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Dermo has caught up to me

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
I have been a daily kava drinker for 4 months, more or less straight, only time off was in between orders. I thought I had bypassed this whole dermo thing but lo and behold, the last couple days I have been noticing that my skin is getting more and more itchy. Yesterday one of the dry patches broke out from me scratching it a bit much. I have been applying generous amounts of lotion to said area, but only since yesterday.
What sucks worst for me is having to cut back on my kava consumption, but at least I still have YM. Anyone know how long dermo takes to subside?
 

schatz

itchin for kava
It got me too after 1 1/2 months of daily, started in January. I noticed dry skin after a couple weeks after starting and I have always had lubricated naturally greasy skin all my life. I also am a vaper wich can suck moisture from body also and was hydrateing well. Then it progressed to the itchy stage and I stopped drinking the kava and started lubricateing with coconut oil and black seed lotion twice a day for 3 days and it brought it under control real quick. Now I went back to drinking evey other day and now am a lotion user, twice a day rub down.It seems to be working, the kava just lets you know that maybe you ought to cut back, I guess it is a good thing to keep us from abusing the kava gift.I guess to answer your question it depends on how progressed the dermo is and how your body reacts to lubricants. I think everyone is different. By the way what is YM, just curious.
 

sɥɐʞɐs

Avg. Dosage: 8 Tbsp. (58g)
Review Maestro
Duration depends on the severity of the case and how and when you respond to it. Your current state isn't necessarily an indicator of how bad it is, we notice that the days immediately following the cessation of drinking can actually bring an increase in symptoms.

Regular lotion is okay but doesn't do much to speed up the process when you already have it. Perhaps pre-dermo lotioning could keep it at bay if you kept up with it, but I never have, so I'm not sure.

AmLactin is the lotion you want to get, it has a small percentage of an acid in it that really helps remove the dead skin and moisturize the new skin. If you have any spots that are so bad they've cracked, AmLactin will sting, it's always best to begin using it earlier on.

Once you get your 1st case, it will probably be something you deal with at varying levels of severity from here on out. We find that drinking micronized kava will bring it on quicker/harder, especially if it hasn't had the makas removed. I recently finished 2 bags of 11 yr waka micro and have had the most persistent dermo from it. I can typically reverse it well enough, by not drinking and using AmLactin for about 3-5 days. Plus, it's always good to keep up with proper hydration, whether or not it makes any difference.
 
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Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
It got me too after 1 1/2 months of daily, started in January. I noticed dry skin after a couple weeks after starting and I have always had lubricated naturally greasy skin all my life. I also am a vaper wich can suck moisture from body also and was hydrateing well. Then it progressed to the itchy stage and I stopped drinking the kava and started lubricateing with coconut oil and black seed lotion twice a day for 3 days and it brought it under control real quick. Now I went back to drinking evey other day and now am a lotion user, twice a day rub down.It seems to be working, the kava just lets you know that maybe you ought to cut back, I guess it is a good thing to keep us from abusing the kava gift.I guess to answer your question it depends on how progressed the dermo is and how your body reacts to lubricants. I think everyone is different. By the way what is YM, just curious.
YM = yerba mate, that is interesting about vaping, I too vape and had no idea that it dehydrates the body, been vaping for about 7 years, long before it became so popular. I started using Vaseline intensive moisturizer, not sure it's the best but it helped a bit over the lat 24 hrs.
 

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
Duration depends on the severity of the case and how and when you respond to it. Your current state isn't necessarily an indicator of how bad it is, we notice that the days immediately following the cessation of drinking can actually bring an increase in symptoms.

Regular lotion is okay but doesn't do much to speed up the process when you already have it. Perhaps pre-dermo lotioning could keep it at bay if you kept up with it, but I never have, so I'm not sure.

AmLactin is the lotion you want to get, it has a small percentage of an acid in it that really helps remove the dead skin and moisturize the new skin. If you have any spots that are so bad they've cracked, AmLactin will sting, it's always best to begin using it earlier on.

Once you get your 1st case, it will probably be something you deal with at varying levels of severity from here on out. We find that drinking micronized kava will bring it on quicker/harder, especially if it hasn't had the makas removed. I recently finished 2 bags of 11 yr waka micro and have had the most persistent dermo from it. I can typically reverse it well enough, by not drinking and using AmLactin for about 3-5 days. Plus, it's always good to keep up with proper hydration, whether or not it makes any difference.
Thanks for the tip on the lotion, I will get it today. I have always tried to stay hydrated, I drink coconut water everyday, not much in the way of water, my justification has always been I drink kava with the water, lol. I drink med grind via aluball or my prefered method which is about 4 Tbs to 2 cups of water in a blender, I then strain it through a super fine metal strainer. I wonder if that prep method has anything to do with it.
 

Kavafied

Kava Vendor
I have been a daily kava drinker for 4 months, more or less straight, only time off was in between orders. I thought I had bypassed this whole dermo thing but lo and behold, the last couple days I have been noticing that my skin is getting more and more itchy. Yesterday one of the dry patches broke out from me scratching it a bit much. I have been applying generous amounts of lotion to said area, but only since yesterday.
What sucks worst for me is having to cut back on my kava consumption, but at least I still have YM. Anyone know how long dermo takes to subside?
I usually take up to a week off and it goes down. Some Tongans always just say to drink through it and your skin will get used to it lol but I haven't been willing to put that to the test yet hahaha
 

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
I am still drinking at night, I stopped drinking first thing in the morning and mid day for now till' it clears up.
 

Jerome

Kava Lover
13 years ago, when I was drinking kava pretty heavy, I got it bad. Now days, even if I drink all day, I don't seem to have a problem with the dermo. Could it be a dietary thing as well? I eat a very high fat diet now days where as back then I was eating a more standard american diet high in grain carbs.

Maybe a little internal lubrication in the form of large quantities of both plant and animal saturated fats keeps your skin supple and smooth... Pass the coconuts and cracklin'!
 
S

Summer

I am susceptible to some forms of dermo - little bumps and stretch marks on my torso, dry palms. One lotion that I really love is Aveeno's Excema lotion. It's gentle and effective for me. This is just a topical treatment to help the symptoms once they appear; ultimately you have to increase your water intake somehow. Drinking the kava doesn't count...but I can relate in that I don't really feel like drinking much at all once I've had it. I try to get natural mix-ins or even make my own fruit infused water, etc. Also straining 2-3 times is a must for me with traditional prep. Personally, I love using the Aluball but can't use it often as it does give me a quicker reaction on my skin - same with micros.
 

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
I am susceptible to some forms of dermo - little bumps and stretch marks on my torso, dry palms. One lotion that I really love is Aveeno's Excema lotion. It's gentle and effective for me. This is just a topical treatment to help the symptoms once they appear; ultimately you have to increase your water intake somehow. Drinking the kava doesn't count...but I can relate in that I don't really feel like drinking much at all once I've had it. I try to get natural mix-ins or even make my own fruit infused water, etc. Also straining 2-3 times is a must for me with traditional prep. Personally, I love using the Aluball but can't use it often as it does give me a quicker reaction on my skin - same with micros.
That's a good idea, finding ways to enhance water to make it more palatable (so to speak). I have been thinking about getting a soda stream for that purpose.
 

schatz

itchin for kava
That's a good idea, finding ways to enhance water to make it more palatable (so to speak). I have been thinking about getting a soda stream for that purpose.
I highly recommend the Soda Stream, works great, been using it for a few years for our vodka. Makes for a clean vodka sparkling water drink although I have severely cut back on my nightly nite caps now that I have found kava. They are a little pricey to refill but you can refill yourself use dry ice for the co2 and it will only cost a few dollars to refill versus 20. Kind of a pain but there are u tube videos to show you how.
 

Groggy

Kava aficionado
Admin
Dry ice, that's cool, that was what was kind of holding me back from pulling the trigger on that, I will check it out...
 

schatz

itchin for kava
Dry ice, that's cool, that was what was kind of holding me back from pulling the trigger on that, I will check it out...
Its a little tuff toget the dry ice crushed up small enough and funnel into the canisters without burning your hands. I use a couple nitrile gloves and am carefull. and you also need adigital scale to weigh the dry ice your putting in. I just tare the scale with the canister on it and add dry ice to the wieght specified on canister, maybe a little less. Have fun with it, there are so many safe ways to save a few bucks its almost become a hobby in and of itself for me not just to be cheap but kind of a self sufficientcy satisfaction thing. Although kava does not lend itself to this except I guess were kind of cutting out big pharma.
 

verticity

I'm interested in things
Second @shakas' recommendation of Amlactin. Ordinary lotion doesn't do much good for dermo. The Amlactin actually seeps into your skin and has a long-term moisturizing effect.
 
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