Hidradenitis Suppurativa Support Group

Hidradenitis suppurativa (hi-drad-uh-NIE-tis sup-yoo-ruh-TIE-vuh) is rare, long-term skin condition that features small, painful lumps under the skin. The disease manifests as clusters of chronic abscesses or boils, sometimes as large as baseballs, that are extremely painful to the touch and may persist for years with occasional to frequent periods of inflammation,...

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What has helped clear me up

LeslieM
LeslieM

I haven't been to this message board in a very long time.  I had suffered from HS back in 2006 at age 50 for about 6 or so years.  I had acne as a teenager but never as bad as some people I'd seen where it was one purplish-colored mass of pimples.  It's been a very long while since I have had a breakout.  My groin area and under my breasts were my typical problem areas.  So what have I done to clear this up?  I did take part in the Emuaid trial several years ago.  It did help the breakouts but the cost is too high, so I stockpiled the 4 or 5 jars I got for free for taking part in the HS trial for Emuaid, and I still have 1 jar.  I've been thinking lately about what it was that cleared me up.  I didn't really change my diet.  I live in the hot humid south, west of New Orleans.  The one thing I think that may have really helped clear me up and stay clear is Mysore Soap.  It is a sandalwood soap from India.  I keep it in the shower and I shower with it at least 3 days a week, using other products on the other days.  But I've consistently used it.  You can buy this soap on Ebay or Amazon.  It has a wonderful fragrance and it lathers really well.  Keeping clean is really important with HS.  Sandalwood is a natural antibacterial.  I hope this helps some of you out there suffering.  The most important thing is keep stress down, as I'm sure you already know.  I say it is the Mysore Soap that has helped so much because it is the only thing different I've been doing over time that has caused me to notice a huge difference in my HS.  

MegsMaaMa
MegsMaaMa
Hello LeslieM, May I ask if you still use the Emuaid and if so - do you feel that it had very much to do with the HS breakouts? Thank you kindly, Lee Tipton
LeslieM
LeslieM
I found the Emuaid helped heal and I really can't say it helped improve scarring because I can't see those areas. I would usually use Emuaid only if I had a breakout. Can't afford to use it as a preventative so I don't believe the Emuaid caused my HS to go away. I believe it has been the Mysore soap (kinda funny name for an HS sufferer but it works) that has kept it away.
LeslieM
LeslieM
Coming back after over a year and a half and still I'm pretty clear, Thank God! I'm bathing with MySore Sandalwood soap daily, and it even keeps mosquitoes away. It's really not that expensive. My friend just bought six 150 gram bars (5-1/3 ounces each bar) and her cost was $17.55 including her portion of shipping. I ordered a dozen and split the order with her. The cheapest I've found it is online from New York, an Indian Grocery called Khana Pakana, This is where I have been ordering from as they sell it cheaper than Amazon and EBay. Link is here: https://shop.khanapakana.com/3-x-mysore-sandal-soap-5-29-oz-150-grams-3-pack/

If I do get a breakout, and it's rare, believe it or not, I use a wound salve that is used on husky sled dogs when they injure their feet. It's got emu oil in it. Emu is supposed to help heal and fade scarring. I do smell tea tree in it too.
This salve takes the pain away. It's affordable at $19.00 for a nice sized 4-oz. jar and it's certainly way less expensive than Emuaid. Emuaid is good, if you have a money tree or two growing in your backyard or in a pot on the patio. The place you can get the wound salve from is Mountain Ridge and this is the link: https://www.mtnridge.com/Emu-Oil-Wound-Salve_p_42.html

I still say, keep stress down, bathe daily, especially in hot humid weather and don't lose hope. I hope I can help at least a few people with my story of success because this is an awful condition to have to live with.