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Has anyone found a way to prevent skin problems from kava?

Akava

Akava

Kava Enthusiast
Obviously one could simply cease usage of kava and that would make the skin problems go away, or maybe just to cut down on the dosage, and days per week

but is there another way?

previously I thought you could just supplement with b vitamins and that would solve the issue, but I was upset to find this study after spending a ton of money on niacin and b complex
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1972218

thanks again
 
infraredz

infraredz

BULA!
YES! I actually have. I'm working on putting together a little instruction/informational/personal experience article.

I was getting dermopathy pretty bad and stopped drinking kava for a week. It started to spread from the day I stopped. Anyways, I pulled out some physiology/anatomy text books and read up on derma. products and started a little trial on myself (sharpied circles on my abdomen where the dermopathy was and applied various different products twice a day).

Anyways, I started drinking kava again and even though the dermopathy is still present (I think it's actually still spreading, but I can't say definitively since I've started drinking kava again). However, I've found certain remedies for it.

In short, Alpha hydroxy acids seem to be the best. The little spot I was applying AmLactin (Lactic acid 12%) BID is actually normal looking skin compared to the rest of my body. If I had been applying that everywhere, the dermopathy would only present where it would be 'spreading' which is not uncommon.

Read this for now, until I can get my full little thing written up:
http://www.kavaforums.com/forum/wiki/dermopathy/
 
infraredz

infraredz

BULA!
Still not done, but I got up the gist of it. In essence, I've been taking 50mg of Diphenhydramine (trade name Benadryl in US), and a multivitamin every day. These didn't seem to help, so that's why I started the topical tests...

Anyways, out of those, I found Lactic Acid to be the best. I am able to keep drinking kava and my skin is much clearer than it was. The only prep. I found was AmLactin with 12% Lactic Acid. Apply twice a day, keep hydrated, take a vitamin and if you wish, Diphen at night or twice a day. My dermopathy is now under control.
 
J

JonT

Kava Enthusiast
I'm not one who gets major skin problems from kava, except for guaranteed dry skin (especially on the hands and feet) it's never gone further than that. I get rid of the dry skin by using lanolin, which is amazing stuff and you don't need much. I also use coconut oil (the stuff you use for cooking).
 
infraredz

infraredz

BULA!
Lanolin is an AHA too, as well as a very effective emollient (smoothing of the skin, which is important for dermopathy). Not a bad choice if it works!

EDIT: Just to be clear, these treatments (outlined in my Wiki page) won't prevent dermopathy, but they will help. As far as I know (still waiting on an article from a derm. journal), the only way to prevent it is to not drink kava past a certain threshold which varies among individuals.
 
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Andrew Procyk

Andrew Procyk

Noble Kava
Kava Vendor
The only time I have experienced dermopathy is when I drank kava from questionable sources - while at a gathering in Fiji where nobody could answer my questions about specific kava type, and from a questionable nak in Vila. Otherwise, I drink daily - some would say to excess, and have only had a modicum of issues. Stay hydrated, and drink good kava, that would be my advice based only on my anecdotal experience.
 
kavadude

kavadude

❦ॐ tanuki tamer
This isn't dermopathy, but I've mentioned before that I get really bad dry lips after drinking kava for long enough. Well recently I learned that it isn't dry lips, it's angular cheilitis. Basically when you have persistent dry mouth (say from drinking a dehydrating thing like kava) the fungus/bacteria that lives in your mouth can get out of control and cause inflammation and dry skin at the corners of your lips. If anyone else gets this the appropriate treatment is to get antifungal and antibacterial cream and apply it to the effected areas. It goes away really quickly after you do this.
 
J

Jerry

Kava Curious
A vitamin b complex (mix of B vitamins) will fix the dermopathy

I have already posted this information on this forum but Ill do it one more time here

make sure its a reputable brand take it with a meal This will not solve any other vitamin deficiency though but the rash will go away, and stay away if you take them every once in a while.
 
D

Deleted User01

Drink water, do vitamins, yada, yada, yada. The only real solution is to cut back and don't drink it everyday. I do it 3/4 times a week and I drink just what I need and no more. I have yet to have any Dermo problems. Jiminy, just thinking of it makes my underarms itch. Scratch, scatch, scatch, aaahhhhhhh .... Most have been a mosquito bite ... Right??
 
nabanga

nabanga

Kava Enthusiast
I get dry skin but make sure I drink about 2 litres of water during the day (I only drink kava in the evening), and apply coconut oil twice a day - whilst I still have dry skin it keeps it under control. Also I've noticed when I have a coconut cream based curry 1-2 times a week it helps.


Sent from my BLL-L22 using Tapatalk
 
Pauluk

Pauluk

Kava Enthusiast
Krunkie McKrunkface said:
I still say a cheap bombilla is the trick and the ones with 200 little holes, not with 16 big ones.
Click to expand...
Ive not got round to that yet Krunkie, but tonight ive got half a shell in a pint glass with extra water and sipping it through a straw.
I did my first aluball in two shells as usual but wanted to pace the next one out as i had a lot of ironing to do.
Its lasted me two hours so far.
 
Krunkie McKrunkface

Krunkie McKrunkface

Kava Connoisseur
Pauluk said:
Ive not got round to that yet Krunkie, but tonight ive got half a shell in a pint glass with extra water and sipping it through a straw.
I did my first aluball in two shells as usual but wanted to pace the next one out as i had a lot of ironing to do.
Its lasted me two hours so far.
Click to expand...
if it's not a problem you have, no need to fix it. You seem to be doing very well with your modus operandi.
 
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