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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
The part affected was on the palm of my foot. It was only sticky after I came out of the shower. The post made on March 19, 2010 - 3:34pm was me. No meds, no stress, no major temperature changes since March. I thought another reader posted that his/hers went away too .I can't find it now though :/
Chris
June 2, 2010 - 2:56pmThis Comment
After reading this a while ago, I didn't bother going to the doctor because I knew he would have no idea. I had that ONLY when my skin was wet. Everything was back to normal when it dried. It lasted for about 1.5-2 months. Now it is gone. Disappeared as sudden as it came. No idea what it was. Wish you all the best and, don't worry.
June 2, 2010 - 2:41pmThis Comment
That's interesting anon. You're the first person I've heard of that had it go away like that. Was there anything different when it came or went away? Any meds? Environmental anything? Stress? Anything at all you can pin it on? Did you have it when your skin was really wet, like in the shower, or only when damp?
June 2, 2010 - 2:49pmThis Comment
That is bazaar! I went out for a hard bike ride the other day. While i was cooling down, sitting on my back deck, I noticed the sweat was making my skin feel slimy! I rubbed my head and it felt all slimy. I took a shower and still felt all over my body, this slimy film. Now 3 days later, I still feel it!! It almost feels like I am sweating differently! My hands feel sticky all the time! When I'm in the shower, the soap now feels more slippery than before! My wife thinks I'm nuts!! Waht has happened to me??
June 2, 2010 - 1:27pmThis Comment
Hi Anon - It sounds similar to what I have, except that when dry, my skin feels normal. It's only when it's damp that it feels sticky, but not really slimy, and that includes sweating - feels sticky then too. It has been reported as a side effect of some meds, so if you're taking anything, that may be the cause. I've been to several doctors, including a dermatologist, who had no idea what to do. The dermatologist had heard of it, but had never seen it. But we'll keep looking!
June 2, 2010 - 2:03pmThis Comment
Do any of you live in newly built homes or near an area where the dirt is being disturbed? Serratia marcescens is an anarobic, gram negative bacteria that is often disturbed by construction, distributed in the air, and then colonizes you water system. We have been struggling with this problem for about 3 years now & we have many of the same symptoms as the rest of you: "sticky" skin when it's wet, persistenet sinus & vaginal infections, smelly clothing & hair, etc... We first noticed it when we had "rust" streaks in our toilet tanks. We also have pink or red rusty colored stains on our shower curtains and showerheads. It is not rust in the water or hard water, it is Serratia marcescens. Google "how to shock a water heater" to help you combat the bacteria. We have to do this about once a month to keep the bacteria under control.
April 18, 2010 - 6:02pmThis Comment
Do you have a well? This sounds like iron bacteria in your toilets and serratia marcescens on your shower curtain. I have sticky skin. My well has not been treated in 7 years which leads me to believe the stickiness is from the iron bacteria that forms on the pump, although I am paying close attention to cutaneous adherence syndrome as I also have a foul taste and smell which could be related to yeast. For whatever reasons some of us over produce yeast and stress seems to be a big factor.
August 1, 2011 - 4:14amThis Comment
I have the exact same 'sticky skin' symptoms that you mentioned, as well as the pink colored residue in my shower, toilet, etc. and I live in a newly built home. Thanks for providing this information! I recently started getting a bumpy rash on my face, arms, back & stomach too. Did you have those symptoms as well?? I'm going to get the hot water heater flushed immediately. Did you take an antibiotic for it or use any creams to kill the bacteria... if so which ones?? I think Serratia Marcescens is resistant to many antibiotics. Please advise ASAP so I can talk to my doctor and get some relief. Thank you!
August 26, 2010 - 9:00pmThis Comment
I don't think there's anything wrong with your skin. It's more likely that you get "soft water" from the faucet and you just haven't noticed it until now. Apparently soft water can leave a "sticky" residue on your skin. The doctors shrug because this is not a medical problem.
April 4, 2010 - 3:08amThis Comment
The previous two messages are interesting but not really related. Acquired cutaneous adherence, or sticky skin syndrome, is a disease in the medical books, although very rare. There's no waxy feeling on the skin and the skin feels normal when dry or when wet, like in the shower. The only time it's sticky is when it's damp, like after you dry your hands and it's nearly dry, but still a little damp, that's when it's sticky. A minute later, when completely dry, the stickiness disappears and all seems normal. Or when sweating lightly.
April 4, 2010 - 5:02amThis Comment