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White patches: anyone got a theory?

Posted , 6 users are following.

Morrell1951
Morrell1951

Marey posed this question at the bottom of 70-odd responses, so I thought it deserved its own topic.

In psoriasis (my other problem) the scales are 'cheap cells' – the skin is regenerating seven times as fast as normal skin. They pile up so thick that they overheat the layer below, causing itching.

To me the white patch in LS looks like the waterlogged skin of a corpse in murder mystery shows. I joined one of the LS Facebook groups and looked at some of the archived photos members submitted. There was one poor soul who had multiple square feet of white skin and it was wrinkling like wet paper.

I have had the same white patch on one side of my perineum forever. I've had it go pink (normal) several times over this year I've been using Dermovate. When it's pink, it doesn't tear. The more white it is, the more likely to tear.

So, my theory is it's dead cells. Kind of like a blister, but on a much smaller scale, like one cell at a time, so it doesn't just peel off.

 

1 like, 25 replies

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  • marey
    marey Morrell1951

    Posted

    water logged skin of a corpse....!!

    brilliant description!

    with respect to colour energies white and black are opposite but adjacent if seen as a circle possibly?  blackened skin is necrotic and dead....it needs to be excised and urgently. so whats going on with white skin? is it a precursor to skin cell death? like a kind of warning?

    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 marey

      Posted

      Well, if I've had the same spot for decades, it doesn't seem to be moving on.
  • margaret289
    margaret289 Morrell1951

    Posted

    I think of it as scarred skin which is as you say waterlogged.  When this first started 7 years ago, I had a border line of white skin, possibly because I was not applying the Dermovate correctly.  My GP said at the time that she thought that was now probably a permanent change.  However, it does seem to have gone.  My most recent flare (it has been constant since November last), which I put down to extreme stress because of family matters, seems to manifest as skin hypersensitivity whenever there is presure or friction from underwear.  there does not seem to be any chalk white of the sort I saw several years ago.

    it is a weird condition.

    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 margaret289

      Posted

      Pressure and friction are terrible for LS. Loose pants are so important to me.
  • barbara54246
    barbara54246 Morrell1951

    Posted

    I have always thought it feels like a sunburn,  At one time the whole area from back to front, even along my panty line peeled just like a sunburn,  That was the worst flare I've ever had.  I also get hard bumps like permanent goose bumps.  Even when everything calms down it still remains red and purplish looking.  Lovely, right?
    • marey
      marey barbara54246

      Posted

      gorgeous!

      i've got this red area from being poked with a speculum....

      now it seems that thats whats permanent. I did have white spots but can't see them now. GP took a photo may revisit to compare.

      but what is the explanation?

      sunburn, waterlogging, pre-necrosis, murder mystery....quite a scenario!

    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 barbara54246

      Posted

      Barbara, are you descibing the white areas? Because I have both the blowtorched red areas, like thrush but not; and the hard bumps, those are at the front and are the only place I get a bit itchy now.
    • barbara54246
      barbara54246 Morrell1951

      Posted

      Well, I really get all of it from time to time.  I think the white spots are like the last stage of a flare.  I try to head that off by being extra vigilant in applying meds.  The white spots remind me of the ulcer sores I used to get in my mouth.  You can't stand to even touch it.  I haven't had too many of those lately, thank goodness!
  • Morrell1951
    Morrell1951

    Posted

    Hmmm, one feature of LS is sticky skin. This is what drove me to step up my scrubbing and soaping twelve years ago, long before my diagnosis (foolish!). When the white areas occur in a fold, they tend to get glued together. When they're in a flat open area, they just stay white. But even there, I've been noticing the white area on my perineum seems to be gradually eating up the width. As if my thighs are getting closer together, with no bridge. Like every time the tear appears and heals it's like stitching a torn crotch seam so the pants get tighter. This in turn makes it more likely to tear. Geez, I hadn't really thought that through before. That sucks!
    • marey
      marey Morrell1951

      Posted

      sticky skin....yes thats very good. i did have adhesions and have to be mindful to stop progression.

      thinking cholesterol...attempting to repair breakages and leaks normally in blood vessels. mostly we have high cholesterol with LS...but its a defence mechanism....and its the original cause which needs to be addressed not the protective action of cholesterol.

      need to think more on these lines. thanks morrell.

    • margaret289
      margaret289 marey

      Posted

      That is interesting Marey.  I had not heard there might be a connection with high cholesterol (which I had last time I bothered to measure it).  It is true that we are generally ladies of a certain age, but I would like to hear from some of the younger unfortunate sufferers, if they too have been diagnosed with high cholesterol.
    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 margaret289

      Posted

      Interesting Marey. I'm certainly out of my depth, but cholesterol could be a part of the action of sticking without it mattering whether in a heart disease sense we have 'high cholesterol'.

       

    • marey
      marey margaret289

      Posted

      Hi Margaret

      Yes its a very interesting one....there are two types of cholesterol generally described one as good and the other as bad...but cholesterol has had a bad press. Actually what cholesterol does primarily is to rush in to seal up collapsed or collapsing cells. Particularly in circumstances of dehydration and in fragile blood vessels (which as we know can go on to form placque....but if there was no intervention those vessels would rupture). It is a vital part of the structure of the cell wall and helps to hold it up. Our cells would collapse without it.

      So cholesterol is found at the scene of the crime....(!). And where there is inflammation......which don't forget is also a protective mechanism. Unfairly it gets the blame for the observable injuries when in fact it was helping.

      So......buzzzzzzzzzzz whirllllllll  .......is increased cholesterol in cases of LS involved with the 'adhesions' which we can get?? Have things gone a bit askew with the helping mechanism?

    • marey
      marey margaret289

      Posted

      oh goodness margaret ... I've just had a terrible thought ....you might have been prescribed something that Ive mentioned eg for a heart condition....and i might have put my foot in it....!!? eek 

      If i have made a boo boo....apologies. What i'm meaning is that whilst raised cholesterol might figure for some, significantly or otherwise, the answer in LS is not the same. Is that coherent?

    • margaret289
      margaret289 marey

      Posted

      Not at all Marey.  Don't worry.  I have avoided taking statins and have read up on them a bit.  They are only really of use for people who already have some arterial damage (thickening).  Of course none of us know whether we have that or not until there is a crisis, but it's a risk I think I'll take.  Statins are handed out rather like sweeties at the moment and I have yet to be convinced that it is necessary on the scale pursued currently.  I am quite healthy and have taken up sea rowing in the last few years.  It's sociable and great fun, if a little hard on the backside (it is not usually in the place where I have the LS however or it could be unbearable).
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