It's time to get real. One of the post birth control symptoms that can come up are knarly skin rashes.
So I share a ton about my acne post-birth control because it was the thing for me that came back more severe than the rest of the stuff. And it's kind of prominent and not easy to conceal, so it's just there, ya know? Anyway, that's not the only post-birth control symptom I had, although if it was, I'd still be moaning and groaning because it. freaking. sucks.
The very first symptom that I can remember are skin rashes. Like fiery red, itchy, flaky, painful rashes. If I remember correctly, they first appeared on my right elbow. Then on my right hand between my thumb and forefinger on that weird piece of flat skin with no cartilage (ya know where I'm taking about). Then it spread to my armpits and OH MY GOSH that was the worst. It's already hot and sweaty under there as it is. Try adding in workouts on top of that and there came a point where I just couldn't go to the gym anymore 1) because of the embarrassment, and 2) because of the pain. It hurt so bad I cried. Bawled. Just HATED my skin.
The very first symptom that I can remember are skin rashes. Like fiery red, itchy, flaky, painful rashes. If I remember correctly, they first appeared on my right elbow. Then on my right hand between my thumb and forefinger on that weird piece of flat skin with no cartilage (ya know where I'm taking about). Then it spread to my armpits and OH MY GOSH that was the worst. It's already hot and sweaty under there as it is. Try adding in workouts on top of that and there came a point where I just couldn't go to the gym anymore 1) because of the embarrassment, and 2) because of the pain. It hurt so bad I cried. Bawled. Just HATED my skin.
It started probably a month after getting off birth control. And peaked at
three months post-birth control. It started very small on my elbow and then it grew. I tried to look it up on google (don't recommend haha). It ended up to me looking like a yeast overgrowth. So back then, I was still going to the dermatologist and he recommended a cream. It helped a bit! But it came back and stuck around. I used some oils on it, which also helped too, but didn't completely get rid of it. I eventually landed on a podcast that talked about how lots of skin issues can be due to an internal gut imbalance. Acne, eczema, psoriasis, etc.
three months post-birth control. It started very small on my elbow and then it grew. I tried to look it up on google (don't recommend haha). It ended up to me looking like a yeast overgrowth. So back then, I was still going to the dermatologist and he recommended a cream. It helped a bit! But it came back and stuck around. I used some oils on it, which also helped too, but didn't completely get rid of it. I eventually landed on a podcast that talked about how lots of skin issues can be due to an internal gut imbalance. Acne, eczema, psoriasis, etc.
And then it started clicking for me...I had read that hormonal birth control can cause leaky gut, where particles get out of your gut (where they belong) and into other parts of your body, causing havoc. Other gut imbalances can occur when getting off birth control because birth control causes gut deficiencies anyways. So when you finally get off the medication, it's like your body is in panic mode and chaos with your gut, trying to remember how the microbiome is supposed to be and regulate everything inside. Which is what I attributed my fiery pits and itchy elbow to.
I experimented with cutting out some foods from my diet which helped me immensely! There was a point when I was gluten, dairy, excess sugar, and alcohol free. You're probably thinking nope. No way. Can't do it. NOT gonna do it. But when you actually see a difference in not eating those foods and then your rashes come back when you temporarily slip up (it happens, and it's life), you might reconsider. I'm not saying I continue to be this strict with my diet, but it's what helped me immensely and I wish I knew earlier that it would help.
I experimented with cutting out some foods from my diet which helped me immensely! There was a point when I was gluten, dairy, excess sugar, and alcohol free. You're probably thinking nope. No way. Can't do it. NOT gonna do it. But when you actually see a difference in not eating those foods and then your rashes come back when you temporarily slip up (it happens, and it's life), you might reconsider. I'm not saying I continue to be this strict with my diet, but it's what helped me immensely and I wish I knew earlier that it would help.My rashes faded and eventually went away completely, but it wasn't for probably five months post-birth control and a few months of as clean eating as possible. Were there other gut-balancing products that I wish I tried sooner? Yes, but I wasn't aware of them until now when I don't have these issues nearly as much. Do I still have skin rashes to this day? Nope (yay!). Do I continue to watch what I eat because I experience clearer skin when I reduce my intake of inflammatory foods? Yup. :) Personal choice, and it's really not too hard to do. I'm having a ton of fun finding new recipes to make yummy foods with.
Want some yummy allergy friendly recipes that I love? Let me know below and I'd be happy to send them over! I have a major sweet tooth, so you know there's gonna be some desserts in there ;)
Just so you know, I may earn a commission off the links on my blog at no cost to you through various affiliate programs. I appreciate your support and love sharing my favorite products with you! :)
0 Comments