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Three nights ago I noticed that after washing my hands they felt really sticky, almost like when you use the last paper towel on the roll and you get that glue residue on your hands. However, it wasn't the last paper towel so I figured maybe the liquid soap was really old and doing funky things so I rewashed with dish soap and again grabbed a paper towel. Once again, my hands got sticky as I dried them off. Thinking now that there was something wrong with these paper towels, I washed again and this time dried with a hand towel only to yet again find my hands sticky as they dried off. The stickiness only lasts 30-60 seconds, until the skin completely dries, but during that in-between time of soaking wet and totally dry they feel very tacky to the touch and my fingers will actually stick to each other.
The next day when I took a shower I noticed that the water was beading up on the skin on my arms. Sure enough, when I dried off afterwards I found that all of my skin is tacky to the thouch until it is completely air dried.
Today I shaved my legs and my skin felt almost like it had a layer of wax on it that kept catching the razor. The skin on my hands seems to be getting more sticky when they get wet. Water continues to bead on my skin when it gets wet. I asked my children if they can feel that my skin is sticky to the touch and they said yes.
This is affecting all of my skin now, including my face. I always put a moisturizer on my face after washing and it does not feel like my skin is absorbing it now, it just feels heavy and greasy since the lotion just sits there on top. I also tried putting lotion on my hands and it was not absorbed at all, just left my hands feeling very slimy and greasy so I wiped it off.
Has anyone ever experienced anything like this or have any suggestions for what might be causing it? Thanks for any held you can give.
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Add a Comment472 Comments
Hi Everyone,
I have this problem too and it started occurring just a few months. At first I though I'm just sweating a lot and that makes my skin sticky...but after a while I started feeling really uncomfortable with my sticky skin and it seems to get worse: I could actually get a whole plate to stick into my tummy while I'm standing up...and it the plate sticks for about a minute before it slowly peels off my skin.
One thing that relieves my symptoms is putting a lot of powder. I hope this helps someone. Put A LOT of power all over your body..I mean A LOT, like put a mountain full of power in your hand and rub it all in one arm, then do the same to other parts of your body. It's a huge relieve for me and I hope it helps someone too...
October 4, 2010 - 9:55amThis Comment
check you softner!!
October 10, 2010 - 6:53pmThis Comment
Hello again,
September 26, 2010 - 11:10amWould like to add to the following to anyone as this may help eliminate some factors...
I DON"T USE deodorant EVER and I don't really sweat, so these wouldn't apply... I have been using Eucerin for a while that have been on accutane as skin gets EXTREMELY dried out. Eucerin is a VERY STICKY lotion with Alpha Hydroxy ingredients which is a skin exfoliant. I am certain it has to do with this lotion as well. Everyone should check which lotions and shampoos as these are also absorbed into the body...and may reach certain toxic levels that manifest in certain skin reactions/disorders.
This Comment
Thank you for this information...I hope it helps other women!
Have you decided to stop using this lotion? If so, has it worked?
September 26, 2010 - 12:13pmThis Comment
I also have this sticky skin symptom. It started August 21st and still remains. It originally started with my hands when exposed to water would wrinkle and prune super fast and tiny holes like pores would appear but when I would remove my hands from water this would fade away after 20 minutes or so. August 21st my hand symptoms did not fade after showering and I looked this up and read it was called aquagenic wrinkling and read that it was associated with cystic fibrosis. I then became extremely anxious as I have hypochondria and anxiety, and began feeling I had cystic fibrosis and my hands and feet started to sweat uncontrollably.
My skin took on a new texture ever since my skin started sweating this way. The sweating has stopped (I was tested for CF and it was negative and have had other blood tests which all came back normal) although the sweating has stopped I have a stickiness that never washes off my hands and feet and it seems to be on my face now as well as behind my knees and the inside of the elbow, groin and my hair even feels waxy and rubbery though I'm not sure if this is because my hands feel this way and everything I touch feels rubbery now. It is like a rubbery feeling that worsens with water. For me, it never goes 100% away but if I air my hands out in the wind they feel slightly better but they still feel like there is a film or coating of stickiness on them. It does not wash off no matter what and it seems to be spreading.
All my doctors think it's all in my head, I have started therapy and am told its just sweat like I'm an idiot and I don't know what sweat feels like. This feels like my body was dipped in honey, like theres a thin coating of honey or jelly all over my hands, feet, face, etc. I can feel it on my lips, my lips feel waxy and I feel like its inside my mouth and I have these blister like bumps in my throat. I feel like this is even causing vaginal problems as well. I agree with someone that this feels like it can be almost internal.
This is driving me crazy, I have a lot of other symptoms such as bowel movement problems, weight loss problems, etc. All the doctors I've seen think it is my hypochondria but I KNOW my skin is not in my head. I can't stand this much longer, it is the worst feeling ever. I feel sticky and dirty every second all the time. I'm even afraid to come into contact with water. My eyelids feel sticky. Lotion doesn't blend into my skin, my foundation just sits on my skin. I don't know what to do anymore as doctors don't seem to be of much help.
Its not related to medications for me as this started before I was on any. I thought this was related to the sweating as I was sweating excessively and my original theory was that my skin on my hands and feet were affected from the excessive sweating but now that its on other areas of my body I don't think this is the case anymore.
My family doesn't believe me and its so frustrating to know there is something wrong but no one sees it/feels it/or believes you. One thing that I notice is different with my case from some other posts on here is that when people feel my skin they say it does not feel sticky. But it is, when I touch things it sticks.
I know I have sweating problems, I think I have hyperhidrosis and I have always suffered from sweaty palms and feet but never had this problem and its horrible. Could this be related to sweating? Does anyone else have sweating problems? I'm really worried this is related to a bigger underlying condition. I don't know what to do anymore. i just wish it would go away, I can't take this feeling much longer. I feel like its inside my mouth and spreading internally.
September 25, 2010 - 2:17pmThis Comment
I have ME/CFS and on a treatment to balance body chemistry. Suddenly once I suddenly started expelling awful smelling faeces (I think candida die off) my whole body has gone sticky. 24 hours a day. I wipe it off all day long wash twice a day but it comes straight back. I believe it is yeast related for sure. My problem is my face is so sticky over 5 months it's actually lost its defence and now feels doughy and leathery and all my pores are ruined. The skin has even gone stretchy.
December 1, 2011 - 11:27amThis Comment
Thanks for joining the group. It helps me so much to read your story so I know that I'm not alone. I have all of the 'exact' same symptoms as you and it drives me crazy every minute of everyday. If your friends & doctors read this blog they'll understand that you're not making it up. Try to stay calm because we are all going to help each other figure this out and get better, we just have to keep brainstorming. I still think it could be an allergy to mold in the house, but I'm not sure yet. It's interesting that you mentioned sweating problems. It makes me wonder even more if this stickiness could be related to thyroid function as I've read that hyperthyroidism is one of the known causes of hyperhidrosis. Thyroid function is the most overlooked medical condition by doctors. Have you had thyroid testing or are you on medication for it? I just got a diagnosis for hypothyroidism. Most doctors only do a TSH test, but the range is so broad that they brush it off and tell you you're fine as your within the range. You have to ask for a T3 & T4 blood test to get a clear diagnosis. My doctor just tested mine and found out that my thyroid is underactive. I can't wait to find out if the medicine is going to help me with the stickiness once my system gets back in balance. Check this out... http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic/. I have many of the symptoms on this list. If you google thyroid symptoms you'll find even more, including skin problems & recurrent infections. Let me know what you think!
September 25, 2010 - 6:44pmThis Comment
I was tested for thyroid function with just the TSH which was normal and I looked at the link you gave and most of my symptoms don't seem to fall into that category, though it is possible I suppose. I want to believe its due to sweating because I've never had this problem before until I started sweating uncontrollably and then the texture like I said changed and never returned even after the sweating stopped. I hope its just an allergy to something. I mentioned to my doctor about mold and he said he doubts it, but I know he jsut thinks theres nothing wrong with me at all other than my mind. When i mentioned yeast/candida, he just laughed and said thats all a hoax and the only people who have that are already so sick and not walking around and are in hospitals. He claims its all a scam and the only people who do get yeast overgrowth are people with aids or serious immune problems which i dont know what to believe. I have a lot of the symptoms of yeast overgrowth but then again there are so many for it and they are all so vague almost anyone could have some. I used to see a homeopathic doctor and I kinda felt it was boderline scammy but at the same time felt like he was more sensitive to my feelings and didn't just think i was nuts and felt it was all nutrition related. (This was for a previous problem, as I said i have hypochondria and in the past have thought Ive have many diseases). But this hand stickiness is realy, i know it, as everyone else on here seems to have it. I also have these bumpsin my throat and on my tonsils and i can feel them there, went to the ER, they did nothing but a strep culture which was negative, saw my primary care doctor and he just said he didn't know what he he was lookng at. They seem to flare but worse at times but are always there. and i have a strange taste in my throat and i have less spit it seems, I feel like it is related to my skin because my lips have it and they feel waxy so every time i lick my lips and et or drink i feel like it moved to my throat. I have all this white junk inside my throat too that im told is just mucus/saliva but it seems like theres way too much. Maybe i'm just being paranoid. but I know something is going on. im really freaking out about it and I cant stand it for much longer, i hate being n my body. this is such an awful feeling and on top of it no one believes you so how do you get help for it? I don't know whatto do anymore, it just keeps getting worse and worse. I worry about MS now as people cant seem to feel my skin. but my doctors don't really want to bother wtih me anymore except for therapy. But i know therapy isnt the solution to this problem.
September 26, 2010 - 4:49amThis Comment
I just made a new observation though I'm not sure how helpful it will be and if its even for real or not but I noticed after wetting my feet when I felt my toes and the bottoms of my feet they felt kind of rubbery and sticky but then I realized my feet have always kind of felt this way I suppose after a shower or even after I took off a pair of boots i've been wearing for hours. So this brings back my theory of sweat, like I said my feet ad palms have always sweated but more so my feet especially since they are most of the time locked up in socks and some restricting and unbreathable boot.Maybe this is related to excessive sweating? I know I never had this happen to my hands until I was sweaty uncontrollably and there were a bunch of times I had all over body sweats. Maybe something gets messed up from there? or left on your skin? I don't know. But does anyone else sweat a lot? I'm not saying the sweating is the underlying condition, maybe theres something that makes you sweat so excessively but in my case I think my sweating was from severe anxiety as once I got my test results for what I was fearing I had it subsided though the rubbery feeling did not. I don't know if its just like a lasting effect or what not...I don't know al I know is that I vaguely remember my feet always feeling this way after water contact and I know my feet ALWAYS sweat and always have my whole life.
September 26, 2010 - 5:24amThis Comment
I don't have the sweating problem so I'm not sure about that, but I have the same yeast symptoms as you and I've been on the Candida diet for months. Get 'THE YEAST CONNECTION' book and you won't feel alone. Unless you see an MD who also practices alternative medicine or a Candida specialist, doctors will think your nuts because they are clueless. My sticky skin started after I used Secret Clinical Strength Deodorant, and it spread to my entire body and it hasn't gone away. With the help of scf500, I got the allergy testing & found out I'm allergic to Sodium Benzoate & Colophony/Cellulose which is in most deodorants/shampoos/toothpaste, etc. I have the terrible stickiness on my lips everyday, my throat is always sore, my mouth is always slimy and my tongue has a white coating on it. I don't have the bumps in my throat that I know of, but it makes me wonder if we're having an allergic reaction to our toothpaste??? Most toothpastes contain harsh chemicals that you mop floors with. I'm switching to Tom's Natural Toothpaste to see if it helps me. I now think yeast or thyroid is the underlying factor because they both cause allergy issues, and I've never had allergies in my life until now. My only other thought is that maybe we have a bacterial/viral infection causing the stickiness. I have horrible pelvic pain daily... I have an elevated amount of E. Coli in my urine & vag cultures, but it's resistant to the antibiotics I've tried. Is there any chance you could get another culture of the bumps in your throat?? If I had the bumps, I'd try to find out. Most doctors only have bacterial culture swabs in their office to check for strep so you have to ask for viral testing also. Most gyn's test for both... maybe yours could culture your throat for you?? I'm curious to see what you find out because it could help me too. However, it could be an allergic reaction to toothpaste rather than a scary infection. Thanks!
September 26, 2010 - 8:23amThis Comment