How often to shower and how??
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Hang in there sweetie, you are doing good! Hugs1
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Keep on trying, don't let others get you down. Blessings to you. ♡2
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I'm sorry to hear about your earlier life and I'm glad to hear that you are on the road to recovery! I wish you nothing but the best.
You should talk with your doctor about this since you're a unique situation. One of the things I leaned is that I only need to use soap in the places on the body that have more oil glands - basically arm pits and groin. Since sweat is water soluble you don't need to use soap, just water and it'll wash off. I wash my hair every other day and only use soap if I've been really active and only in those two areas. I also switched to regular bar soap and threw out my poof thing that I used with body wash. Those are too harsh on your skin. That's what I've learned from a dermatologist. BUT since you are a special case I would run it past your doctor! You may need to add places to use soap.
I also second the wipes - find whatever brand is best for your skin. I used them all the time in the field when I couldn't shower. I also have deodorant both at home and work in case I need it so I don't have to carry it around0 -
I wish you the best! Honestly, after the first real shower you can just rinse in lukewarm water after each work out. You won't smell at all. Also non scented baby wipes can help if you're short on time.1
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If you have a medical condition with your skin then you should address the question of how often to shower or cleanse your skin to your medical team.
I recently heard about a product called AO+ mist from Mother Dirt that was being recommended for autistic kids who didn't like to shower much. I haven't personally used it so I can't say if it is effective. With your skin problem I don't know if it would be okay to try.0 -
I think you are doing a great job, I am proud of you for exercising in small amounts, 6 times a day. It must be so hard, but you are doing it anyway. I promise it will be worth it. You are so worth it!5
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Did some of the replies on here get deleted? I'm surprised, because a lot of stuff usually flies under the radar, like I feel like people get away with being really mean to each other on here most of the time, or wording things in an unpleasant, unneccessary way.3
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beautifulsparkles wrote: »Did some of the replies on here get deleted? I'm surprised, because a lot of stuff usually flies under the radar, like I feel like people get away with being really mean to each other on here most of the time, or wording things in an unpleasant, unneccessary way.
Yeah some were deleted & I definitely agree with you.1 -
Sorry to hear your sorry story. Well done for getting active!
Have you asked your partner if you stink after exercising? He/she might not notice anything.0 -
witcherkar wrote: »I know this might be a weird question. I am the type of person that likes to shower before bed because my fiance works night and sometimes when he gets off, I will wake up and we will do sexual things. Then go to sleep.and wake up again in the morning to have coffee and exercise and shower again. Well I exercise about 5 or 6 times a day. I don't have time to get in the shower after every time. Plus I would dry out and Crack really badly. So how do I clean up and get sweat off me and smell good without showering 7 times a day???
Maybe a wash cloth with plain water and some good smelling lotion? That's what I do if I don't want to shower. I have sensitive skin and can't take three showers a day
Good for you for getting your workouts in no matter how often. I admire you and wish you luck in your journey!
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FridayApril01st2016 wrote: »beautifulsparkles wrote: »Did some of the replies on here get deleted? I'm surprised, because a lot of stuff usually flies under the radar, like I feel like people get away with being really mean to each other on here most of the time, or wording things in an unpleasant, unneccessary way.
Yeah some were deleted & I definitely agree with you.
my posts were deleted, I cant see how mine were in anyway mean, rude or unpleasant, so i am not sure what happened. maybe there were some rude posts and the mods cast a wide net, deleting innocent bystander posts
One of mine was deleted, I was asking another user how he had so many posts. It was a shame because there were some really funny replies!0 -
If you exercise at home, would you be able to strip off after working out so the sweat air dries, rather than showering off every time? And then just shower after your final work out. Or would the dried sweat irritate your skin condition too?
I agree with the other posters who've suggested speaking to your doctor about this, they may be able to refer you for physiotherapy or at least have other exercise recommendations.0 -
Listen to Pav. He's one of the best here.
I think the wipe idea sounds good. You could even make homemade reusable ones like I did when I had babies. Just google for instructions. That way you skip the additives. I like using a little coconut oil and/or tea tree oil for their natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal properties.
You sound like a brave young woman to me. I wish you a lot of goodness as you lose weight.
xo0 -
You have my utmost empathy I also have hidradenitis and that alone makes exercise much more difficult. If other posters don't know what it is google it as its a life changing condition. I was recommended to use hibicleanse or hibiscrub in the shower (abit foamed on a wet sponge) to lower the stress on my immune systems bacterial load , this should help with smells aswell. As its the bacteria that grows on sweat that smells bad not the actual sweat.... First check with your dermo / doctor though as I'm not medically qualified. I find changing my bra ALOT even if its a few times aday as its on flare up areas and can harbour bacteria (same could go for other underwear). id be wary of using wipes 3 or 4 times a day if I did that I would have no skin people with HS have to be careful what they use.0
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Some great suggestions from other posters about cleaning up & staying dry.
Just want to say hang in there and take one day at a time. Also, getting some exercise is good for your heart, but if it's causing you a lot of trouble (e.g. irritating your skin condition), you may want to focus more heavily on your diet/calorie restriction, which will have a more profound impact on your weight and getting you to the place you need to be to qualify for the surgery.
Maybe do the walking 3x a day to limit the need for extra washing and drying out of your skin and cut out one snack? Just thinking out loud...
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Hey folks - In response to the above posts about missing posts: Some posts in this thread got reported, so the thread came to the attention of the moderation team. As a result, we cleaned the thread a bit. I noticed in some of the comments above that you seem to feel that we let mean, rude and unpleasant posts that violate guidelines fly. Typically we don't, however there are so many posts and so few moderators that by necessity we only moderate posts that are reported by our users. So if you see a post that you feel violates community guidelines, please report it and the moderation team will take a look. To report a post, click 'flag' at the bottom of the post and select 'Report'. Select the reason for the report and if you want, type a message to the mod-team then hit the 'send report' button.
Aaaand back to the discussion in the thread - @witcherkar - wow, lady. Way to fight and come out in a better place, and way to keep fighting. Definitely have used baby wipes when I didn't have time for showering - though I have sensitive skin and doing it too often caused some... irritation issues.
Also, when I exercise I sweat like a beast and my hair, which I'm trying not to wash every day, gets really greasy. If this is also an issue for you, in addition to some of the body washing suggestions you've gotten, Dry Shampoo really helps.6 -
What I'd do is just wipe your problem area with a wetcloth and some soap, and don't worry about stinking if you're just staying home anyway. Just shower if you're going to go out (plan it so you don't go out 3x a day) and before going to bed. And use a lot of lotion (and some mild/moisturizing soap).
Good luck.0 -
witcherkar wrote: »witcherkar wrote: »
I mean what exercise are you doing at what intensity and for how long? I may split my walking up throughout the day but I don't get sweaty or dirty enough each time to take a shower.
I walk for about ten minutes going about 4-5 mph. I'm drenched in sweat after and can't breathe. Can barely say one word.
If you are comfortable with that speed, keep going. But keep in mind that it is running speed for many beginner exercisers. I'm fairly fit and generally walk on the treadmill at 3.4-3.5. Once in awhile I'll do 3.7. My concern is that you are pushing yourself too hard.0 -
witcherkar wrote: »witcherkar wrote: »
I mean what exercise are you doing at what intensity and for how long? I may split my walking up throughout the day but I don't get sweaty or dirty enough each time to take a shower.
I walk for about ten minutes going about 4-5 mph. I'm drenched in sweat after and can't breathe. Can barely say one word.
If you are comfortable with that speed, keep going. But keep in mind that it is running speed for many beginner exercisers. I'm fairly fit and generally walk on the treadmill at 3.4-3.5. Once in awhile I'll do 3.7. My concern is that you are pushing yourself too hard.
Yeah 4 mph is very fast walking for me and 5mph is definitely running.0 -
Oh jumping back in with a homemade dry shampoo recommendation for brunettes: plain cocoa powder sifted with some arrowroot powder is lovely & effective.
(Gosh: can you tell I'm from Sonoma county in Northern California or what? I'll just slip my birkinstocks back on at the door and take the recycling out with me as I leave for the hot tub. I'm a frikken stereotype! LOL)2 -
Hugs to you sweetheart. And I have the same issue with showering at night so DH and I can get jiggy with it during the night (the only times all our kids are in bed and we get the chance!)
Anyway I second the person who said that plain water is fine for most sweat. Cold water doesn't dry your skin, hot water does so if you can try having cold or cool showers. And don't use any powders whatsoever near the genital area ( the internal problems they cause for women are huge, hence why Johnson & Johnson is being sued for selling baby powder). And if you have a trach the last thing you need is to be breathing in powder.
Keep doing what you're doing. Good luck and lots of hugs to you.0 -
witcherkar wrote: »Please no judgement...okay I'll explain a little better. I have a tracheostemy due to tracheal stenosis. Basically january of 2015, I tried to kill myself by overdosing on pills. Before i am judged on that, i was at a point in my life that I hated myself. I cut myself. I cried everyday. I stopped caring. I was abused and ignored alot of my life. I was raped at 16. Before my fiance, i hadnf been hugged or touched by another human in a loving way since age 12. I was last on everyone's list. All through school i was made fun of, ignored, called names, had things thrown at me, no friends, being used all the time. I felt worthless and like i was burden and i deserved to die. I am people pleaser. Enough people told me i should die for years. I finally couldnt hold on any longer...when people drive you to a point of feeling like death is the only way to be happy theres a problem. Theres so much more i can say but your just strangers...Please dont hate on me... im still trying to recover. I started seeing a psychiatrist and I have bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder. Anyway, my fiance called 911 when I started hallucinating due to the overdose and was screaming for him. I was in the shower and he didn't know what I did. Well I was intubated for 10 days in a coma, not knowing if I would make it. Afterwards I developed the stenosis due to the ventilator. Well I have been in and out of the hospital a minimum of once a month since then and sometimes more. I have been in medically induced comas 6 times since January of 2015. I am fat. I haven't been able to exercise because I can't breathe. They put in the trach so I always have an open airway and my throat will stop closing up. I have to lose weight to be able to have open chest tracheal reconstruction surgery. I have to get to at least 200 pounds... so because of my breathing, I can't walk more than 10 minutes because I feel like I'm suffocating and my oxygen drops to high 80's. Since I am fat too thay makes it harder. So I need to break it up. I have always sweated alot. So I'll be almost drenched after that ten minutes. I feel really tired after walking just that so I have to aait hours to build up enough strength to do it again. I am on disability right now trying to get all this healed and on with my life. I am only 20... I have hidradenitis, a skin condition, and if I don't keep my skin clean and free of sweat and dirt, it will flare up badly then I won't be able to walk at all and it could get infected. Plus, If I go out in public in between my walks for whatever reason let it be a doctor appt, the library, a store, etc. I don't want to smell bad. People already stare at me and judge me for being fat and having a trach. I just wanted to know what other people do on showering and sweating alot... thank you.
I'm so sorry you have gone through all of this, that's a lot for one person to bear. My heart goes out to you! Don't worry any more about how people judge, you just do what you have to do to survive. And if it means showering multiple times, then so be it. You're only 20, take care of yourself the best you can so maybe one day you won't have to worry about these things. Much love xo1 -
Is a quick rinse of cool water without soap out of the question with your skin condition? It might be worthwhile to run this question by your dermatologist when you see them.
I'm a nurse so I see traches all the time, and it is nothing for you to be ashamed of. I also see people with chronic conditions who don't do anything but accept that they have an illness and just let the consequences come, rather than make changes that are hard but will improve their life in the long term. Good on you for making the changes you can at the pace you can. Good luck!2 -
OP, please don't let the Crabby Patty's around here get to you. No one will ever understand what you've been through. I commend you for working hard to get your health on track and wish you the best of luck. Keep at it and you will get better.
I agree with the folks who suggested baby wipes for a quick clean up. You can get the hypoallergenic ones so they shouldn't irritate your skin. Just remember they are not meant to be flushed so toss 'em in the trash. I try to take a walk during my work day when ever I can and end up pretty sweaty, the wipes help me a lot. I also like to use Monistat anti chaffing powder gel. It is great for those areas that get irritated easily like under my breasts and belly.1 -
It's great that you're making the effort to exercise despite all the challenges posed by your medical conditions, and since exercise has so many benefits aside from burning calories, I don't want to sound like I'm discouraging you. But since it sounds like your primary goal is losing enough weight to be able to have surgery, I just thought I should point out that you can create your calorie deficit by reducing the calories you consume. For most people, especially those who start out really heavy, calories burned from exercise are a relatively small portion of their daily burn, compared to the calories they use just for normal bodily functions. (How much you're sweating is really not a good indicator of how many calories you're burning.)
Have you checked with your doctor to be sure that it's OK for you to exercising so strenuously that your blood oxygen is dropping into the 80s?
It seems like you've gotten a lot of good ideas on the shower question. When my schedule leaves me needing multiple wash-ups in one day, I usually go with either a shower with little or no soap (if I'm really sweaty), or just a wet wash towel with possibly a little soap for the problem area (if it's just a light perspiration).1 -
FridayApril01st2016 wrote: »beautifulsparkles wrote: »Did some of the replies on here get deleted? I'm surprised, because a lot of stuff usually flies under the radar, like I feel like people get away with being really mean to each other on here most of the time, or wording things in an unpleasant, unneccessary way.
Yeah some were deleted & I definitely agree with you.
my posts were deleted, I cant see how mine were in anyway mean, rude or unpleasant, so i am not sure what happened. maybe there were some rude posts and the mods cast a wide net, deleting innocent bystander posts
Possibly although I don't remember, your response specifically; to form an opinion of my own concerning it.0 -
beautifulsparkles wrote: »FridayApril01st2016 wrote: »beautifulsparkles wrote: »Did some of the replies on here get deleted? I'm surprised, because a lot of stuff usually flies under the radar, like I feel like people get away with being really mean to each other on here most of the time, or wording things in an unpleasant, unneccessary way.
Yeah some were deleted & I definitely agree with you.
my posts were deleted, I cant see how mine were in anyway mean, rude or unpleasant, so i am not sure what happened. maybe there were some rude posts and the mods cast a wide net, deleting innocent bystander posts
One of mine was deleted, I was asking another user how he had so many posts. It was a shame because there were some really funny replies!
Possibly because it derailed the thread.0 -
You can buy bed bath wipes at drugstores--like the facial wipes but much larger so you can really get cleaned up. When I had foot surgery and couldn't shower or bathe they're what I used and I never felt like I wasn't clean or fresh-smelling.0
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In addition to the suggestions given already:
-keep your hair up and off your face/neck while exercising, use clips or a headband to hold back your bangs. Keeping your hair as clean as possible will make a difference in how clean you feel.
-Wash your face afterwards
-If you feel particularly sweaty just take a quick rinse-off shower in cool water. Just enough to wash off the sweat and cool your body down. Put your hair in a shower cap and don't worry about soap or anything. Literally get in and get out. The cool water in combination with the lack of soap will keep your skin from getting too dried out.0 -
You could try no rinse body wash: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_10?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=rinseless+body+wash&sprefix=rinseless+body+wash,aps,750
You just dilute some in a sink of water, dip your washcloth & wipe down & you're good. There are rinseless shampoos too. I've tried the Aloe Vesta body wash & shampoo as a body wash. It worked well, but the smell was definitely very "hospital soap" smelling to me. I did not try it as a shampoo.
Excellent suggestion! And in the line of feeedback that @Witcherkar was asking for.0
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