Re: fissures

[Guest guest]

Hi Joyce,

The crazy glue sounds like a good idea... I have used liquid bandaid

that way too, used it as a glue and then applied it around the crack

and then applied a piece of tape on top, pulling the crack together

so that it has worked as a steri-strip. Then I have also applied the

liquid bandaid on top of that too, to make it last longer. I am sure

that the crazy glue is much stronger and may be more effective,

especially if you also close it on top with strips.

But the most effective thing I have used, to make it really close up,

is the silver nitrate solution 2%. Then I apply a piece of DuoDerm or

other hydrocolloid bandaid on top of that. I usually put another

bandaid on top of that to protect the DuoDerm. The DuoDerm is

supposed to sit on for 5-7 days before you remove it. If you remove

it and find that it has closed up pretty well, it is time to sand the

skin down around it (if it is thickened) and apply another DuoDerm to

make it heal properly and prevent it from opening again. If you have

problems getting the DuoDerm to stay on, you can also use sports tape

on top of it, since that is much stronger and is able to take much

more of a good beating than a normal bandaid...

One thing though which I forgot to mention earlier... These cracks

often have some degree of infection/bacterial overgrowth. The Silver

Nitrate also works as a quite potent disinfectant, which is great.

But, if you have an obvious infection in the crack (often showing

itself by a yellowish or brown color within and on the edges of the

crack), it is not good to cover it up with DuoDerm or other bandaids.

You could end up worsening the infection. You should use something

else first to take care of the infection, e.g. swabbing with silver

nitrate and then covering with a compress with e.g. triple antibiotic

cream on it for a few days before really closing it. In many cases it

will actually both solve the infection and make the crack heal from

the bottom up by itself, because the silver nitrate etches the edges

of the crack so it becomes as a " fresh cut " , which allows it to heal.

What is it you call what they do if e.g. a cut or wound has been open

too long for them to just suture it? Irrigation? I guess that the

silver nitrate works a bit like that within the fissure...

I have had a lot of problems with cracks, especially where I have

psoriasis. I have only met one other person who had a lot of such

cracks, and he looked a lot like he had an atopic disposition too

(e.g. had atopic eczema earlier). They also get cracks easily. In my

case however, I am convinced that it has to do with my EDS, that my

skin is more fragile and cracks easier because of that...

Aase Marit

>I have really deep cracks on my heels. Sometimtes deep enough to

>bleed. My Plastic Surgeon suggested glueing them with Crazy glue. It

>works for awhile