Common things Derms hate!

[ricky]

As a microbiologist I am also anti Neosporin. I did my thesis on Ancient Egyptian medicine and its efficacy in modern context. As part of the study I compared their medicine against its modern counterparts. Neosporin is way too nonselective, thus prolonging the healing of wounds. Also, don't use a mixture of honey, garlic, and crocodile dung either. The best this is soap and water and a bandage.

[alanaharvey]

as someone who works in dermatology, specifically in skin cancer removal: AGREE!!! agree, agree, agree!! for both part 1 and part 2. we are constantly informing patients to not use neosporin or peroxide post-operatively for these exact reasons. the only thing we recommend for scar fading is sun protection and silicone gel or sheets. let the people know!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[nourishcenter]

As a dietitian looking for evidenced based healthcare practitioners online to follow online as I create my own content - I just followed! Great stuff! :)

[Nubianarmygurrrl]

Neosporin helps me when I have a scab and the scab heals faster than without Neosporin soooo…I’m just going to keep using because I’ve never had any negative affects or slowing down of the healing process with Neosporin.

[kikialeaki]

I’m not even advocating for it but so many thing *can* cause an allergic reaction. That’s not a reason to stay away imo. I’d rather hear the stats on that if it’s going to be used as a deterrent.

[samiam]

I am by no means a doctor but I disagree with the neosporin and Vaseline (at least for myself).

I had several suspicious beauty marks removed (thankfully found not cancerous) and was told to use “good old Vaseline”. It was over a week and a half and still looked ugly and raw and angry, even weepy. I finally gave up and put some neosporin on it before bed and literally next day looked 100x better. Idk.

[laurahamilton]

I will say, sometimes Vaseline just doesn't do the job. I had an injury on my face and needed stitches. The plastic surgeon said the just put Vaseline on the scar. I very diligently applied Vaseline for weeks with very little improvement. I switched to applying Mederma and the scar faded soooo quickly.

[skoda]

I had a major surgery that would've left a massive, nasty scar but someone told me to use those silicone sheets. Amazing! You can barely see it! I saw a difference after the first use but the earlier you use them, the better.

[atropinecaffeine]

Honest question: I don't use vit e oil but just about everything can cause contact dermatitis. I get it from neosporin, bandaid glue, sls and NEOPRENE (the stuff in arm braces, etc)!!!

So unless it has a significantly higher risk than other things, why mention it? I knew a girl allergic to lettuce but we still eat salads, kwim?

Is vitamin e really THAT sensitizing? If you are allergic to vit e, don't you have bigger fish to fry?

Is "risk of contact dermatitis" just the derms way of scaring off anything they don't think (perhaps rightly) are effective?

[ednaramos]

I use raw honey for when my daughter or i have any cuts, scrapes, abrasions, etc. Cover it with a bandaid when sleeping so the honey doesn't go everywhere. Works like a charm!

[hawaii]

I worked in Oncology/Hematology/Radiation therapy for 30 years. We never used Neosporin and advised it. In Radiation we used Aquaphor or plain or plain Vaseline. And, for some patients we would advise a thin layer of bacitracin.

[LittleBlueFish]

I’m allergic to neosporin and adhesives that you find on most bandages. They put Tegaderm on my after my breast cancer surgeries and my skin was raw and itchy when it came off. I’ve been sticking as close to natural as possible. Petroleum based products can be problematic for my skin too.

[Titus--Mom]

My husband swears by Neosporin the way the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding swore by Windex

[LifeTransPlanet]

I love neosporin with pain relief for dirty cuts and scrapes. There's a lot of barbed wire and other metal out here on the farm and so I feel like it adds a little extra protection from infection and also helps with the pain. First I wash out the wound of obvious dirt with soap and water, then I apply antiseptic like rubbing alcohol or H2O2 if I can't find alcohol, then when the bleeding stops, neosporin and then a bandaid. It's how I was taught basic cut/scrape first aid.

[HarmlessComment]

This clip has a small pop up to buy neosporin, no joke 😂

[roberts.valkyrie]

I used Queen Helene's cocoa butter lotion to fade scars. You have to apply it numerous times throughout the day. Be consistent.

[yessumyecrad]

I've been told I have icthyosis, so my skin is VERY dry. Any dermatologist I've seen recommends an acidic lotion like amlactin or similar, but that stuff always burns like crazy and I don't have the typical buildup of skin that many icthyosis sufferers have that the acid lotion is designed to burn off. My skin sloughs off the excess ok (like, probably too well, actually), but it just keeps drying out as it's exposed, and it often splits open with certain movement because it's so dry, thin, and tightly drawn. I've never felt able to wear clothes that expose any skin besides my hands and head because the excessive shedding and ugly dryness is extremely embarrassing! School was a nightmare because I was bullied for it.

I don't use many skin care products that are formulated for most people as they are either too harsh or not harsh enough. It's a constant battle, and everyone has advice, but none of it is useful for my specific situation!

I've practically given up trying to keep up with the moisture needs of the skin on my body because it feels impossible! I wash, apply lotion, cover, and try to ignore it until the next wash.

I do try to take care of my face more carefully. It is very oily on top of the dryness. When I wash my face, I scrub off all the loose dry skin on the surface and quickly work in an oil to replace what I strip off so the skin doesn't overproduce to replace the oils itself. After that's worked in, I apply cream or lotion. The problem I have is that it drys out so fast between washings that just applying anything to the surface pulls up the newly dried out layer, and it mixes with whatever moisturizer, and it becomes a lumpy mess. I can only scrub off so much, and I can't wash it too often either because getting wet somehow causes my skin to dry out more! I can't wear makeup because it becomes a lumpy mess as well! It's miserable!

What are the best options for oils and moisturizers? Is this regimen even ok? I don't have a lot of information on how I should be caring for my skin. Does anyone else deal with similar issues? ... It's really unpleasant and after 40 years I still don't have any real answers!

[katrabbit]

This explains why my dermatologist looked at me like that when she asked if I had anything for scar healing after my biopsy, and I said "Vitamin E oil" 😅😂😂
She said "... No. Something more like silicone patches or silicone gel."
Welp. Glad I know now.

[am]

Topical silicone with or without adhesives causes allergies for lots of people, so proceed with caution if using silicone products and/or products with adhesive.

[flora-wzox]

How do we spread the news about Neosporin.

I am one that is allergic to it and other triple antibiotic ointments.
Yet it is usually the first thing that medical practitioners ( nurses, ER staff ) tell me to use.