Improved
6112 HealthChanged
3786 LivesSaved
3568 Lives0 lives impacted in the last 24 hrs Learn More
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.
All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.
Add a Comment472 Comments
I HAVE SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION HERE...
I just got this syndrome yesterday for the first time, so i can tell you all as much as possible about what led up to it...
BACKGROUND... I am NOT on any medication, drugs, or any unusual foods, however, i am supposed to be taking synthroid since i am a bit low, but i am bad about taking things, so i haven't in about a month. I don't eat a lot of meat, but i am not a vegan, so i generally eat 'typical' food.
I was doing lawn work. I handled soil, organic manure, a garden hose that had been sitting in the garage, some organic orange cleaner, vinegar, and i got very wet. Also, i was working under a tree that i just discovered has a fungal issue. While i was wet, i rubbed my left eye to get the water out that had sprayed into it.
I got what i thought was a bug bite on my arm--i was scratching at it, so i went inside and put some hydrogen peroxide on it and then just washed the area with anti-bacterial soap that we keep i the kitchen. When i wiped, i was sticking to the paper towels, and when i touched my hands together, they stuck like tacky glue. Yes, it freaks you out! I tried washing again two more times, but when dry, my skin felt a bit rubbery, the water felt weird on my skin...oily like, and then the stickiness when damp. After dry, no sticky. So, mine is surely the same thing.
My eye that i rubbed also has it, but the other one doesn't. Therefore, mine is certainly a topical version. I suspect from reading on here that there are at least two kinds--topical and internal, and my experience should prove that.
I read through what you all have said, and thank you all for sharing -- it really helped me find out quickly what i was dealing with. Thinking it was probably related to fungus or something like that, i got some Desinex (sp?) shampoo and not only shampooed with it, but washed my body with it. I noticed some improvement, but i was using the version with conditioner (don't they sell the other kind anymore?), so i'm not sure if the conditioner got in the way or if it just wasn't good enough on its own.
I then washed with my regular soap (i use safeguard), and suddenly my hands started shedding skin and my fingers wrinkled up as they absorbed the water like they normally do. I was ecstatic! I then washed all the rest of my body with my soap--including my hair. I was optimistic i was going to have a solution to the topical version, and was all ready to tell you all the good news. But after i dried off, i noticed parts of my skins still had that rubbery feel -- although much reduced.
Unlike you guys, i DO notice a difference in my skin appearance. The area affected is shiny, and has an iridescence very similar to that on fish scales. It's very subtle, so i'm not surprised you guys didn't notice, but a dermatologist certainly should have! What makes it most obvious on me is that i have the one eye with it and the other eye without, so i can compare. See if any of you notice that.
Also, initially, i had noticed the skin on my palms had turned very pale (i am caucasian). Because of that, i wondered if i had gotten a chemical burn. So, i used a moisturizer, but it didn't seem to make any difference, and may actually have made it slightly worse. If this IS fungal, moisture would indeed make it worse. I tried some ice in case it's a low-grade burn, but as expected, didn't notice any effect.
I know as a fact that it started yesterday. I know it had to relate to one of those items i came in contact with.
Anyway...i don't have a definitive answer for us, but this info should help, as it is very specific. Hopefully, some of you can find similarities so we can identify a pattern.
I am going to make an appointment with a dermatologist and see if i can get anywhere myself.
NOTE -- i just ran outside to put out the garbage, and noticed that my skin started cracking and shedding again. I wonder if UV light has an affect? I will report back as soon as i have any additional info. I don't know how long it will be before i can get in to see a doctor, but i will tell you all what happens. Keep up your hopes, and be vigilant.
Best wishes,
capt flint
August 19, 2010 - 9:14amThis Comment
Please keep us updated if you are able to have a medical evaluation from a dermatologist, as it sounds like many people would like to know the causes of this condition.
Best of luck, and we'll keep searching for answers, too!
August 19, 2010 - 1:58pmThis Comment
UPDATE!!!!
I already have an appointment for monday, Aug 23, with a dermatologist. This guy is part of a hospital and very busy, so i'm surprised it's that soon -- i wonder if he had a cancellation. whatever...i'm so glad it's this soon.
But i DO have another update!!!! Remember i mentioned going outside and the UV light? Well... we have been having lots of sun here, so i washed my face and hands again with the salicylic (sp?) acid shampoo, and followed that with my soap, and then went outside and sat with my palms open and my closed eyes to the sun. I didn't stay all that long (maybe 15 min), as an experiment, and because i have neighbors and i looked a little weird holding my palms out. LOL
Well...it WORKED!!! So i went out and "sunbathed" for another 20 minutes in the afternoon with the very direct, hot sun, and it's so, so obviously better!!!! Again, i don't know if it's the acid shampoo, the soap, the UV light, or a combination of those, but the UV HAS to be a key since it was so quick to help it. And since fungus and mold is usually sensitive to UV, that would also make sense.
The trouble is... for those of you with an INTERNAL trigger... is the stickiness due to the same cause, or is the skin just being put into a similar condition to cause that stickiness? Either way...SOMEONE has to know (or be able to easily find out) what makes our skin sticky and then deal with the underlying cause. This is something that could be seen under a microscope, so i can't imagine it being rocket science!!
Now, mine's not completely gone, but only the tips of my fingers and the edge around my hands is sticking. Unfortunately, i guess my eyelid was still a bit stuck, or for some reason it had different effect, because my eyelid got worse. I think it somehow wasn't totally exposed to the sunlight. The way it got worse was sort of a relief and a panic--as the skin has now split there just like it does with athlete's foot. I have now used Lotramin (sp?) on the eyelid (don't try this at home!) -- VERY CAREFULLY -- so i wouldn't get it in my eye (had to keep reminding myself not to rub when it felt odd), and it does look better today, so i think it's related to athlete's foot fungus. But since i have this lotion on it, i don't know if the stickiness is still there or not.
But now, i am beginning to worry about not having enough symptoms left for my doctor to see and diagnose (horrible dilemma). I am paranoid about the eyelid because it is a fairly extreme split, and being there on the eye, i refuse not to treat it if i think it's working. However, i need him to see my symptoms.
Therefore, i am now going to stop all my home remedies on my hands and if it wants to start spreading back, i will let it--so i will have enough to show the doc. No matter what, i am going to bring the info about this disease to him and insist that he diagnose what i have. He is with a huge hospital, so he should have a lot of knowledge and contacts to help us.
stay tuned...
capt flint
August 21, 2010 - 9:43amThis Comment
Thanks for posting capt flint. What I find interesting is the two types. Mine is definitely internal and when my skin is dry, it seems completely normal. Also when it is wet. It's only when damp that it's sticky. I see nothing on my skin and it's the same everywhere on my body. The dermatologist didn't see anything either, but he also knew nothing about it, so who knows. I guess we'll have to keep exploring. This seems to be the best website for staying in touch.
August 19, 2010 - 10:31amThis Comment
Hi -
Please keep in mind that the differences i see are EXTREMELY SUBTLE, yet they are definitely there. That means, if you have had this for a while, you may not realize the difference. If i didn't have the sticky problem, i most likely would never have noticed or paid attention to those other symptoms. And then i VERY carefully inspected my skin to try to figure out what was going on.
The stickiness is extreme and scary, while these other issues i noticed need close inspection -- they aren't obvious.
Given how sticky my hands and eyelid are, i find it almost impossible to believe that your doctor couldn't see the skin sticking and be concerned about it!!! I mean...even a casual observer can see the skin sticking, and if there's only moisture on the skin, it shouldn't stick!!! Your doctor could have given you soap to wash two or three times (like i did when i first thought i had something stuck on me), and then he could have tested the skin when you first wiped and surely would have seen it. If you washed that many times, there is NO WAY you could have had any residue left on you, so your skin should slide like normal skin.
doctors!!!! bleh!
yes, this does look to be the best place to stay in touch. I looked at a couple of the other sites, but even though they had some very informative posts, they mainly had people who thought it was all in our minds or thought we didn't know the first thing about our bodies or about fungus. Again...in case anyone here isn't aware... water HELPS fungus growth (is why athlete's foot fungus is so prevalent at pool sites). So, you can shower all you want with normal soap, and you end up with it SPREADING after a shower.
This stuff is truly acting like a fungus. And i DO believe i am getting to the bottom of it already. Hang in there...
capt flint
August 21, 2010 - 9:02amThis Comment
If it is mold, how can you remove it from your skin? You would think right out of shower would be clean right? Is it growing on our skin?
July 31, 2010 - 5:20amThis happened to me first time this year. I live in central NY and it has been extremely hot and humid. I have been running the AC constantly. I likened it to that, but I should feel clean right out of the shower and my skin feels sticky. Then I started having issues with my water softener. I have a well for my water. When this softener has issues I notice soap scum in the shower build up quickly (several days) my feet will feel tacky to the tub floor. This is also when my skin feels tacky/sticky. The soap is not being rinsed completely from my skin. I am trying to fix this softener but may end up replacing it and should notice immediately a difference. Having hard water can interfere with soaps and how they work. Just because you have a municipal water source you can still have hard water and it fluctuates. This is my direction, hope it may help some. S
This Comment
Hi All, I have followed posts and found that some have similar symptoms and conditions that may be related. I will share my results, although I changed many things at once and cannot pinpoint an exact cause and fix, readers here may be able to use this information.
May 30, 2011 - 6:09amI flushed and sanitized (with chlorine) my well and water softener. I was using potassium instead of salt (diet/health reasons) so I switched back to the sodium in the softener. Within a week my sticky skin feeling was gone. My soap is dial white. Hair products are a mix form Aussie shampoo to Johnson and Johnson, so this does not seem to be a factor for me.
I don't believe this to be a skin alone issue because of the soap film build up i had in the tub. I believe it was a water issue.
I am coming up on the time of year when it happened last year so i will keep everyone posted to see if this reoccurs.
I hope this may give some a direction, don't take your water for granted.
This Comment
I am a house cleaner. one of my clients complained of sticky towels sticky bedsheets and sticky body after washing until dry. as soon as they became moist again sticky still. I am checking on her water. I put my hands under the faucet and grabbed a paper towel and it actually adhered to my hand. will try to comment after finding out some facts on water.
July 23, 2010 - 5:33pmThis Comment
Hi Twig,
What kind of moisturizer are you using? Check the label to see if there is any petrolatum or mineral oil fillers in it. Mineral oil can act like a liquid seran wrap and the molecules are too large to penetrate the skin which may be causing that stickiness when your skin is wet. Try using a moisturizer without any mineral oil from now on. Good luck! Pam
July 11, 2010 - 3:36pmThis Comment
I'm so glad I found this website, I thought I was imagining things! I was visiting family this weekend and when I showered, the skin on my arms felt SO sticky! At first I thought it may have been their soap or water, but tonight I showered at home and my skin felt the same! It's just on my arms - but they feel sticky to the point that it feels like there's syrup or something on them. My skin also feels really tight and the water just beads up on the surface. It's only when I'm in the shower, and once I dry off my skin feels totally normal. I was hoping to find SOMEONE that has figured out what their cause is, but at least it's nice to know that I'm not alone in this bizarre situation! If anyone figures it out, please post! I'll do the same!
July 6, 2010 - 1:12amThis Comment