At birth I was diagnosed with the hereditary skin condition called Epidermolytic Hyperkeratosis which effects 1 in 200k to 300k people globally.

When people with my skin condition are born they are often times missing large patches of skin, and have massive blisters. Also, it's quite common to develop staph infections while just a few weeks old because of the missing epidermis layers. Now that I'm older, most jointed areas of my body have a large amount of scaly or callused skin.

I'd like to spread awareness about my condition and enlighten others on what growing up is like with the condition and how it has effected my outlooks on things. So AMA!

This website can explain it all.

Also A Video of my Life in a Nutshell Lol: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCSZfmbFJyQ

My Proof: http://imgur.com/a/lq2cc

BONUS SELFIE http://imgur.com/3ofncFS

And by popular demand: My Odd Looking Penis. http://imgur.com/etjgJ2D

Thank you guys for all the love. It really means a lot to me and all the other people in this thread that are suffering on the outside and in some cases on the inside <3

Ive replied to like 500 people. Im declaring myself HONORARY BEST OP EVER at least until my fifteen minutes of Reddit fame wear out.

Thank you all so much for letting me spread awareness for all the skin conditions out there. I never expected front page. I didn't expect any of this. I'm almost speechless at the kind words you guys have thrown into my face. Oh and to those of you that think im funny: That means more to me than anything. Thats what I live for. Making people breathe heavily out of their nose.

Now if Only I beat Daniel Radcliffe's AMA... Thatd really show him.

Songs that I think we should all Live by: Say Fuck It by Buckcherry and My personal Favorite

Thanks for the gold guys!!! Im gonna go try to figure out how i can convert reddit gold into Civilization Beyond Earth. Im sure 4chan will accept this alien currency

It is Done. The questions have stopped. And I have enlightened many. Off I go to OP Heaven. Thank you all for 12 Hours of awesome questions and hundreds of requests for dick pics. Oh and for front page status too. That was rad.

Comments: 2099 • Responses: 94  • Date: 

sexualmaverick2655 karma

Woah dude haven't seen you since highschool. How are things? If you can guess who this is ill mouth kiss you.

WashDishesGetMoney2902 karma

Mouth Kiss me Robby.

Ass to Mouth Kiss me.

sexualmaverick2409 karma

Let me poop in your butthole while you poop into mine and we'll go back and forth forever

WashDishesGetMoney2399 karma

Like an Alaskan pipeline of sorts.

Dr__Gregory__House245 karma

Jesus the best friend levels here are at an all time high

WashDishesGetMoney379 karma

We're all friends in the skin condition thread.

Schoffleine331 karma

I want to get off Mr. Epidermis' wild ride.

WashDishesGetMoney197 karma

Oh your only on the first loop.

WashDishesGetMoney81 karma

It's all about being a good OP.

And demanding tributes from your subordinates...

ajaxsirius1252 karma

Has this affected your fingerprints?

WashDishesGetMoney3348 karma

Yep! My fingerprints are always damaged and often times unrecognizable.

People always say "Dude you can commit the perfect crime." Except for the one minor technicality that I'd leave behind more skin cells than a ginger in the Arizona sun.

Sweet_gingerpeach2042 karma

As a ginger who's a Phoenix native, I can sympathize.

WashDishesGetMoney1900 karma

You poor soul.

debitsandcredits4lyf3588 karma

What soul

WashDishesGetMoney1916 karma

That was slick.

Sweet_gingerpeach891 karma

I'm a ginger. I have many souls. Muahaha

WashDishesGetMoney1022 karma

You have many LIES.

Sweet_gingerpeach640 karma

They say that every freckle on a gingers body marks a soul they've stolen.

FutureChuck425 karma

Wear a full body suit and you can get a special name like The Hazmat Bandit, or The Bondage Bandit (in the case that you pick a gimp suit).

WashDishesGetMoney848 karma

Im pretty sure anyone who buys either of those brand new gets put on a list, and Im not exactly about to get one second-hand. Lol

undertides749 karma

I've had extreme psoriasis since the day I was born. Covers the majority of my body besides my face. I play sports and am very social but I've lost friends and girlfriends because they don't really get it. What social effects has it had on you?

Edit: have had a lot of different questions relating to psoriasis. My inbox is open to anyone!

WashDishesGetMoney799 karma

It was extremely difficult making friends early on in childhood. It took me til 9th to 10th grade to find a group of friends who I could really bond with and things of that sort. I didn't get my first girlfriend until I was sixteen which felt pretty late.

But on a side note: my condolences man. It can be rough having a problem that effects the outside, which in turn, effects us emotionally. It's hard to get the social stigma, especially at a young age, of purely looking different. If later in life you have the opportunity to change states then I'd make a move to Arizona. The Climate REALLY helps most skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.

Receptron1695 karma

"didnt get my first girlfriend till i was sixteen and that felt pretty late"

well shit

WashDishesGetMoney1517 karma

Guys guys guys.

Its ok. She was a bitch

TheRabidDeer614 karma

I am 28 and still have had only 1 date in my entire life.

EDIT: And that one date was just a couple months ago.

WashDishesGetMoney642 karma

YOU NEED CONFIDENCE MY FRIEND

TheRabidDeer334 karma

I have confidence I just need to get out and ask a girl out is all.

WashDishesGetMoney247 karma

I did it the other week, granted she blew me off, but hey she was hot and i worked myself up enough to do it.

undertides168 karma

Sounds like we had an identical situation going through school. Canadian winters are the absolute worst for it. Whenever I travel I clear up but come home and BOOM lizard lyfe again.

Glad to hear you have a good head on your shoulders. I'm 18 and it's been the last year or so I've finally gotten over hiding it. Life's to short to wear a sweater all year round haha.

WashDishesGetMoney218 karma

Exactly what I said. 17 rolled around and I went on full force fuck it mode.

ryryrpm65 karma

Really? Wouldn't it just be drier and hotter down there?

WashDishesGetMoney233 karma

Dryness actually helps it. As long as it's hot dryness. It makes your body naturally moisten up from sweating.

Skeletore545 karma

Does this disease give you any special abilities? making you The Human Callus

WashDishesGetMoney1115 karma

funny you mention that. I can hold onto stuff that most people can't touch for even half a second. That's why Im such a good dishwasher at my work lol.

Gralekgejost639 karma

Username checks out

WashDishesGetMoney659 karma

Til the day I die.

nonsensepoem135 karma

WashDishesGetMoney142 karma

Holy shit he is now.

knyme123 karma

Til the day someone finds a dead skin cell in their pasta

WashDishesGetMoney543 karma

You mean someone finds parmesan cheese in their pasta?

http://i.imgur.com/t1AL7HT.gif

iLickChildren150 karma

Last week you held a bunch of burning hot coals for like 15 seconds.

WashDishesGetMoney343 karma

Burning hot coals

Burning hot pretzels FTFY

iLickChildren171 karma

Burning hot babes*.

WashDishesGetMoney283 karma

Armenians don't count.

calviso94 karma

No way. He's the next Killer Croc.

http://youtu.be/l21HLncmHGU?t=5m3s

WashDishesGetMoney127 karma

This has actually been used as an insult before lmao

calviso75 karma

That's fucked up.

That episode in Gotham Knight is just the only popular culture reference I've ever heard to EHK.

WashDishesGetMoney73 karma

I've heard it all my friend.

WashDishesGetMoney72 karma

But that's insane. I've never heard anyone say it before.

Ever. Especially not in popular fiction.

scoobylikeshotdawgs394 karma

What was your experience like as a kid in social settings? Kids can either be brutal or totally understanding... any stories that stick out in your memory?

WashDishesGetMoney1411 karma

4th through 8th grade were honestly some of the most brutal years of my life. A huge part was because the condition gets 3x worse while in the early-middle stages of puberty. On top of this, if the condition gets to thick it starts to produce a foul odor because of the bacteria living in the nooks and crannies of my skin, which is difficult to mask. So I had two things against me: Looks and smell lol.

I will always remember Victor from seventh grade. Ruthless little kid who berated me everyday in class, sometimes even getting physical. He stabbed me in the arm with a pencil one day which drew blood and never got in trouble for it, but when I retaliated by picking him up and throwing him (he was significantly smaller than me) I was sent to the office and almost suspended.

Fuck Victor man.

PineSin450 karma

[deleted]

WashDishesGetMoney471 karma

Apology not accepted.

I joke lol.

At least you smartened up. Most of my schoolyard bullies are now dirtbags/drug addicts/dead.

Im kinda okay with that

WashDishesGetMoney361 karma

And if you WERE Viktor I'd probably be more understanding.

Victor came from an abused home with druggies with parents. Kinda explains him being a walking piece of human trash. Can't really blame the kid I guess.

MrBulger143 karma

Good on you man. I wish more people had the mental toughness and empathy you seem to have.

WashDishesGetMoney215 karma

Mental Toughness yes.

Empathy is probably the wrong word lol. I understand why he is the way he is.

I would still hate him. As misplaced and ignorant as that hate might be.

scoobylikeshotdawgs106 karma

What a jerk. Thanks for responding! Now, do you have a happy memory to share?

WashDishesGetMoney267 karma

Hmm in regards to my skin condition not really lol. Although it has given me the ability to laugh at myself a lot more. I can walk up to my friends and be greeted with "what's up scaly faggot" and laugh with it, but then again this was because I had to adapt or die. If I didnt learn to laugh at it then I would have learned to hate it.

ifartmeat374 karma

Dragons have scales, so you have more in common with a dragon than I do. That makes you cooler than me.

WashDishesGetMoney1220 karma

I also breath fire but yeah sure go right the fuck ahead and ignore that part.

Check your privilege.

pogarita267 karma

10/10 best comment ITT

You're fucking hilarious and your responses have me reading the entire comment section

WashDishesGetMoney529 karma

God realized he fucked up the skin and gave me comedic abilities to make up for it.

I would have preferred the twelve inch schlong as a consolation, but hey, ill take what I can get.

kasploodged63 karma

As a long time sufferer of eczema I love your attitude. Haha, you are hilarious! I wish I could make light of my situation like you do!

Edit: pronoun confusion

WashDishesGetMoney170 karma

No need to edit in this thread son. We're in the business of killin grammar nazis.

AND BUSINESS IS A BOOMIN.

NJNeal1799 karma

Let's turn that into a bumper sticker.

WashDishesGetMoney194 karma

I need this mailed to me. Holy shit. Imagine if Victor became a meme?

Id feel so good about myself.

Until I remember him brutalizing me in my dreams at night.

No tears. Only dreams now.

NJNeal1741 karma

I feel like if you knew this guy, than you must've connected with the Scumbag meme.

WashDishesGetMoney56 karma

I actually just kinda buried him in the deep parts of my head hoping he never came back.

And besides, you'd have to make Scumbag Steve five feet tall and very black.

murd3rsaurus67 karma

l. He stabbed me in the arm with a pencil one day which drew blood and never got in trouble for it, but when I retal

Glasses, braces, bad skin, not the same but I feel your pain on being singled out like that. It was always the little guys that caused the most trouble :/

WashDishesGetMoney110 karma

It stopped when I started getting more openly aggressive towards these people which I guess is cool.

ChaosMaestro74 karma

I never understand how people can witness bullying taking place with nothing being done about it until the victim retaliates and gets in trouble for it, good on you for hurting that kid.

I was a bit of an outcast oddball who was disliked by most people at school, but one similar kid in particular gave me a lot of shit for a year, threw food and rocks at me, egged my house, slashed the tyres on my bike at least once a week, he once tried to straight up steal my phone and wallet at knifepoint in some woods outside school but I managed to get away. Couldn't touch him because he was friends with another guy who was older than me and 3x my size, 17 year old nasty piece of work who has been in an out of prison since. One day they fell out for good after the small one groped the bigger guys sister (don't know why he didn't kick his ass for that).

A few days later the small kid thinking I hadn't heard what happened decided to knock my lunch on the floor as I was walking outside with it, to picture what happened next imagine a horribly one sided fight in an english schoolyard while Beethoven's Ode to Joy choir chorus is playing in the background.

In all of the shit I got from him the school didn't give a shit and would never go further than asking him if he did anything to me then closing the matter when he denied it. Of course I didn't deny kicking his ass and got suspended for 2 weeks, which I spent taking it easy with my mother's blessing.

Haven't vented that story in a while, but the universe has a balance and sometimes karma will make a bully eat fist.

WashDishesGetMoney49 karma

That got my heart going and I wasn't even there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYO9VeKiOgo

you may enjoy this.

murd3rsaurus71 karma

Heh, me too, go go gadget growth spurts!

lol

WashDishesGetMoney149 karma

Go-Go Gadget Fist Punch!

Sandalman3000346 karma

Mrs Hines: Sandalman3000, I want you to work with WashDishesGetMoney for this.

Me: Mrs. Hines, I can't work with that freak look at him...

Mrs. Hines: Mouth drops

Me:, seriously, who wears those pants with that shirt?

Good times.

WashDishesGetMoney268 karma

H8 U

ThatSteeve226 karma

Gotta say the spirit in this thread is awesome!

Has your Epidermolytic Hyperkeratosis affected your ability to find work get hired?

I've known a few people over the years with visible, non contagious, skin disorders & they were constantly being turned down because of it.

WashDishesGetMoney214 karma

Nope, but then again I wouldn't apply to a business where I could be turned down by it ya know?

But as a dishwasher and as someone who works with food A LOT there isnt much a pair of gloves cant solve.

ThatSteeve81 karma

You... You are a wise man.

WashDishesGetMoney263 karma

If you wanna be dumb ya gotta be tough.

And im a lil bitch soooooo...

ThatSteeve37 karma

Lmao. Thanks man I needed a laugh.

I'm guessing that's another reference I don't know?

M1664H221 karma

Good day,

Do you have special ointments or moisturizers that you have to use? Also, would it be a bad idea for you to get a tattoo?

WashDishesGetMoney260 karma

I use moisturizer on the daily. My personal favorites are the Vaseline for Men creams.

And as for the tattoo I do not believe I can get it on the afflicted areas, but on my normal skin it should be fine. My grandfather has one on his normal patch of skin and it seems to do quite fine.

Oh and for prescriptions I use tazorac topical ointment, but it's really not worth the bang for your buck so I haven't renewed the prescription in a very long time.

Astaris197 karma

CeraVe is a skin moisturizer recommended by a lot of dermatologists. In my drug store it's found near the pharmacy instead of in the skin care aisle.

Maybe check it out? Www.cerave.com

WashDishesGetMoney251 karma

Literally never heard of that, and I usually think of my self as "in the know" about skin creams.

I'll look it up. Thanks brosselini.

MsMeowgi276 karma

You should check out /r/skincareaddiction

WashDishesGetMoney364 karma

Omg yes this is a thing.

ryryrpm38 karma

Have you tried eucerin? My dermatologist gave me this stuff called eucerin intensive repair when I was on accutane that helped a lot. That and aquaphor

WashDishesGetMoney65 karma

Yeah. I just don't like how thick it is. Works great though!

They tried to put me on accutane by the way. I said Fuck no. Cant risk the depression it can cause.

ryryrpm31 karma

Yeah that's funny because after I posted that comment I was thinking about what effects it would have on you considering it dries everything out so much. But yeah I've never really been the same mentally since I was on it but there's a dozen other factors that could have influenced that honestly. And I know at least 6 other people that were on it and no adverse affects.

WashDishesGetMoney115 karma

Yeah my personality is definitely just worth more to me than any cure-all. Even if it's a very low risk.

I need my boyish charm, yo.

goldenjosh215 karma

Hello!

My girlfriend just linked this post to me. I am a 28 year old male who also has Epidermolytic Hyperkeratosis; although mine looks a bit more severe. I can relate to almost everything you've said here. I've never met or talked to anyone else with this skin condition. I would be very interested in discussing this further with you! Have you ever met anyone else with this skin condition?

proof

WashDishesGetMoney167 karma

Yeah my mothers side of the family is afflicted, and a lurker just made her first account right here on this thread because she too had never seen someone with our condition, and in fact im supposed to talk to her after she is done with class. Im so happy im finally able to reach out with people who have it that arent my family.

And my hands used to look like that until i got a job working with water and soap for nine hours lol.

goldenjosh50 karma

That's awesome! I'll have to find her post. Yeah, when I was a kid I used to swim a lot, which would almost clear up the scaling for a few days (my skin would "wither" off in the pool and get kind of gross...). You appear to have more areas affected than I do; my hands and feet are the worst afflicted. My body has built up the thickness in those areas more than anywhere else. My elbows/knees are somewhat affected, but those two are the worst by far.

I don't really know what to ask, as I've thought about what it would be like to meet someone with this for a while, but never though i'd have the chance to do it. I guess i'll start with; have you found any medicines that truly affect the symptoms? I've tried 100s of things over the years and give up on most because it only treats the visual; which i can live with. I've been to top hospitals in the US (Emory in atl, Duke, etc) and i'm always the first they've ever seen (or at least I was) and the most reliable thing i've found to treat the scaling is plain old Vaseline.

WashDishesGetMoney18 karma

Vaseline will dry it out over the years. My hands arent as bad because I dont use Vaseline I believe. I just stick to lotion and Tazorac prescription cream. The only time I went to a top doctor he told me to go on accutane, and that was a BIG NO.

Jessicabird1995189 karma

Hey,

my younger brother has pretty bad keratosis pilaris, and even though he's a handsome guy he's pretty self conscious about how rough and scaly his skin gets. I guess I was just wondering, if there's anything I can do to ease that self consciousness for him?

thanks for sharing, not a lot of people realize how something like skin conditions can mess with your life. it's always good to spread awareness, if just to ease others feelings of being alone.

WashDishesGetMoney411 karma

As I said before, being more open about it, especially to females, helps a lot. Having just one girl best friend can make or break a guy. Because girls for some reason have this ability to make you feel fucking beautiful even when you feel like shit, or even when you cant stand the look of your own body.

But as I said before, just breaking free of his shell is so important. You need to fucking OWN what you have. it's hard and I wont deny it. You cant just wake up one day and be comfortable with yourself, but one day he IS going to have to wake up and decide if the disease he has will define him for the rest of his life, and I really hope he knows better than to let it control him.

Tell him I said It gets better. Because it does. it always does.

SolidBones206 karma

You're fucking welcome because you deserve it, studly!

Sincerely--

--girls

Jessicabird199531 karma

thanks so much, I will let him know!

I worry about him a lot, he doesn't get out much unfortunately, and online schooling has made him even more of a hermit. add the ending of his long term relationship, It's a lot to handle for anyone. I hope someday he'll own it, as you say. you seem to have some grasp on that yourself, and I'm glad. I'll take your advice and keep it in mind. (:

WashDishesGetMoney51 karma

If he's a wee bit of a recluse I seriously suggest online dating then. No shame in it. It's really cool and you get to meet a lot of non-judgmental people through it.

I wish him the best of luck!

MadTux107 karma

Is it hard having a condition with such a complicated name?

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

WashDishesGetMoney137 karma

I've been able to say it since I was five so the only problem appears to be other people pronouncing it.

cascer140 karma

Can confirm, difficult to pronounce

Source: I'm Dutch

EDIT: Dropbox suspended the link, hosted elsewhere

WashDishesGetMoney43 karma

I listened to that all the way to the end, all the while trying to figure out if I had an Ad on a youtube page some where in the background that was playing that fucking song.

H8 U.

ih8yallmore96 karma

Is this painful? It looks painful. I think someone I went to elementary and middle school has/had this condition and was teased relentlessly. If that happened to you, sorry. If J.K. from Connecticut is out there, I am sorry. I got mine later in life.

WashDishesGetMoney123 karma

I grew up getting cuts and scrapes A LOT because it tears easily and I played football, so I have a really high pain tolerance, so no it isnt painful really.

Unless I get a piece clipping onto something. Fuck that so hard.

sexualmaverick85 karma

Serious question now, does your condition always flair up in the same spots or can it appear in places it's never been?

WashDishesGetMoney190 karma

Usually in the same spots, but occasionally I start to get random patches on my legs or something. I refer to these spots as "asshole spots" because I dont like them.

And because theyre assholes.

thizface69 karma

hows your dick?

WashDishesGetMoney128 karma

About average I would say.

thizface64 karma

awesome thanks man, What would you recommend for penile dryness {serious}

WashDishesGetMoney164 karma

Extra thick cremes or slab on vaseline overnight. Just really cake it on there.

The next day you will wake up to a (hopefully) silky smooth schlong.

mattryanharris133 karma

silky smooth schlong

Vaseline's marketing team needs to hire you

WashDishesGetMoney20 karma

Or Durex. or Astroglide.

PlasticGirl71 karma

Mix a dab of vaseline, vitamin E oil, and coconut oil. My winter dry skin combo breaker.

WashDishesGetMoney109 karma

That actually sounds amazing. I'm gonna try that.

Thanks brodolf hitler.

iebarnett5169 karma

Heyy thanks for the AMA, I had never heard of this before! I saw the question about social upbringing but may I ask how this condition affects your romantic life?

WashDishesGetMoney239 karma

Oddly enough, it seems that girls really look by it. I'm not sure if it's because girls are more personality based or something.

Wait. I know what you're getting at. If it's on my dang-a-lang.

If I lotion it enough it isn't really noticeable at all, but before I had my circumcision done (at age sixteen) it was pretty bad on it. to the point if a girl were to offer me a blojowski I'd decline at the chance of being ridiculed.

SilviaCoupe148 karma

blojowski

WashDishesGetMoney120 karma

felt better than "Oral Sex"

iebarnett5163 karma

Well the dick stuff was a bonus but thanks for the first part of the response! Sounds like you have a great attitude despite it :)

WashDishesGetMoney137 karma

I probably would've committed suicide or something stupid like that if I didn't develop the non-shitty attitude lol

TLWtWmpy90 karma

Well...that took a dark turn

WashDishesGetMoney228 karma

Life is dark, yo.

belethors_sister43 karma

If I lotion it enough

You mean to say there is a possibility you don't?

WashDishesGetMoney96 karma

Hey man, everyone needs a cheat day.

safetymeetingcaptain22 karma

Damn. You were getting offered blojowskis before 16? I was born 15 years too early...

WashDishesGetMoney94 karma

Well no, if they were offered. But I actually got the circumcision when i got my first girlfriend because.. well... if I wouldn't put it in my mouth because it's funky then why would I expect her to? Lol

Trachyon50 karma

As a preface to what I'm about to ask, I'll say now that if I'm overstepping my boundaries, then I apologise.

You say that the condition affects your skin primarily around the joints, but with places such as the insides of the arms I'd assume that buildup of sweat and skin creasing contributes to it. That being said, have you ever had to take additional measures to assure that the EHK does not affect the skin surrounding your groin, or even more sensitive areas? Or has this particular factor been a non-issue to you?

Also, if moisturisation and protection of you skin is ever an issue, then I can personally recommend the Purepotions product Skin Salvation. It's thick stuff, and it will stain whiter-coloured clothes over extended periods of time, but I've never come across a better hydration cream. I've had eczema since I was a baby, and I've been through the gamut of prescription steroids and moisturisers. That Purepotions stuff is the only thing which has stuck. I'm not sure if they ship beyond the UK, but it's worth looking into.

WashDishesGetMoney168 karma

The groin area has the condition but the actually pillar and stones are pretty free of it. And with the groin, it only looks like red skin so it isn't insanely scaly or any of that. I make sure to moisturize the shit out of it like I'm a firefighter at a civil rights march.

ThatSteeve75 karma

Pillar & Stones... Awesome!

Here I thought I'd heard them all.

WashDishesGetMoney136 karma

Got it from Game of Thrones. No credit here folks.

taytermuffin44 karma

It looks like my eczema, which itches a LOT. Does yours itch? Do you still get staph infections? Ever had a bad one?

WashDishesGetMoney52 karma

I itch like a fucking madman some days. I literally wanna buy one of those grooming monkeys just to do it for me.

And as for the staph infections, I rarely get put into spots where I'd get one, and I also have a pretty strong Immune system, but the one time I did get one it was ultra shitty. Massive blisters behind my knee after football practice. Turned into Embitigo or whatever the name is.

Thundercruncher42 karma

Can I be your friend? I don't care if you have a skin condition.

WashDishesGetMoney89 karma

Yeah but I care that you do...

I joke.

But of course! We're all friends here on the skin condition thread.

whattodoes36 karma

Just wanted to say good for you being so accepting of it and ask how do you cope with it? I have a genetic skin disease myself, steatocystoma multiplex, and it has made me incredibly self conscious. I am not afraid of going out and talking to people but forming serious relationships is hard and usually ends poorly for me.

WashDishesGetMoney93 karma

I lucked out by having a very open and not-giving-a-fuck attitude, but for people who can't just form something like that out of the blue it always helps to have a friend of the opposite sex that has seen your body, and doesn't care. A girl best friend really can mean wonders. As for relationships: SHE/HE WOULDNT HAVE DATED YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE IF THEY DIDNT ACCEPT YOU. That is so key to remember. Almost all serious relationships involve both partners looking over each others flaws. If you have a lady friend that accepts then you need to break free from the shell of desperation and understand that she/he doesn't give a shit about it. They see you for you, not for your steatocystoma multiplex. And if they do give a shit about it? Fuck'em. They aint for you bub.

Gently_Farting27 karma

What do you mean by 'missing large patches of skin'? Is it like a muscles are exposed kind of deal, or there's something else there? Could skin grafts help? Does this affect your ability to create scars?

Thanks for the AMA, I've never heard of this before.

WashDishesGetMoney43 karma

As In my very first layer of skin. I just looked like a VERY red baby. Kinda like baby Hellboy without the horns. The skin grows back within the first few months of being alive though.

And no, the skin grafts would be going onto areas that are affected and subsequently grow onto the skin grafts.

Scars for me are usually pretty normal, although I'm told I heal pretty quickly by comparison to other people.

Doghten224 karma

Can you masturbate or...?

WashDishesGetMoney152 karma

Im a 19 year old male. Cum hell or high water I would have found a way.

But yes I can.

small523 karma

I had developed staph infection a few years ago when the outbreak happened. It was painful dealing just one blister on my knee. Later on, I started getting them on my thighs so I couldn't even sit down in my desk properly. I occasionally get blisters here and there but its the same process of dressing the wound with ointment and taking antibiotics. I cannot imagine how you deal with this daily but I have immense respect for you for raising awareness.

What is the hardest thing you have experienced with this condition?

WashDishesGetMoney30 karma

I can relate to that. Got embitigo or whatever it's called behind my knees after football practice. I couldn't walk and i was on a slurry of pills and cremes.

But I digress from the question.

The hardest would definitely be Making friends and getting bullied as a kid. It was pretty tough. My brain has blocked out most of it because it was an ultra shitty time of my life.

twiztedmetal28 karma

Impetigo may be what you are referring to.

Impetigo

WashDishesGetMoney20 karma

THANK YOU.

djlucky715 karma

Hey. Have you ever taken a vacation to somewhere really really humid? There was a friend of mine in university that suffered from a similar condition and we went to a humid place and her skin was relieved. She almost never went back home lol

WashDishesGetMoney22 karma

I told another person suffering with severe plaque psoriasis to move to Arizona because the climate really helps with the dry skin problem.

I've always wanted to try the Bahamas though

Anita8914 karma

Try florida never not humid.

WashDishesGetMoney46 karma

/r/FloridaMan

Right there is the reason I wouldnt try Florida Lol.

choco-early12 karma

Was there ever a point when you tried to remove the calluses? I don't imagine it would be worth your time, especially if it just grew right back, but did you ever try? And how did it go?

WashDishesGetMoney13 karma

Not really. I learned from a young age that it wouldn't work because I used to get abrasions a lot from the sensitive skin, and I noticed those coming back.

DasJarnold9 karma

Is it related to Epidermolysis Bullosa?

WashDishesGetMoney11 karma

Epidermolysis Bullosa

From what I understand about Epidermolysis Bullosa is that both my condition and the one in question manipulate the keratin genes in your body, but it is a totally different set of genes that each disease manipulates. So they aren't exactly related.

Also, epidermolysis bullosa can be lethal directly, whereas mine can only be indirectly lethal.

DasJarnold7 karma

Was curious because I have a coworker that unfortunately lost their newborn to epidermolysis bullosa a few years ago.

WashDishesGetMoney11 karma

My condolences to their family. It's things like that to make me happy to have what I have, and not something along the lines of that.

takisandapples7 karma

One of my best friends has EB and his skin is just very fragile. It tears and blisters easily and what not. His fingers are fused together from scaring and usage as a child (his thumbs are free though). He has to use massive amounts of moistruizer and lubricating ointments and what not and bandages his arms and legs every day to prevent infection from tearing.

WashDishesGetMoney5 karma

I seriously are in awe of people who survive with things like that. I wish him the best of luck in life.

God_Chiseled_Calves4 karma

Does it consistently only effect certain spots or will it be your elbow one day and then ur knee the next? I feel like consistency would be easier to deal with.

WashDishesGetMoney3 karma

It's generally very consistent. The pictures on my proof link are the constant areas that I'm affected.

CreeperNextDoor14 karma

I was born with the same condition. I have meet other people who have EHK but their skin never looked similar to mine. Yours looks almost exactly the same. Do you have siblings that have the same condition?

WashDishesGetMoney3 karma

Dude my mom and her family all have it and they all look different... Mine is the only one that looks like this. Maybe it's because we're young?

Robseth1 karma

Sorry man. Having had chronic severe psoriasis most of my adult life, I can understand what you're dealing with. Your condition looks similar to what I used to experience. Have you explored treatments with drugs like cyclosporine, enbrel, or humira? The first two did wonders for me.

WashDishesGetMoney2 karma

Apparently most psoriasis drugs won't work for me because it's a totally different disease right down to the roots.

I do recall a doctor trying to put my on psoriatene or something of the like, only to have it mass recalled six months later for causing mass depression and suicides.

thank god I said no after seeing the side effects. My personality is the best thing I have going for me. I can't risk fucking with it.

_transatlantique2 karma

Just curious, did you not have a good experience with Humira? It is what my boyfriend is currently on and it has worked amazingly for him.

WashDishesGetMoney1 karma

I actually haven't tried it. Next time I head to the dermatologist Ill give it a go-go.

Mortikhi1 karma

Get laid yet?

WashDishesGetMoney3 karma

Yes lol