mainly just eat ground beef, as it's most affordable (I actually prefer it over steak).
Fish, pork and chicken are great for most people. However, I would not rely solely on these meats, as they can be more inflammatory for some. They are also usually not the cleanest meats, not as satiating, and they contain higher amounts of Omega-6, which are inflammatory.
Below is a list of low-carb, low sugar, whole foods that I have put together, along with tips for eating at restaurants. I've also included some sources you can check out to learn more. Again, some people tolerate certain foods differently, so I can't promise you these will all work in your favor. If you are just starting out and in need of healing, I would lean toward eating more of a carnivore/zero-carb diet first, and then re-introduce foods slowly after 4-6 weeks. But, I hope this gives you some guidance, and you can experiment with these foods over time. I put one asterisk (*) next to the foods I eat regularly, and two (**) next to the foods I eat daily:
Meat:

• Beef**
• Lamb
• Bison
• Fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel)*
• Pork**
• Chicken*

Eggs\**
Dairy (if you can tolerate dairy - it is inflammatory for some):

• Cheese**
• Butter**
• Milk
• Kefir (fermented milk - great for gut health)
• Sour Cream*

Fruits:

• Avocados**
• Tomatoes*
• Blackberries*
• Raspberries*
• Strawberries*
• Blueberries*
• Lemon
• Lime

Veggies:

• Pickles/Cucumbers**
• Zucchini*
• Yellow Squash
• Asparagus*
• Onions*
• Broccoli*
• Green Beans
• Artichoke
• Bell peppers*
• Brussel sprouts*
• Cauliflower*
• Scallions
• Mushrooms

Carnivore Snacks

• Chomps beef sticks*
• Pork rinds
• Power Pucks

Condiments

• Mustard*
• Hot Sauce*
• Salsa* (I eat "Mateo's Gourmet" brand - delicious and very clean ingredients)
• Primal Kitchen - this company makes a wide variety of clean-ingredient condiments and dressings (ketchup, mayo, ranch, blue cheese dressing, buffalo sauce, etc.)

Oils You Can Eat

• 100% Extra-Virgin Olive Oil*
• Avocado Oil
• Coconut Oil

Oils to Avoid

• Vegetable Oils/Seed Oils
  • Canola Oil
  • Soybean Oil
  • Corn Oil
  • Palm Oil
  • Sunflower Oil
• Peanut Oil

Eating at Restaurants
Eating a restaurants is typically fine, however, I usually don't get the best value. Meat can be expensive, and since I focus heavily on meat, I usually eat a small meal before I got out so I don't have to overspend to be satiated. Or, if it's a good deal, I'll usually order a burger, then just substitute the bun for an extra patty - This usually only costs a few extra bucks.

• Dine-In
  • Just opt for the foods above - I do eat out a few times per week.
  • Many restaurants do cook in vegetable oils and seed oils, and I will occasionally eat veggies that are cooked in them. I try to avoid those oils, but I can't always be perfect. You can also ask restaurants to cook in butter or tallow if you'd like.
• Fast-Food
  • This may sound crazy, but fast food is your friend. If you go to McDonald's, Wendy's, Whataburger, In-N-Out - all of these restaurant's burgers are 100% beef. You can order just the patties - add cheese, bacon or veggies if you'd like. I do this probably twice per week if I'm on the go.
  • Many people claim fast food is horrible for you, and it can be, however, this is because people take into account the buns, fries, soft drinks and milkshakes that typically accompany a fast food burger. All of the above are terrible for you - minus the burger, since it is just 100% beef. Also, you can typically order up to 5 or 6 patties for less than or equal to the cost of a regular combo meal.

Who/what are some keto/carnivore sources where I can learn more?
Medical Professionals (check them out on YouTube):

• Dr. Anthony Chaffee
• Dr. Ken Berry
• Dr. Shawn Baker

Book Recommendation:

• "The Carnivore Reset" by Chris Irvin and Cynthia Thurlow
  • This book goes in depth on how the carnivore diet benefits gut health

Lastly, God heals. I pray that he continues to heal us all. He is my Lord and Savior, and I truly believe he used this diet to heal me, to share my findings to help heal others, and to glorify Him in the process. Praise God, God bless, and again, please feel free to DM me at anytime - here to help.

Hi! I am new here. 38/f this began for me a year ago. Two years ago though I noticed suddenly my hair seemed as though something was wrong. It looked very thin, I could see my scalp and where i couldn't before. Slowly I was losing a lot of hair daily. If I ran my hand through it, a lot would come out. The texture seemed to drastically change as well. Alarming... So i chalked it up to telogen effluvium the trigger possibly being either covid, vegan diet or both. After a year of this I was laying down one night feeling my hair and noticed it felt very bizarre: brittle, weak, empty, light. I thought what is going on here? It wasn't "my hair". I tugged it slightly and it came right out. Slid right out of the follicule so it seemed. I think it had the white keratin bulb. I thought how strange it just came out so easy . I felt in that area again and found most the hair there was doing the same thing. It was as though it wasn't affixed to my scalp like it "should be", was my guess anyway. This was me entering trich. Time went on and nearly all these hairs which were like this i pulled out. That is how it began for me. Now I even want to pull regrowth which strangely slides right out no pain usually. Since I never pulled my hair out before like this it has be thinking if individual strands are always so easy to remove? or is it indicative of something like a nutritional deficiency? Do you feel pain usually? then pleasure or no pain and then the stress release? This is so upsetting i'm sure many of you feel the same. I'm going to work up the nerve to post some pics later.

Pourquoi la greffe de cheveux est moins cher en Turquie ?

La greffe de cheveux est moins cher en Turquie pour plusieurs raisons : Le coût de la vie en Turquie est beaucoup moins élevé qu'en France. Des greffes de cheveux proposées sous forme de "package", avec par exemple un nombre de greffons prédéfinis. --- Quand faire une greffe de barbe ? Les greffes de barbe sont recommandées aux hommes qui souffrent du fait d'être imberbes ou d'avoir une barbe clairsemée. Une greffe de barbe peut également être indiquée aux personnes qui ont des cicatrices au niveau du visage (acné, brûlures, chirurgie, fente labio-palatine, etc.) --- Comment faire une greffe de barbe ? La méthode de greffe de barbe FUE
Aucune bandelette de peau n'est prélevée, les greffons sont retirés un à un à l'aide d'un outil appelé le punch. Chaque greffon est alors scrupuleusement trié à l'aide d'un microscope. Pour préserver un effet naturel seuls les greffons de maximum 2 cheveux sont réimplantés. --- Quand Peut-on toucher les greffons ? Elles sont très fragiles et ne doivent pas être touchées pendant au moins deux semaines. Cela permettra de minimiser la tension et la pression sur les zones greffées, ce qui réduira le risque de chute de cheveux. --- Quel est le meilleur pays pour les implants capillaires ? Turquie ou Hongrie : quelle est la meilleure destination pour une greffe de cheveux de qualité ? Bien qu'il y ait de bonnes cliniques en Turquie, la Hongrie est à ce jour la meilleure des destinations pour une greffe de cheveux qualitative à moindre coût. --- Est-il Haram de refaire ses cheveux ? "Allah a maudit la femme qui ajoute des extensions de cheveux et celle qui demande qu'elles soient ajoutées", a-t-il dit à la femme, impliquant à la fois celle qui a demandé les extensions capillaires et celle qui souhaite le faire. Ainsi, les extensions de cheveux sont interdites dans l'islam (haram). --- Quand se raser après une greffe de barbe ? Il est important que vous ne vous rasiez pas avec un rasoir directement sur la peau avant la fin des 6 mois. Après 6 mois, vous pouvez vous raser avec un rasoir sans risquer de blesser les follicules pileux transplantés. --- Comment dormir après greffe de barbe ? Après la première nuit, il est possible d'adopter une position à demi-allongée pendant deux semaines. Il faut veiller à ne dormir ni sur le ventre ni sur le côté. Pour cela, il est toujours possible de surélever le haut du corps et la nuque avec des serviettes ou des oreillers. --- Est-il Haram de faire une greffe de barbe ? La greffe de barbe est-elle considérée comme “haram” pour les musulmans ? Pour les musulmans, la greffe de barbe est haram si les greffons sont prélevés sur une autre personne. Si l'opération est effectuée par les cheveux naturels du patient, elle est autorisée. --- Quelle est la durée de vie d'un greffon ? À l'heure actuelle, en France, la demi-vie d'un greffon issu d'un donneur vivant est d'environ 20 ans, contre 14 ans pour un rein provenant d'un donneur décédé). --- Quand faire une greffe de barbe ? Les greffes de barbe sont recommandées aux hommes qui souffrent du fait d'être imberbes ou d'avoir une barbe clairsemée. Une greffe de barbe peut également être indiquée aux personnes qui ont des cicatrices au niveau du visage (acné, brûlures, chirurgie, fente labio-palatine, etc.) --- Pourquoi la greffe de cheveux est moins cher en Turquie ? La greffe de cheveux est moins cher en Turquie pour plusieurs raisons : Le coût de la vie en Turquie est beaucoup moins élevé qu'en France. Des greffes de cheveux proposées sous forme de "package", avec par exemple un nombre de greffons prédéfinis. --- Comment faire une greffe de barbe ? La méthode de greffe de barbe FUE
Aucune bandelette de peau n'est prélevée, les greffons sont retirés un à un à l'aide d'un outil appelé le punch. Chaque greffon est alors scrupuleusement trié à l'aide d'un microscope. Pour préserver un effet naturel seuls les greffons de maximum 2 cheveux sont réimplantés. --- Pourquoi aller en Turquie pour la calvitie ? Si la Turquie attire, c'est notamment grâce à ses tarifs très attractifs. On estime en effet le prix d'une greffe de cheveux en Turquie à seulement 25% du prix pratiqué dans d'autres pays, rendant le procédé accessible pour un plus large public. --- Quand se raser après une greffe de barbe ? Il est important que vous ne vous rasiez pas avec un rasoir directement sur la peau avant la fin des 6 mois. Après 6 mois, vous pouvez vous raser avec un rasoir sans risquer de blesser les follicules pileux transplantés. --- Quand la barbe ne pousse pas ? L'alimentation : Une alimentation déséquilibrée, pauvre en vitamines et minéraux essentiels pour la santé des poils, peut également être responsable d'une barbe clairsemée. Les soins apportés à la barbe : Des soins inadaptés ou une mauvaise hygiène peuvent aussi expliquer pourquoi votre barbe ne pousse pas. --- Quel est le meilleur pays pour les implants capillaires ? Turquie ou Hongrie : quelle est la meilleure destination pour une greffe de cheveux de qualité ? Bien qu'il y ait de bonnes cliniques en Turquie, la Hongrie est à ce jour la meilleure des destinations pour une greffe de cheveux qualitative à moindre coût. --- Est-il Haram de refaire ses cheveux ? "Allah a maudit la femme qui ajoute des extensions de cheveux et celle qui demande qu'elles soient ajoutées", a-t-il dit à la femme, impliquant à la fois celle qui a demandé les extensions capillaires et celle qui souhaite le faire. Ainsi, les extensions de cheveux sont interdites dans l'islam (haram). --- Est-il Haram de faire une greffe de barbe ? La greffe de barbe est-elle considérée comme “haram” pour les musulmans ? Pour les musulmans, la greffe de barbe est haram si les greffons sont prélevés sur une autre personne. Si l'opération est effectuée par les cheveux naturels du patient, elle est autorisée. --- Quel pays a le moins de calvitie ? Les chercheurs ont découvert que les hommes en République tchèque avaient les têtes les plus lisses, avec plus de 40% de sa population masculine adulte souffrant de perte de cheveux. L'Espagne, l'Allemagne et la France suivent la liste, le Royaume-Uni fermant le top cinq. --- Quand faire une greffe de barbe ? Les greffes de barbe sont recommandées aux hommes qui souffrent du fait d'être imberbes ou d'avoir une barbe clairsemée. Une greffe de barbe peut également être indiquée aux personnes qui ont des cicatrices au niveau du visage (acné, brûlures, chirurgie, fente labio-palatine, etc.) --- Pourquoi la greffe de cheveux est moins cher en Turquie ? La greffe de cheveux est moins cher en Turquie pour plusieurs raisons : Le coût de la vie en Turquie est beaucoup moins élevé qu'en France. Des greffes de cheveux proposées sous forme de "package", avec par exemple un nombre de greffons prédéfinis. --- Comment faire une greffe de barbe ? La méthode de greffe de barbe FUE
Aucune bandelette de peau n'est prélevée, les greffons sont retirés un à un à l'aide d'un outil appelé le punch. Chaque greffon est alors scrupuleusement trié à l'aide d'un microscope. Pour préserver un effet naturel seuls les greffons de maximum 2 cheveux sont réimplantés. --- Quand Peut-on toucher les greffons ? Elles sont très fragiles et ne doivent pas être touchées pendant au moins deux semaines. Cela permettra de minimiser la tension et la pression sur les zones greffées, ce qui réduira le risque de chute de cheveux. --- Quand se raser après une greffe de barbe ? Il est important que vous ne vous rasiez pas avec un rasoir directement sur la peau avant la fin des 6 mois. Après 6 mois, vous pouvez vous raser avec un rasoir sans risquer de blesser les follicules pileux transplantés. --- Quand la barbe ne pousse pas ? L'alimentation : Une alimentation déséquilibrée, pauvre en vitamines et minéraux essentiels pour la santé des poils, peut également être responsable d'une barbe clairsemée. Les soins apportés à la barbe : Des soins inadaptés ou une mauvaise hygiène peuvent aussi expliquer pourquoi votre barbe ne pousse pas. --- Quel est le meilleur pays pour les implants capillaires ? Turquie ou Hongrie : quelle est la meilleure destination pour une greffe de cheveux de qualité ? Bien qu'il y ait de bonnes cliniques en Turquie, la Hongrie est à ce jour la meilleure des destinations pour une greffe de cheveux qualitative à moindre coût. --- Est-il Haram de refaire ses cheveux ? "Allah a maudit la femme qui ajoute des extensions de cheveux et celle qui demande qu'elles soient ajoutées", a-t-il dit à la femme, impliquant à la fois celle qui a demandé les extensions capillaires et celle qui souhaite le faire. Ainsi, les extensions de cheveux sont interdites dans l'islam (haram). --- Est-il Haram de faire une greffe de barbe ? La greffe de barbe est-elle considérée comme “haram” pour les musulmans ? Pour les musulmans, la greffe de barbe est haram si les greffons sont prélevés sur une autre personne. Si l'opération est effectuée par les cheveux naturels du patient, elle est autorisée. --- Quelle est la durée de vie d'un greffon ? À l'heure actuelle, en France, la demi-vie d'un greffon issu d'un donneur vivant est d'environ 20 ans, contre 14 ans pour un rein provenant d'un donneur décédé). --- How much beard transplant cost in Turkey? The average cost of Beard transplant in Turkey ranges from 1898$ to 3037$. The offers include consultation with a doctor, blood tests, local anesthesia, follow-up examination, preoperative tests, post-op medications, shampoo, 1 PRP session and beard transplants. --- What age can you get a beard transplant? Should You Have a Beard Transplant in Your Early 20s? The answer is that it's really up to you. You won't harm anything by having a beard transplant at a young age. But if you're just a bit more patient, your facial hair will likely thicken on its own as you approach age 30. --- How much is 3000 grafts of hair in turkey? 2022: A Snapshot of Prices
Average Cost: Generally, the average price for a hair transplant in Turkey was around $4,000 to $4,500. This range was significantly lower than in many European countries or the U.S.​​. Specific Graft Numbers: For a session involving 3,000 grafts, the total cost neared $5,000. --- How much is 5000 hair grafts in turkey? The price for 1000 grafts might be between $1,000 and $3,000. The price for 2000 grafts could be between $2,000 and $6,000. The price for 3000 grafts might be anywhere from $3,000 to $9,000. The price for 5000 grafts might be anywhere from $5,000 and $15,000. --- Can beard grow after 25? Bro, you are still too young, some people do grow a beard at your age because of the strong beard genetic, and the others mostly grow full beard around 20 to 35 years old, the only advice i can give is try to increase the testosterone hormone in your body, do regular exercise perhaps try lifting some weight and eat ... --- How long do beard implants last? Your results last a lifetime. Initially, the hairs will shed, occurring approximately two weeks after the procedure. This shedding does not impact long-term growth and is to be expected. You will see substantial new beard growth in the transplanted area within several months. --- How much does 10,000 grafts hair transplant cost in India? The cost of 10,000 grafts or hair follicles can vary significantly depending on each patient. Typically, the cost of a single graft implant in India ranges from INR 70 to INR 120. So, the total cost of a hair transplant procedure with 10,000 grafts or hair follicles typically goes up to INR 8,50,000. --- Can I grow a beard at 30? Your mid-20s to 30s are often considered the golden years for beard growth. As a matter of fact, most men don't hit peak beard growth until their early to mid thirties. This is when testosterone, the hormone primarily responsible for facial hair growth, peaks. --- Can a 23 year old grow a full beard? Genetics also affect where facial hair grows and when your beard reaches its full potential. “From ages 18 to 30, most beards continue to develop in thickness and coarseness,” he says. “So if you're 18 and wondering why you don't have a full beard yet, it just may not be time.” --- Is a beard transplant risky? In general, beard transplantation is not a dangerous procedure. With new cosmetic techniques, the transplantation of hair follicles is painless and easy to recover from. But, like any type of procedure, there is some risk involved. This includes infection, scarring, and other medical complications. ---

Molluscum was by far the most challenging health issue I have dealt with in my now 31 years of life, which I suppose is a good thing, but when you are dealing with it, it really takes a toll on you mentally. I desperately checked this thread throughout the 10 months that I had it for an answer. I was diagnosed in February 2023, after what I thought was stubborn butt acne or folliculitis. I had my first cryotherapy session with the dermatologist that day. I was hopeful that it would only take one or two sessions, but I ended up going almost a dozen times.
I’m not sure if the cryotherapy actually helped me. It certainly destroyed the large papules in the beginning. My dermatologist instructed me to schedule my appointments every 3 to 4 weeks. He said that spacing them out was best to avoid scarring. Eventually, he allowed me to book them closer together about every 2 weeks, but his schedule was so full that this was nearly impossible.
After several sessions of cryotherapy didn’t seem to be doing much, He prescribed me Aldara (Immiquimod) cream. I started seeing an improvement after starting the cream. I applied the cream before bed every other night and washed it off in the morning. It wasn’t irritating, but it is supposed to target areas and instruct your body to attack, creating an immune response. I am not fully sure if this helped or if I had just waited long enough for the virus to go away on its own.
It was almost a full year before I was cleared. I also went to another dermatologist at the end because the bumps my dermatologist was considering MC were very small and I wanted a second opinion. I also have a lot of chicken skin on my upper arms and legs a.k.a. keratosis pilaris. The second dermatologist said I was clear for MC and prescribed me Tretinoin to mix with regular Cerave body lotion. He thought this would help because if I got rid of the KP, I wouldn’t confuse it for MC. I put this concoction on before bed on my upper arms and lower legs. It was very itchy at first, so I diluted it with more body lotion. I am certainly a lot less bumpy now. I went back to my first dermatologist for my regularly scheduled appointment and he confirmed that I was clear in November 2023. Thank motherf*cking God!
During this whole process, I would highly recommend seeking professional help not only from a dermatologist, but from a doctor, or a therapist for your mental health. I was prescribed sertraline (Zoloft) it really, really helped with my anxiety throughout this whole thing. The good news is you will get through it too. It’s really just a matter of time.
I don’t know if a cure will ever come out because there’s more money to be made for much worse conditions in the world to solve.
I still have some hyperpigmentation on the back of my thighs from the cryotherapy, but my dermatologist told me that this will fade in time. For now. I will keep it hidden from the sun. I hope it fades before summer, so I can finally enjoy being in a bikini or shorts.
To summarize, this is what I would recommend based on my experience:

• Try cryotherapy with a dermatologist combined with Aldara (imiquimod) cream
• Eat healthy and take vitamins. I tried L lysine, which I read here that it helps the skin heal
• Seek mental health counseling or medication. Sertaline (Zoloft) has been doing wonders for me even after I am in the clear for my anxiety
• Continue to exercise as you normally would. I stopped for a bit because I was worried about sweating and friction, but this is another area that will really help with your mental health.
• Tell your close friends. It was a relief to get support and understanding especially during the summer
• Wear cotton or loose clothing that breathes. I am a female and invested in many maxi dresses
• Wash your clothes with hot water and don’t wear anything twice
• Absolutely whatever you do, DO NOT SHAVE. I made this mistake and spread it like wildfire on my legs. I did, however, purchase an electric trimmer and carefully trimmed the long ass hairs growing on my legs. This made me feel better about being a Sasquatch.
• Give it time. Focus on things that make you happy.
• Don’t feel bad about saying no to activities. I skipped out on a friend’s bachelorette party in Arizona because it was going to be 100° the whole time and I was not going to be in a bathing suit or going in the pool. I decided my mental health was more important and that was the right decision for me.

Things I tried that didn’t work for me: - benzyl peroxide - this will just stain your clothes - Apple cider vinegar - Iodine mixed with tea tree oil - Pimple patches and Band-Aids - Duct tape - f that - Differin gel
Surprisingly, this all happened as I was starting a new relationship. We weren’t official yet and I was terrified that this would drive him away and I wouldn’t be able to date for who knows how long. We had sex in the beginning a handful of times and luckily he did not contract it. We continued to date and are still together today. Going without sex for almost a year was so challenging. I figured at some point he would give up and leave me. He didn’t and he really helped me throughout this whole thing. Because of this, I learned that when someone really likes you (and eventually falls in love with you), if they are the right person, they will stick by your side, no matter what. I never thought I could be loved in this way. So, if I have one thing to take away from this experience, it has taught me what I deserve in a relationship and what everyone deserves - unconditional love.
Good luck!

I've been battling cystic scalp folliculitis for a decade and I feel a duty to pass on the method that has FINALLY done the trick for me. I've been to several doctors and dabbled in this subreddit for years and felt helpless after nothing worked. Like many of you, I've tried just about everything. I did some follow-up research on this post, and it ultimately led me to the protocol which has resulted in being 100% clear for 4 months and counting.
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Daily shower protocol:
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1. Wash trouble areas with facial cleanser. I use CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser, but I imagine any decent similar cleanser will do.
2. Generously lather 5% benzoyl peroxide acne wash on to trouble areas and leave on for 1-2 minutes. I use the humane Regular-Strength Acne Wash - 5% Benzoyl Peroxide, but I imagine any similar 5% wash will work just as well.

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That's it. Simple and easy.
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Obviously, sample size of 1 and no guarantee this will work for you, but this has been incredibly effective for me. If you've been dealing with this for a while then you probably know that folliculitis comes in all shapes and sizes and can be caused by, and exacerbated by, different things for different people. There's no telling if this will work for you, but I feel a duty to pass this along in case even one person reads it, tries it, and is able to finally get relief like I did.
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I also don't want to paint this as some kind of miracle cure. It took a few weeks of diligently following the protocol to see clear results. I have had ZERO newly-occurring cysts/bumps/rashes/etc. since then, but I still have ten years worth of scarring to deal with (if any of you have successfully dealt with keloids/scars please let me know...). I still have to be "on guard" - I never miss a day, I make sure to bring travel-sized tubes of the cleanser and the 5% BP wash everywhere I travel, and I try to stay generally clean and avoid irritating my trouble areas.
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Details for Nerds Like Me

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My background:

• 30-year-old white male. No other significant health issues, allergies, or medications.
• First began getting cystic folliculitis on my scalp about ten years ago. It's been at the "embarrassed to be in public without finding some way to cover it" level for about the past 6 years.
• While the scalp has always been the main trouble area for me, I have also dealt with intermittent folliculitis on the chest and groin over the years.
• I began noticing the signs of male pattern baldness a few years ago and I finally crossed over to full-on bald about 18 months ago. I had more or less given up on curing my folliculitis before that point, but this change reinvigorated my desire to find a cure because hiding it behind hair was not an option anymore.

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Things I haven't tried (and won't unless this protocol unexpectedly stops working):

• Accutane. Viewed this as a last resort.
• Manuka honey. Didn't discover it until recently. No need for it now.
• Sulphur (#3 on the linked post). Had mixed feelings after doing research on it. Decided I would try in the future if nothing was working. Doesn't look like I need to try now.
• Topical/patting isopropyl alcohol (#4 on the linked post). Saw overwhelmingly negative feedback on this one upon further research. It appears to have worked for the person that made that post, but I was sufficiently scared off, right or wrong, when I learned more about it.

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The full "things I have tried" list would be incredibly long. I'll just note the main big ones and why I'm no longer using them:

• Antimicrobial/antiseptic soap (hibiclens chlorhexidine gluconate 4%). This became a mainstay for me seeing this brought up over and over on this subreddit. It seemed to help when I first introduced it, so I stuck with it. This was initially part of the above protocol. Not sure if this is legit or not, but I've heard about the risk of developing super bacteria from using this stuff daily (which I did for a long time), so I phased it out. I've now gone about 3 months without including this in the protocol and I've still been 100% clear of folliculitis.
• Just about every type of oil and aloe you can imagine. Including topical application, shampoos, body washes, etc. Seemed to have no impact for me. I know that this can be controversial on here (many dermatologists strongly recommend against it but many people anecdotally find it helpful) and I won't comment on anything other than my personal experience. I'm not here to give advice to others, just simply stating what I personally found effective and not effective and you can do whatever you like with that information. What works for you might not work for me and vice-versa.
• Antibiotics. Went through a few rounds of this over the past ten years. Would sometimes get temporary relief, but I'd be right to where I started not long after.
• Several prescribed creams and washes that I can't even remember. They all sort of blur together at this point, but I've been prescribed several things by different doctors over the past ten years. I can try to find old receipts or emails to get specifics in case anyone is interested. Bottom line is I got no lasting symptom relief from any of it.
• Dandruff shampoo and/or body wash, including both standard drugstore brands and medicated stuff (ketoconazole 1%). Seemed to have no impact.
• Salicylic acid acne treatment of all kinds (topical, spot treatment, face wash, shower wash, etc.). No clear impact.
• Topical hydrocortisone cream. Seems to help after an outbreak, especially for the particularly painful/angry spots. Not preventative. Don't have any use for it now, but will keep it on hand just in case I get an unexpected flare-up.
• Topical benzoyl peroxide spot treatment. Helps trouble spots after an outbreak, but not preventative
• Topical benzoyl peroxide leave-on creams like this one from neutrogena which I used off and on for years. I found this to be pretty effective and it was my go-to before I started the shower protocol. For whatever reason, the leave-on wash in the shower brought if from a "pretty effective" solution to a 100% effective solution. I have to make an important note here - I suspect that the difference might come down to consistency more than anything else. The shower solution is so easy and seamless that I never forget to do it. I shower every day, even on vacation, even on extremely busy/hectic days, etc. so I never miss a day. However, with the leave-on cream, I wasn't consistent with it every day - I would have to set aside intentional time in my routine (apply after shower, wait a bit, moisturize, then go out for the day) to make it happen, and it would easily fall by the wayside if I was in a rush for some reason. I suspect that the bottom line is my particular type/strain of folliculitis responds well to prolonged exposure to benzoyl peroxide regardless of how it gets applied, and it just so happens that the best way for me to consistently make that happen is with the daily shower leave-on method.
• "Lifestyle" changes like not wearing things that rub against the scalp, changing pillow cover every day, generally taking care to stay clean and making sure to shower immediately after workouts, not shaving the area, not getting buzz-cuts/close haircuts, etc. These all fall under the "prevent bad outbreaks, but won't cure/eliminate them" category for me. I still more or less follow these, with the exception of shaving/buzz-cuts - I do this 2-3 per week now (DISCLAIMER: this results in massive breakouts for some people, so be careful... this is playing with fire... I only changed this out of necessity now that I am bald but it's best to go with the conventional advice and steer clear).

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I'll do my best to stay engaged with this post through updates and answering questions that come up in the comments. This condition can make you feel helpless, but don't give up. I'm proof that it's possible to find relief if you keep fighting and keep experimenting until you find what works for you.
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TLDR; washing with a facial cleanser followed by leaving on a 5% benzoyl peroxide wash for 1-2 minutes in the shower every day eliminated my scalp folliculitis after a decade of struggling with it.

I've been healthy throughout my life. I did suffer from fungal infection when I was staying in a crowded hostel in a high moist, hot area close to sea, and the hostel lacked basic amenities to maintain good health and hygiene. But once I came back home, it just wente away by itself without any medications or treatments. A few things before I begin. I have a very hot body, in the sense, I sweat A LOT even if I'm just sitting, even if its not sunny outside. I also have mixed skin type. Oily at some places, dry AF at other places. I'm also hairy AF, like a half evolution of monkey to human.
It all started in 2020. Out of nowhere, a small itch started on my scalp, just back of one of my ears. It slowly became bigger and more itchy. Since it was COVID lockdown, I could only get in touch with a homeopathy doctor nearby. Took the treatment he prescribed for around 6 months. By then, it had spread quite a lot on the back of my scalp. I couldn't sleep at night well at night as it was very itchy. On top of that, my scalp started to stink, like it was rotting and that attractef bugs especially mosquitoes. I had to start washing my head every day with a balanced pH shampoo. I eventually found out that homeopathy was hoax and BS, as it really didn't do any good.
Starting 2021, I visited an actual dermatologist and she recommended me a treatment. It consisted shampoo, some topical cream and 2 types of tablets (one for itching and other to kill bad organisms in my gut). Although it helped me slowly reduce the itch, my scalp went from being super oily to super dry, to the point where my skin started shedding flakes. Red bumps started to appear. Worst days ever. It haunts me mentally even today. But the effect didn't last long. Maybe the allergy got adapted to it or my skin grew resistance to it. Each course lasted 3 months. For the next 2 yrs, I continued visiting her. She kept changing the treatment every time. But on every prescription, she used to mention a different infection name. "Eczema, serbohicc dermatitis, T facii, T cunis, p. Sicca, scalp folliculitis, seb capim" these are some she has written on the prescription. She never conducted any proper diagnosis and treatment was given based on what I explained how I was feeling + her naked eye inspection. Consultation was expensive and medicine was beyond my weekly salary. But eventually she stopped treating me after I got to know she really doesn't have the knowledge and experience required to be a well qualified dermatologist and the high profile clinic she had setup was done by her husband to make it feel to others that she was a great dermatologist. Anyway, that was the last ever treatment I ever took. Since then, I'm just using one of the medicated shampoos to wash my hair but my scalp becomes oily and stinky AF by the end of the day.
I wouldn't have poured my heart out here about my silent suffering, but just because of this skin infection which I don't even what it exactly is at this point, I've lost many things in the past 12 months. I couldn't put enough efforts and focus on my first job that I started in 2022 and got laid off last year summer. I'm still not able to get a job because I just can't sleep well to keep up with my abilities and skills. I lost my girlfriend because I couldn't spend time with her as I avoided meeting her in the fear of spreading my infection to such a amazing happy energetic soul that she was. I really didn't want her to suffer like I am suffering now. I've stopped visiting my friends, stopped attending family events, even skipped my best friends marriage. I'm in my late 20s now. No income, no happy life, no good relationships, no goals, nothing. My parents are in their 60s and it hurts me watching them still go to work and earn and run the house while I'm unable to focus on anything and be able to earn anything.
On top of all the chaos, it has started showing up in other places of my body. My back has started getting quite itchy these days, especially at places where my hands can't reach. I see dry sky patches on my eye lids which also get and I'm scared AF to rub these are eyes are the most sensitive organs in our body. My ears has started getting itchy and these flakes of dry skin that I used to find on my scalp in the beginning, I see them falling off from my ear canal. Sometimes it gets soooi itchy that some transparent liquid oozes out of my ears and I'm scared if its spreading infection. So I use wet disinfectant wipes to absord it and clean my insides of both ears everyday. My palm and fingers have started showing this weird skin patterns. It looks like when the skin forms some kind of fringes when you stay in the water for toooo long, but for me it happens within a few minutes of being in contact with water (happens easily when I take bath. I can see them happening within 5 minutes of water contact). I've become quite lazy and now haveq grown a "beer belly" due to having a sedentary lifestyle as I cannot work out or exercise since the sweat triggers deadly itching, to the point when I had blood oozing out.
Nobody in my family line has had these infections so I don't see any genetic connection. My room did have some black mold in the past, but I got rid of it with professional help (they scrapped it off the walls, chipped off some layers, covered it with water seal, rubber sheet layer, and then the rest of wall construction materials. I haven't seen it pop again or even any cracks as such ever since. So I don't think it was the root of my issue.
I've been having several thoughts of suicide as I can no longer bear this trash life. But I'm keeping myself strong by thinking about my parents who've worked hard all their life to give me this life, the education that they never had, the love that they never got, the care and support that they never received.
If anybody could guide me on how I can find out what exactly is it that I'm suffering, is it lack of anything in my body, is it a side effect of some serious disease that I might be suffering from but I don't know yet. Probably from there, I can seek more guidance on what to do next. Is gut health an actual thing ? Is my mental health also a major factor, like stress and my anxiety + lack of confidence that I'm suffering from since childhood ? Probably after I find answers to these questions, I think I can seek more guidance on what to do next.
I just want to give this one last shot before I take serious life decisions and make arrangements for my parents so that they can live happily and peacefully until their last breath.

Hi everyone!
I'm looking for budget-friendly alternatives to my girlfriend's current skincare products.
While she's been doing skincare for many years now, we're still newbies and learning a lot from this sub.
Her current products come from a local shop/clinic (don't know how to say it in english). She went there due to acne issues after failing with a dermatologist and a clinic. I don't know if I can post links to the products, but I'll share the translated description and ingredients (thanks ChatGPT lol)
"Daily Sweet Soap"
Gentle, soothing cleansing milk-soap for all skin types. 150 ml. Daily ultra-gentle cleansing milk-soap for effective removal of impurities like pollution, excess oil, cosmetics, and makeup without harming the protective surface layer. Ideal for acne-prone skin.
Aqua [Water], Urea, Propanediol, Snail secretion filtrate, Sorbitol, Propylene glycol, Dipotassium glycyrrhizate, Potassium azeloyl diglycinate, Propanediol caprylate, Saccharomyces/Sugarcane juice extract ferment extract, Arctium lappa root extract, Melaleuca alternifolia (Teatree) leaf oil, Saccharide isomerate, Styrax benzoin gum, Sapindus mukurossi fruit extract, Benzalkonium chloride, Parfum [Fragrance], CI 75810 [Chlorophyllin-copper complex], Hexyl cinnamal, Linalool, Hydroxycitronellal, Geraniol.
2) "Multi Action Serum"
Acne, rosacea, and inflammation serum. Balances skin microbiota and sebum, improves dark spots, and smoothens the skin. 100 ml. It prevents acne, rosacea, and folliculitis with anti-free radical action, controls sebum secretion, balances skin microbiota, and counters hyperkeratosis. Improves dark spots, evens out facial color, tightens and smoothens the skin. Lifting effect.
Aqua [Water], Coco-betaine, Lauroyl/Myristoyl methyl glucamide, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Propanediol, Sodium hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl stearate, Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Methylpropanediol, Ceteareth-20, Dipotassium glycyrrhizate, Cetearyl alcohol, Sorbitol, Hydrogenated ethylhexyl olivate, Hydrogenated olive oil unsaponifiables, Lauryl glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 dipolyhydroxystearate, Sodium polyacrylate, Hydrolyzed collagen, Caprylhydroxamic acid, CI 75810 [Chlorophyllin-copper complex], Parfum [Fragrance], Sodium dehydroacetate.
3) "Vitamin C"
I don't think a translation is needed haha
4) "Cleansing Oil"
Removes even the most resistant makeup. 150 ml.
Ideal for purifying facial skin and gently removing all traces of makeup. Also suitable for delicate areas like eyes and lips. High percentage of plant oils removes impurities without harming the skin. Innovative glycerol ester creates a nourishing microemulsion for easy rinsing. Fully plant-based for nourishment and protection. Removes waterproof makeup, leaving clean, soft, and hydrated skin. Non-irritating and eye-friendly.
Caprylic/capric triglyceride, PEG-20 glyceryl triisostearate, Prunus amygdalus dulcis oil, Ethylhexyl stearate, Argania spinosa kernel oil, Isoamyl cocoate, Parfum, Oenothera biennis oil
Her routine:
Morning:
Cleanser Oil
Serum
Vitamin
Evening:
Oil
Serum
Vitamin
Regarding Vitamin C I found the Melano CC on this sub. Greenlight?
Thank you in advance to everyone!

I was diagnosed with folliculitis decalvans by my dermatologist about a few months ago after suffering from this for a few years. Like many of you after stopping an antibiotic it would come back about a week later just as bad or worse than before. I had tried Doxycycline, minocycline, and augmentin but nothing kept it away. I tried benzoyl peroxide But I noticed something during all this. I also have rosacea and with rosacea I get pustules on my face/nose. I noticed that the pustules on my face looked similar to my sores on my scalp. Long story short I started leaving ivermectin 0.5% lice lotion on my face and scalp over night. And this has made my scalp feel the best it has felt since stoping antibiotics. No pain , no sores, no itchiness.(the reason this works for rosacea is because ivermectin kills the parasites that causes it. I don't know why this helps my folliculitis unless I was misdiagnosed) I still have a lot of redness on my scalp and if you have any recommendations for that I would love to hear them. I will say I don't know who this will help but I know how depressing this condition can be and if you're like me and nothing else works it might be worth a try.

7 years ago I took a bunch of antibiotics that led to intense fungal folliculitis all over my chest, back, neck, shoulders and rib cage. For the past two years I've had it under control and have been slowly trying to rebalance my microbiome. Got an infected cyst last week and opted for topical antibiotics thinking it wouldn't damage to my already off-kilter microbiome. 4 days of applying mupirocin antibiotic cream to a pretty large open wound 3x a day and I now have a fungal rash resurgence that I haven't experienced in years. Been using the same products for 6+ months so it's not that, nor would it be stress or diet, and I'm pretty aware of triggers and how to manage. Even if I did sweat profusely in my sleep unknowingly or something, I've come to tolerate many triggers like that pretty well so it should only cause a mild flare at best which would go away in a day or two. This is the worst flare I've had since 2021 and even after applying the stuff that usually clears it right up it is just as bad and seems to be spreading to new areas.
I know mupirocin cream is supposed to not be too concentrated systemically, but it's truly the only logical possibility, especially given that antibiotics were what caused it in the first place. The spot that I've been applying it to was a pretty large open wound so I am thinking that this could've significantly increased the absorption since it has ample access to my bloodstream. I'm horrified that I unknowingly set myself back 10 steps in healing my microbiome. Any advice, similar experiences, etc is welcome.

Please don’t think I’m terrible for this, but I(21) just don’t know what to do.
Recently, my partner(22) has been in a little bit of a hygiene slump. I am not trying to point out flaws or be mean, I actually totally get it, I’ve been there before, but I can’t ignore it.
Basically, we moved in together a few months ago, and I’ve started to realize that my partner doesn’t shower often… probably once a week. Which, hey, could be much worse, right? I’m proud they do it at all when they’ve been struggling, but still… I worry.
At first, I thought it was just a “getting-adjusted-to-living-together-and-accounting-for-each-other-as-we-go-about-our-individual-hygiene-routines” kind of thing, ya know? However, this has been going on a while now, and they definitely aren’t washing their hair every time either. They have a mix of thick curls and waves, so if they washed it once a week, I imagine it would actually probably be decent maintenance, but going two weeks without washing it at all just makes it start to smell and flake. I know this bothers them more than they let on because I see them scratching and picking at the acne around their hairline and their dandruff often, but I don’t want to point it out and hurt their feelings. When they do wash their hair, they use a shampoo and conditioner that I am pretty sure isn’t going to effectively treat their folliculitis. I want to help them find a solution that will leave them feeling their best when they are TRYING their best.
In addition to this, my partner also struggles to wash clothes and has started getting itchy (non-severe) body acne. It breaks my heart to see them insecure about it.
Again, I’m not in any way embarrassed of them or intending to shame them. They wear deodorant, they wash hands frequently, they even have nice breath… they don’t smell bad unless my nose is literally right next to their hair or they’ve reworn something too many times. They are still beautiful and attractive to me so it is not like I’m trying to make them into something they’re not to fit my standards. I am proud of them for doing what they can without help. However, they ARE still struggling, and I feel like I would be a worse partner for ignoring that. I want to help and I want to make sure they can start to feel fully confident again.
I have been trying to introduce dry shampoo into their routine and have offered to help remind them to do their laundry after i’ve done my own. I am also thinking about getting baby wipes because in times where I was too busy going from one thing to the next to shower, I found them to be a decently effective alternative.
Any other tips for how I can support my partner through this without making them feel any worse? They’re a really soft and sensitive soul and I don’t want them to feel pressured and have that add to the stress of work and other hard things that come with being in your 20’s. I’m genuinely trying to help.