dry skin after hip replacement op

July 3, 2015 3:33 AM

-all normal now except for the skin on the shin of the operated leg.

We help look after a lady who has had a hip replacement 2 months ago. Op was v successful -completely recovered now except for the skin on the shin of the operated leg. The skin is flaky and v dry. So far, have tried E45, body butters, Nivea, spray oil, coconut oil, almond oil, vaseline, and a few others. Skin continues to be extremely dry and flaky. Is there anything anyone would personally recommend that she could try and also use for maintenance purposes?

No itching, no allergies,no rash, on operated leg only, hypoallergenic mild cleanser used, clean flannel every time we wash, body scrub tried -didn't help. Doctors and physio have no suggestions beyond what we have tried.

Thanks.

posted by claptrap to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

Does the skin look tight and shiny in irregular patches even though it's dry and flaking? Sometimes my skin gets like that if I've been spending too much time in air conditioned (or centrally heated) buildings, not staying hydrated enough, and not getting enough vitamin D (the real kind, from the sun). The only thing that works for me in that case is to drink more water, spend more time outdoors, and gently exfoliate the problem areas with a wet washcloth or scrub it with sugar and water twice a day. It clears up after a few days.

If, otoh, the skin is just flaky and dry and not responding to re-hydration and moisturizing methods, she could have a candida overgrowth problem. How's her diet? There are some things you might want to try in this article.

FYI: I find jojoba oil works much better than the things you mentioned above; it seems to penetrate skin better, imo. Just make sure you get 100% jojoba oil like the Trader Joe's brand or similar.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 4:30 AM on July 3, 2015

Try the very thick CeraVe cream that comes in a tub.

It is my new wonder lotion for all things dry and sad.
posted by phunniemee at 5:02 AM on July 3, 2015

Oh, I remember that! I had absurdly and mysteriously dry skin on my lower abdomen a while after I had my gall bladder out, and it persisted for some months. It appears that this is some kind of mild post-surgical thing, or at least a lot of people complain on forums about dry skin after surgery. I used shea butter-based lotion right after showers or swimming when I remembered, but I didn't work very hard at consistency, and eventually it went back to normal all on its own.

But if it's not itching or red then it's basically a purely cosmetic issue and I wouldn't let it worry you too much.
posted by Andrhia at 5:30 AM on July 3, 2015 [2 favorites]

Not a post-surgical thing, but, I had an inexplicable dry patch of skin that regular moisturizer didn't seem to do anything for. I went to my dermatologist to find out if it was a fungal infection or something, but, it wasn't. I can't for the life of me remember what exactly she said was wrong (uric acid?), but, she gave me some Amlactin moisturizer and that cleared it up.
posted by oh yeah! at 5:58 AM on July 3, 2015

My wife says - this may sound strange, but Hawaiian Tropic Dark Tanning Oil. After an allergic reaction treated with way too much topical Benadryl, I had two dry skin patches on the backs of my knees that would not go away no matter what. For some weird reason - maybe I ran out of Vitamin E oil and it was the only oil left in my house - I tried a (then years-old) application of Hawaiian Tropic. It worked magic. I always have a bottle around now, even though I'm far more about sunblock than suntanning, and it does wonders for dry skin.
posted by ralan at 7:29 AM on July 3, 2015 [1 favorite]

I was just coming to say to try Amlactin lotion (it is 12% Lactic acid), applied twice a day, when I saw oh yeah! had also just suggested trying it. You can buy it at most pharmacies in the moisturizer section. I think you are in the U.K.? It should be available there, or something equivalent.

She should watch sun exposure on that leg though if she uses it, as Amlactin can make you more prone to sunburn. The Vitamin D recommendation is not a bad one either, but just be careful about sun exposure where you use the lotion. She can easily supplement with Vitamin D3 pills.
posted by gudrun at 7:34 AM on July 3, 2015

I have dry skin and am currently going through a lot of different carrier oils.

Here are some oils I've tried that's supposed to be nourishing: Argan, Rosehip,Sea Buckthorn, Tamanu, Pomegranate seed and Avocado oils. Some of these oils are on the thicker side e.g. avocado and should preferably be mixed with something lighter like sweet almond. Go for unrefined oils though they may be umm.. colorful (Avocado is dark green) and smell funky.

On the animal side, some swear by emu oil but I haven't tried it myself. In China and Japan, horse oil is popular for dry skin and all kinds of skin ailments. Not for vegans obviously. I find pure horse oil quite effective but it is quite expensive and can smell like animal fat if un-deodorized. The handmade ointment I'm using has lavender essential oil added to minimize the pong but it still stinks. YMMV

Anyway, you can buy the horse oil online here from Japan:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00AS7PGPY/
There's this Korean horse oil facial cream that's selling really well in China but it's a bit pricey so I haven't tried it myself.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00SIM9FYE/
posted by whitelotus at 8:08 PM on July 3, 2015

Response by poster: Many thanks to all of you for new ideas. Will be trying them all starting with the cheapest-sunshine on its own and water. A dermatologist-proper qualified hospital dermatologist-prescribed some oil which cost a bomb and did nothing-less than Nivea and Vaseline. No real rash but there are discolorations and funny bruises which move around. Surgeon says ok but who knows. Will report back with results. Thanks again.
posted by claptrap at 8:25 AM on July 5, 2015