Using diluted bleach for skin issues: so what's so problematic about it?

[midnightwriter]

Dermatologist recommended DD sits in diluted bleach (half a cup per bath tub) for molluscum contagiosum, every day, for 15-20 minutes, for about 2 weeks. I wasn't crazy about this idea, but was desperate. We tried it for several days, with absolutely no improvement, so we stopped.

We are seeing the same dermatologist for a follow up. DD's skin condition did improve with some other medications, but I'd like to be more prepared to the conversation with the dermatologist. She was quite pushy during the first meeting and didn't answer my questions or address my concerns, other than 'I always prescribe it, and it does work.'

[Thandiwe]

My oldest child has eczema and there have been times when he was literally covered, head to toe, in oozing, bleeding scales.  It was so awful.  I read everything I could get my hands onto.  One book, by a dermatologist trained in England, recommended a bleach bath.  He said that it is effective in killing the bacteria on their skin that cause such irritation.  I was desperate, so I tried it.  I did the same dilution you did.  Personally, I knew it was bad exposing him to the bleach, but I felt like it was worth trying because nothing else was working.  I tried once, but the smell was so awful, I stopped.  He didn't even finish that bath.  I'd be very concerned about the fumes.  And of course, so much can seep through our skin.  Nowadays I'd never dream of doing that.  You could try vinegar maybe?  I'm not familiar with the disorder you're citing, but would vinegar do the same?

[midnightwriter]

thanks for the reply! I hate the fumes, but they are not worse than the swimming pool. Of course the swimming pools are not ideal, but on the other hand, the kids need to learn how to swim...

HUGS re your son's eczema.

[kathymuggle]

DH has bad excema.  It was so bad at one point it looked like meat. I poured hydrogen peroxide on it repeatedly and it seemed to dry it up.  It did not cure it - but made it better.

Tea also dries stuff up and I cannot see that being bad.

Edited by kathymuggle - 8/10/11 at 8:25pm

[homemademom]

I've used bleach for one of my dd's with eczema. It didn't help and the fumes really made me nervous, so I haven't done it again.

However, we did get rid of my ds's molluscum contagiosum and it was amazingly fast (especially considering it had been going on for months). There were probably 15 of them on his chest and stomach.  I took a cotton ball, drenched it with white vinegar, rubbed it over the bump for a several seconds, then popped a small bandage over the top.  We did this after his shower at night. He slept with the bandaids on and sometimes took them off in the morning, but other times kept them on throughout the day. We'd re-do the treatment the next night. It literally took a week and a half. The bumps started to go away. Tey left a pitted indentation at first, but those have gone away, too. Try it!  I searched online and that's how I found out about it.  

[midnightwriter]

Thanks! I'm not even sure she has MC. This is what the dermatologist said, after her family dr had no clue what it was. But at the very least it is a very atypical case. It looks nothing like what I've found on line, and her leasions are almost always open, as she scratches them. So I can't imagine putting any vinegar on them.

Whatever it is, she's had it for over a year, some of it without treatment, some with prescribed creams. It would amost disappear, and then come back again. This time it seems to be going away for good, but I finally started combining the two different creams that were prescribed separately, one for her MC, and the other one was for a random rash that she got. That second cream got rid of the rash overnight. I'm not crazy that it is strong, but nothing has worked so far, and I'm using it only a littley, every other day. The results were quite dramatic.

[Ethelpea]

Among other things involving vitamin c that I did, I soaked my dd and ds in a vitamin c (used ascorbate acid) bath.  I can't remember what I used...1/2 cup per bath maybe.  Cleared after about 5-7 days.  I would also saturate paper towels in a asorbic acid solution and let them sit and watch tv with the paper towels wrapped around their legs and arms. 

It is also important to have them take the vitamin c to tolerance (loose stools).  I realize that can be very difficult to do with young children.  Personally, I mix the ascorbic acid in applesauce and orange or grape juice.

For what it is worth.