Hi CoastalT, so sorry to hear this. I have been told by a geneticist that there is a 50/50 chance on passing on HS. However, there is some great treatment options that seem to work for many, so don't lose hope! I recommend encouraging your daughter to avoid dairy and gluten and high fat foods. Good luck and let us know how you go.
Take care, Zoe

Thank you Zoe! That is exactly what I told her when we talked about it. The best treatment is diet. I'm not sure of any other great treatment options being one who is very experienced with HS.
My hope is in the future. Maybe they will revisit the cause and treatments of the disease. More awareness helps.

I so appreciate the good wishes. Toni

I know this is an old thread by when I was around that stage that your daughter is in removing sugar and wheat helped me. some people have dairy issues, I can handle small amounts without outbreaks. I also really suggest bentonite clay mixed with apple cider vinegar, I have less scarring and in 6 years have not progressed from stage 1 and eventually went into remission. It may get worse in the future but im so thankful to not be in pain right now

I'm really sorry to hear about your daughter, but more thankful that you guys caught it so early because the possibilities for treatment are endless for you guys right now! For sure start with the diet. Maybe first remove sugars and see if that helps. Then gluten and maybe dairy later.
I saw a nutritionist yesterday and she told me to completely eliminate dairy from my diet because for people with autoimmune disorders (especially people of color) it is especially hard for your system to break down lactose. So that is what I'm trying next. I'm really hopeful it will work. It shouldn't be too hard. I already drink plant based milks because I've always found them to be much better tasting than dairy milk and much better for you as well! (try to get the unsweetened kind or else you're just drinking sugar which may be one of your daughters triggers)

Hope this helps. Hearing that this condition might be genetic makes me a bit sad for my future children, I wouldn't want to see anyone go through this!

I'm still not certain HS is genetic... There have been a number of studies of families who have both HS and certain genes, but there's also been at least one exception.

Granted that this is some complicated stuff to try to be right about, but right or wrong the picture I get so far is the alleged "HS genes" are genes to process a certain protein a certain way - but what triggers the production of the protein in the first place may be another story - and it turn out another pointer toward the qualification of certain infections to be at the cause of HS, rather than genetics.

There may be a growing view in research literature that the purpose of producing and processing proteins like the one in question, may be a natural response that happens when the body detects certain infections and is meant to result in a protein that kills certain infections.

Naturally then it's in the best interest of some microbes to learn ways around these kind of defenses. Some of them already have learned different ways to get around some of our built-in bug zappers or to foul them up in various ways, and that may even include them learning how to play tricks that our genes might end up taking blame for until someone figures out why there are already people known to have HS without the help of some of the genes that have been associated with it.

Just in case, you might want to try any reduce risk of familial transmission of infections from shared facilities within reason and be mindful to try to reduce risks of infection when away from home when possible as HS lesions do seem to invite infections, whatever their cause really is.

Make sure the motel shower is clean before you hop in it, maybe carry a pocket or purse sized pack of disinfectant wipes before sharing toilets, just that kind of thing. I'm sure it's not humanly possible to avoid or intercept every germ, but I think a growing number of infections complicating HS can make it increasingly unpleasant so it may well pay to be a little extra careful.

Also if you can find a medical professional who will try to deal with the microbial complications of HS early on before it has a chance to get complicated further, that may also be to your kids' advantage. I think that even simple infections of HS can confuse them often enough, so I'm sure it just gets more confusing for them to get any more complicated.

Sorry, I don't think I was as clear as I could have been about the fourth paragraph there... I think what I was trying to get it is that having certain genes is one thing, but whether those genes are switched "off" or "on" may be another - and if I understand correctly here, all that certain microbes may have to do to manipulate those genes, i.e., switch them from "off" to "on," is just show up in the first place.

Hi CoastalT, sorry to hear the news your daughter maybe getting this horrible thing called, HS. I've lived with it for over 4 decades; my 3 siblings suffer from it too because our father gave it to all of us....

It's important to keep engaging your daughter to communicate any and all symptoms that she may have in an effort to catch an outbreak before it attempts to get worst. Knowing her triggers is most important, so she can avoid situations that cause anxiety, stress, humid and hot environments, as well as nightshades foods like, eggplants, tomatoes, green and red peppers, potatoes and diary products....

Today, there are many great treatments available that weren't available years ago. I don't have to tell you, this condition shouldn't be allowed to spread on your baby girl, meaning, she should be seen by your dermatologist to stay one step ahead of the HS.

I've incorporated, Hibilicen in my daily arsenal for when breakouts occur. Even at 55, I still have flare-ups. I find that Turmeric Root and Curcumin Supplements have help me go from, Stage II & III.... Now I'm at Stage I, with the help of this Root. I put Turmeric Root in my smoothies and soup daily because it Works......

You can get the Turmeric Root from Amazon.com , one pound cost $11.00, you can freeze and grate the root up for desired meals or snacks.

Garlic is another excellent food that can be used to control flare-ups. Grate garlic cloves into your meals along with Ginger and Turmeric as well as Black Pepper to achieve maximum bioavailability.

I hope this helps. Take care and be well, Deb