Playa Dust Burn - Advice Please!

suziwisey · Post by **suziwisey** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 1:54 pm

Hello lovely fellow burners

This year (2008) I participated at Burning Man for the very first time. I don't need to tell you how incredible it was. Just thinking about how that week has changed my life, and how it was easily the best week of my life, makes the hairs on my arms stand on end...

However, sadly, whilst wandering about the Playa, my bare legs reacted badly to the alkaline dust. By the night of the burn, my shins were all grazed and cut and looked as if I had scraped them badly on concrete or been dragged through a bush and caught them on the branches.

Thankfully they healed up pretty well within a week to 10 days and all was back to normal... or so I thought.

The last week or so (this is 4 months later, by the way) my shins have started to sting again and feel sore.

It could be completely unrelated, or it could just be my body pining for the playa knowing that I have 8 months before I see it again... but a small part of me is wondering whether I may have playa dust trapped under my skin as if my skin healed over the alkaline dust... (Do I sound completely crazy??? I can't quite believe I'm even writing this post!)

Anyway, I thought I'd put up a post in case anyone has any similar playa dust burn experiences and can offer some advice on what to do.

Thanks soooooooooo much,

Little Miss Suzi x

Post by **Elderberry** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 2:18 pm

I am not a doctor, but it sounds like they may be related, yet neither have anything to do with the playa dust.

If it were me, I'd see a dermatologist. Being this is winter and the air tends to be drier because of heating; my first guess is that it is related to dry air/skin; which is the common element with the playa. Try Nivia.

JK

fatal_GRACE · Post by **fatal_GRACE** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 2:43 pm

I think JKisha may be right. I had severe eczema when I was younger, and it has the same kind of symptoms, and is caused by dry skin.

Post by **AntiM** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 3:32 pm

MyLarry uses bag balm on the playa when his hands dry out badly. Couldn't hurt to see a specialist though.

BAS · Post by **BAS** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 4:27 pm

Well, all I had was what looked like a full foot case of athlete's foot, and a sinus infection acting much worse due to the desert. The "athlete's foot" cleared up in a couple days or so, and the sinus infection slowly went away with medication.

I'd say follow the advice of the folks above me: see a dermatologist! It couldn't hurt, and finding out what is causing it means you're that much closer to not having the problem again. (Hopefully.)

Post by **mdmf007** » Sat Dec 27, 2008 5:15 pm

Your skin is a remarkable organ and does a great job at keeping things out.

As skin grows from the inside out, shedding layers in the process it is unlikely anything would be "trapped underneath" for long. Ink from Tattooing is deposited in the deep tissue layers, and must be injected by thousands of needle pricks to get there but that in time will also fade, and given enough time be almost gone completely naturally.

Id say you have you may have one of the many sin conditions, but doubt it is related to the playa after this long. You can develop sensitivites when exposed though -

A dermatologist would be the best source of a diagnosis.

best of luck

suziwisey · Post by **suziwisey** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 4:04 am

Thank you so much for all the advice :)

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:04 am

Try vinegar. The pH buffers the pH of the dust.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:07 am

does "ph buffer" rhyme with "fluffer"?
that might be a good technique.........

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:15 pm

I've seen Playa Burn on some foreheads, much similar to Rug Burns on foreheads.....

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:31 pm

mdmf007 wrote: Id say you have you may have one of the many sin conditions,

I thought for sin conditions it was 15 Novenas.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 1:51 pm

ygmir wrote:does "ph buffer" rhyme with "fluffer"?
that might be a good technique.........

Are you going to pour vinegar on What Needs Fluffing?

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 3:04 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:
ygmir wrote:does "ph buffer" rhyme with "fluffer"?
that might be a good technique.........
Are you going to pour vinegar on What Needs Fluffing?

*doing the "pee-pee, wow, that's gotta hurt" dance*

just the thought of it..........yikes......

Simon of the Playa · Post by **Simon of the Playa** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 3:14 pm

morgellon's disease...

without a doubt.

hope you are'nt a hypochondriac.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 3:24 pm

I think I saw a hippo in the klondike on my trip......
does that count?

goathead · Post by **goathead** » Mon Dec 29, 2008 11:07 pm

ygmir wrote:I think I saw a hippo in the klondike on my trip......
does that count?

Did you leave home to see it?

klondike_bar · Post by **klondike_bar** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 12:33 am

ygmir wrote:I think I saw a hippo in the klondike on my trip......
does that count?

I just looked out the window, no hippos near me, let alone IN me....

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:39 am

well, then, I guess non of us are hippo-Klondikes, as suggested by Simon above......

Post by **mdmf007** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 8:59 am

Well?

whats the diagnosis?

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:03 am

cranio-rectal inversion

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:12 pm

ygmir wrote:cranio-rectal inversion

Green Wood · Post by **Green Wood** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 8:46 pm

fat extracted from two week old kittens mixed with fattened goose livers works best when rubbed into the skin then wrapped with heated moist chamois skin.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Tue Dec 30, 2008 10:37 pm

Nonsense. Two-week old kittens are all skin and bones.

RingO'Fire · Post by **RingO'Fire** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 7:26 am

It rubs the lotion on its skin!

Post by **mdmf007** » Wed Dec 31, 2008 9:18 am

[youtube][/youtube]

klondike_bar · Post by **klondike_bar** » Sat Jan 03, 2009 11:51 pm

I heard kittens....how do i get a perscription?

brcprincess · Post by **brcprincess** » Sun Jan 04, 2009 10:30 pm

You may have developed dermatitus or eczema as a result of your skin becoming irritated at BM. The cold, dry weather will cause additional irritation. I would see a dermatologist, but in the mean time, read this:

Moisturizing and Cleansing Key to Treating Atopic Dermatitis

When it comes to treating atopic dermatitis, dermatologists consider moisturizing and gentle cleansing to be indispensable. Yet, a recent survey revealed that 23% of adults living with atopic dermatitis say they do not do not apply moisturizer and 29% do not use a cleanser. The researchers also found that most of the people who participated in the survey wanted more information about moisturizers and cleansers.

Why is Moisturizing So Important?
Our skin is our barrier. It protects us from unseen invaders such as bacteria, viruses, and other potentially harmful organisms and toxins. Our skin also prevents us from losing large amounts of water. The outermost layer of skin, the stratum corneum, serves as our first line of defense. Some dermatologists call this our â€œbricks and mortar.â€

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:26 pm

Never have sex on the playa without a blanket

Post by **mdmf007** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 11:24 pm

Apollonaris Zeus wrote:Never have sex on the playa without a blanket

Not so bad if your on top.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 9:36 am

klondike_bar wrote:I heard kittens....how do i get a perscription?

You're a Cat Herder? You have my respect for such a difficult profession. I hear there was a Cat Herder camp last year, but only one person showed up.

Playa Dust Burn - Advice Please!

Playa Dust Burn - Advice Please!

Thanks...