2018-11-05 - relief continues!

Last few weeks have been really good. So nice having relatively great skin!
Still dry around inside of elbow after showering, but fine after a quick bit of "baby butter" on it.
Real relief also, not having splitting skin on my finger knuckles. The side of my right hand below small finger still has some tough skin there, still a few wee spots of dry pink skin, but nothing major.
Fingers crossed that things will continue well...

2018-09-15 - 90% OK now...

So I've just gotten back from the USA after being away for two weeks.

The past week, my skin has been amazing, relatively speaking. 90% back to normal.

Although still have a few pink patches on my skin, and it can still get a bit itchy, it's nowhere near as bad as it has been for most of this year.

Big bonus being that not only is the skin on my arms OK, but my hands are mostly OK as well. Normally when skin on my arms comes right, skin on my knuckles starts splitting.

Lets hope that my skin remains good now that I'm back in NZ. Often I start flaring again when I'm back. Not sure if that's environmental or family related stresses of raising two young boys... We'll see...

2018-08-22 - a year of itchy arms so far

Been a frustrating last few months. Arms can get extremely itchy.

Looks relatively OK in these pics, but back of wrists and inside elbows can get really itchy at times.

Haven't really had a reprieve this year. Been a day or two in the past few weeks where things have subsided significantly, only for things to flare up again. 

Flares are getting weaker and weaker, so there's hope...

2018-06-04 - Skin starting to heal after past 6 weeks of being really bad

Last few weeks have been really bad in general (since last post, end of April). Very itchy, very red, weepy. Skin on hands in patches, splitting, bleeding, cracked. Horrible.
Left NZ for USA on the 26th May and I started noticing my skin getting better. Not sure if it was change of environment, change of stress levels or what. I did also start covering my arms in SudoCrem and tubular bandages at night and sometimes during the day. That certainly helped relieve some of the heat and itch.
Feels like I'm going through waves of flare and peace, with things slowly tracking better. Fingers crossed I'm coming out of it after nearly 6 months...
Red sleeves:

 

 Fingers and top and sides of hands appear to be healing after splitting for weeks, but still really itchy:

2018-04-29 - Flare still lasting. Has gotten worse last few days

Right arm is the worst. Really itchy, raw at times, especially in last few days:

Top/side of wrist is really bad, been bad for weeks:

 Fingers pretty bad:

Left arm not quite as bad, but still gets damn itchy. Annoying around bottom of wrist, can't wear watch:

 First finger top knuckle worse:

2018-02-06 - Flare continues

Not as bad as the last flare yet, but still gets itchy as heck from time to time.

Some splits on fingers, but not terrible. 

Inside right elbow worse.

2018-01-22 - Another inside elbow flare has started.

Well, it was a very enjoyable few weeks of my skin being pretty perfect. In the last couple of days, however, another flare has started :-(

Itchy as:

2018-01-07 - Skin better than it's been in a long time

Not perfect, but not red and knuckles aren't splitting (to any great degree). Still itchy in patches, around inside elbows and knuckles.
Things have been pretty good since after Xmas really (best Xmas present ever! Marked 3 years of topical steroid withdraw to the day).
We got a pool around that time and have been for lots of swims and getting lots of sun, so could be that.
Essentially, It's been 7 months of putting up with inside elbow flare and splitting knuckles after that subsided.
Great reprieve, long may it last!