I used to suffer from severe back-acne... What helped... 1. Use plain head and shoulders on it daily as you would a body wash in the shower -- also use on hair - I'd typically lather my back with it first and let it sit while washing everything else and try not to rinse it off too soon. I wouldn't let it sit lathered for more than 5 minutes though as, with any product, can cause irritation which is what were trying to avoid. The active ingredient - Zinc pyrithione - works as both as an antibacterial and as an anti-fungal. My sister and many friends all swear by it now after I told them. I literally tried everything - over the counter and prescription topical applications. I even went so far as to get a chemical peal done on my back... I don't recommend that. 2. Get rid of any fabric softeners - period (besides being terrible for fabrics, they wreak havoc on skin), scented detergent, and switch to free and gentle detergent. Get unscented dryer sheets or switch to Woolzies (wool dryer balls - I switched to them recently, and they're the best thing I've ever bought ever in regard to doing laundry). If you still want. - just re-read your post and see you do your laundry green too. Yay. 3. Avoid irritating foods - over consumption of iodine has been shown to cause acne outbreaks - soy sauce, mangoes, sea vegetables, yogurt. Irritating foods include those with high glycemic index, processed/junk foods, for some people certain spices can be triggers. 4. Check your bathroom and home for potential fungal issues - can have a huge impact on acne. May want to try also a more vigorous/hotter/disinfecting method of cleaning bath towels. 5. Don't... don't... don't pop them, scratch them, pick at them and don't applying irritating products - acids, drying type products and oh dear god... Benzoyl peroxide, arbonne, mary kay, etc are just crap products where the cost comes from the marketing and not from quality. 6. The skin still needs to be hydrated - she should be drinking plenty of water and I recommend using a very very simple moisturizer after bathing. Vanicream lite is a personal favorite - It's Fragrance-free, lanolin-free, paraben-free, formaldehyde-free Gluten-free Sulfate-free Phosphate-free No formaldehyde releasers Non-staining Non-irritating It's the best moisturizer. Period. End of story. It's what you use to moisturize severe burns without irritating the skin. I use it daily... once you try it, there is no going back. Generally you have to ask the pharmacy to get it for you or they sometimes carry it. It's an over-the-counter product. Very economically priced and little goes a long way. 7. Clothing should be lightweight and breathable and preferably little to no synthetics present - they can be irritating. 8. When and if the acne heads do pop - on their own or what have you - I usually would do a band-aid with triple antibiotic ointment - band-aid mostly to prevent staining on clothing. 9. When the acne starts improving, I recommend switching to a moisturizer/product called cerave (again, can get it through the pharmacy) It uses a moisturizing acid (Hyaluronic Acid) and ceramides to help the skin to rebuild itself - it's ridiculous how much, over time, it can help with the resultant scarring from back-acne and other skin issues. 10. Try going on an allergy medicine. Personally, it never fails - when I run out of my Zyrtec... I have an acne outbreak. Keep us posted! -Jordan

Hello, BJ, Have a wonderful birthday my friend!!! I love knowing you and feel lucky to have found you!!! NH Suzanne, good news about the cover. I hope it works out. And Jen, great news about Erica. I hope she does not need surgery. The poor little thing has been through enough. Peter is doing good. My other DB & SIL went in to Boston to see him yesterday. (NH Suzie, he is in Brigham & Womens - I know you asked me a couple of times and I don't think I answered). DB said he thought he was doing really well. He is very tired and as the days go on he gets a little sicker, but that is the effect of the chemo, so it is not a surprise. Today is his last day of chemo and the actual transplant will be done on Monday. They are a day ahead of schedule, so I guess that is good. Anyway, thank you all so much for your positive energy and prayers. I just can't tell you how much it means. I had a really rough day with it yesterday. Very emotional, I think it is finally hitting me how sick he really is. Now about that camera. It is back! I found it downstairs in my laundry room. I feel foolish for even thinking the awful thoughts I was thinking and I am still not sure how it got downstairs because I had no reason to be in the laundry room during my DS party. Whatever the reason, I am so happy to have it back. Has anyone every heard of Arbonne International? It is a Swiss skin care line. I am having 10 ladies over this evening for an Arbonne Party. We soak our feet, play in lotion and drink wine! Sounds fun, huh? It would be wonderful if all of the SS sisters could get together for one of these, and ofcourse you too John. They have a whole mens line! Got to run. Lots to do. Have a great day everyone and (((HUGS))) to you all!!! Love, Besh

Years ago I reacted to almost every commercial skin cream so began to use vegetable/nut oils for all my skin care. In order of preference I'd rate them like this: Argan oil - extremely beneficial and within a few minutes it absorbs and doesn't feel oily Coconut oil - love how my skin feels and smells and it's great for removing makeup Tamanu oil - it's a fantastic skin oil but rated lower only because of it's intense nut-like scent. I mix a drop of it with coconut oil Apricot kernel oil - very good Peach kernel oil - very good Olive oil - works well but I find it has an oilier feel and I have to wipe it off with a warm damp washcloth I use only organic, cold-pressed, virgin oils and add pure essential oils known to be good for skin care, such as Rose Absolute, Lavender, Frankincense, Geranium, and others. For damaged or aging skin an excellent essential oil is Wild Carrot Seed but I prefer Rose Absolute as it has a more pleasant scent. Please don't use fragrance oils and expect results. They are toxic substances. I use these oils twice a day after my shower and notice the difference in how my skin looks if I miss even once. My skin is very sensitive but I clean it by washing with soap (not detergents) and moisturizing with oils. The only thing these products don't have are the fancy containers and high prices of most skin care products!

Okay, so I must say I have experienced exactly what you are going through. Yes, I lost lots and LOTS of hair during and after my pregnancy. My baby is 13 months old now and my hair is still growing back. I am having to buy a whole bunch of head bands to hold back the growing hair. Without these headbands, I look like Albert Einstein! As far as scalp treatment goes, I highly recommend a product by Arbonne. It is called Thermal Fusion hair and scalp revitalizer. At first I didn't think this would work (being that I tried countless others). I tell you what.... IT WORKS! The product is well worth it's price. It has and is still making a difference with my hair. It actually feels good on the scalp. Seriously, buy it... you'll thank me later! Below you will find a link to the Arbonne website. You will have to buy it from an Arbonne consultant. When in their webpage, click on the link "Locate a consultant". It is really worth it. Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: Arbonne