What is HS ?
I am going to try and explain what HS is in everyday terms. It will be very generalized and as simple as possible. I will be posting links to images of HS stored off of Facebook. I cannot post them here as some people will consider them offensive. If you have a weak stomach and easily take offense do not follow the links they are extremely graphic. A disclaimer will be shown the first time you visit the images. That being said for anyone who has HS if you wish to use my images to explain the condition to your family and friends please do so. I am not shy. I am fighting for awareness and if my images contribute to that awareness then good. So here we go.
Hidradenitis Suppurativa or as we call it HS is considered a rare skin condition with no cure or dependable treatment. It can also be called Acne Inversa and Verneuil's disease. It is not acne nor is it related to acne so although family and friends try to be helpful by suggesting acne treatments they do not work on HS.
For most of us nothing works to control the disease. I wish to also make it clear that HS is not contagious.
HS affects the hair follicles causing them to plug. As a result sweat and other bodily fluids build up and form pockets of fluid under the skin. These pockets or lesions can be the size of a pea or as large as a grapefruit. They cause extreme pain and pressure often pressing on nerves. These grow larger until they burst or are lanced and drained. They tend to reform over and over again in the same areas causing a build up of scar tissue. They also tunnel under the skin often connecting different lesions. It is common for a person with HS to push on one area and have drainage appear in another.
This condition is extremely painful having been listed as one of the top 10 most painful conditions. It restricts a persons mobility, destroys their confidence and makes them hermits. The fluid that is draining often smells quite badly. People with HS tend to have multiple showers a day and yet they still feel unclean and fear people can smell them.
Many people go years without seeing a doctor because they are embarrassed. Since HS tends to affect the most intimate parts of a persons body speaking out is often difficult to do. Often when a person finally does go to a doctor they are misdiagnosed, told it's ingrown hairs, they are not clean enough. they are shaving wrong, it's acne, etc etc etc. This only contributes to making them feel worse and becoming more and more of a hermit.
The disease continues to progress and spreading to different areas of the body. Common areas for HS to develop are the underarms, bust, buttocks, groin, base of the neck. It can also develop on the back, stomach, face, top of the head and anywhere that hair follicles exist.
Current methods of treatment include years of antibiotics which may work for a little while but frequently do nothing except harm the patient with all their side effects. Accutane and other retinoids used for acne are often prescribed. Again these do very little. Since HS is possibly an autoimmune condition doctors are now prescribing humira and remicade. There has been some success with these medications but they are extremely expensive and out of the reach of the average person cost wise especially since most are disabled and unable to work by the time these drugs are needed. Also once you stop taking them the disease comes back worse and after time they do loose their effectiveness. Surgery is often used as a last resort with large areas of skin removed and either grafts used or the area allowed to heal with skin regrowing slowly. Even then the disease will return sometimes while the person is healing.
Recent studies have uncovered 3 genes involved in Familial HS. This also hints at the fact that there may be multiple types of HS. There is just not enough research being done mostly because it is not profitable for the large drug companies to do so.
People with HS become easily depressed. Don't let the doctors fool you. HS can kill. People have committed suicide from despair, having reached a point where they cannot take the pain and lack of understanding anymore. We are also highly susceptible to infections including cellulitus which can kill. lastly we face a much higher risk of some forms of skin cancer because of the damage being done to our skin. I personally know of several people with HS who have died of cancer.
Well that is as simple as I can put it. I hope you now understand. If you wish to know more about HS read the posts in this group, google HS or find a blog. The information is out there. I caution you to watch the dates of any articles you read as there is a lot of misinformation out there even being put out by the medical community.
Thank you for taking the time to read this document below I will post the graphic links which will further show you what HS is capable of. If you would like to help please reshare this document or copy and paste this link....
https://www.facebook.com/groups/hsfaces/doc/469275929828019/
Teri Kirkman
Image of HS in the armpit - http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VvMr_CP1ti0/UU9xnMRVJ6I/AAAAAAAAISA/pkpMwJie3KI/s1600/two.JPG
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gjuz6bC6C-A/TwNVBG1ygTI/AAAAAAAAHzQ/u3iaVyCHFFk/s1600/left+arm.JPG
HS on the breast - http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TX3dofdpJGo/TcnRT-a59JI/AAAAAAAAHTI/xjpmUDpnnI8/s1600/left+breast+underside.jpg
Image of HS progression in the groin area - http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0RfuaEaw_2I/UB8NgItMxlI/AAAAAAAAH1s/Deum5FUypPI/s1600/3yrsofhs.jpg
HS on the stomach - http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vvY2VyH17r0/TcnRVNHfR8I/AAAAAAAAHTU/1oA8iAzfHWs/s1600/march+021.jpg
Cellulitus - http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CGX17-6mkJs/TcnRV22XVZI/AAAAAAAAHTc/XQXPNxf6v0U/s1600/new+017.jpg
My blog - http://tjkorri.blogspot.ca/
Hidradenitis Suppurativa or as we call it HS is considered a rare skin condition with no cure or dependable treatment. It can also be called Acne Inversa and Verneuil's disease. It is not acne nor is it related to acne so although family and friends try to be helpful by suggesting acne treatments they do not work on HS.
For most of us nothing works to control the disease. I wish to also make it clear that HS is not contagious.
HS affects the hair follicles causing them to plug. As a result sweat and other bodily fluids build up and form pockets of fluid under the skin. These pockets or lesions can be the size of a pea or as large as a grapefruit. They cause extreme pain and pressure often pressing on nerves. These grow larger until they burst or are lanced and drained. They tend to reform over and over again in the same areas causing a build up of scar tissue. They also tunnel under the skin often connecting different lesions. It is common for a person with HS to push on one area and have drainage appear in another.
This condition is extremely painful having been listed as one of the top 10 most painful conditions. It restricts a persons mobility, destroys their confidence and makes them hermits. The fluid that is draining often smells quite badly. People with HS tend to have multiple showers a day and yet they still feel unclean and fear people can smell them.
Many people go years without seeing a doctor because they are embarrassed. Since HS tends to affect the most intimate parts of a persons body speaking out is often difficult to do. Often when a person finally does go to a doctor they are misdiagnosed, told it's ingrown hairs, they are not clean enough. they are shaving wrong, it's acne, etc etc etc. This only contributes to making them feel worse and becoming more and more of a hermit.
The disease continues to progress and spreading to different areas of the body. Common areas for HS to develop are the underarms, bust, buttocks, groin, base of the neck. It can also develop on the back, stomach, face, top of the head and anywhere that hair follicles exist.
Current methods of treatment include years of antibiotics which may work for a little while but frequently do nothing except harm the patient with all their side effects. Accutane and other retinoids used for acne are often prescribed. Again these do very little. Since HS is possibly an autoimmune condition doctors are now prescribing humira and remicade. There has been some success with these medications but they are extremely expensive and out of the reach of the average person cost wise especially since most are disabled and unable to work by the time these drugs are needed. Also once you stop taking them the disease comes back worse and after time they do loose their effectiveness. Surgery is often used as a last resort with large areas of skin removed and either grafts used or the area allowed to heal with skin regrowing slowly. Even then the disease will return sometimes while the person is healing.
Recent studies have uncovered 3 genes involved in Familial HS. This also hints at the fact that there may be multiple types of HS. There is just not enough research being done mostly because it is not profitable for the large drug companies to do so.
People with HS become easily depressed. Don't let the doctors fool you. HS can kill. People have committed suicide from despair, having reached a point where they cannot take the pain and lack of understanding anymore. We are also highly susceptible to infections including cellulitus which can kill. lastly we face a much higher risk of some forms of skin cancer because of the damage being done to our skin. I personally know of several people with HS who have died of cancer.
Well that is as simple as I can put it. I hope you now understand. If you wish to know more about HS read the posts in this group, google HS or find a blog. The information is out there. I caution you to watch the dates of any articles you read as there is a lot of misinformation out there even being put out by the medical community.
Thank you for taking the time to read this document below I will post the graphic links which will further show you what HS is capable of. If you would like to help please reshare this document or copy and paste this link....
https://www.facebook.com/groups/hsfaces/doc/469275929828019/
Teri Kirkman
Image of HS in the armpit - http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VvMr_CP1ti0/UU9xnMRVJ6I/AAAAAAAAISA/pkpMwJie3KI/s1600/two.JPG
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gjuz6bC6C-A/TwNVBG1ygTI/AAAAAAAAHzQ/u3iaVyCHFFk/s1600/left+arm.JPG
HS on the breast - http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TX3dofdpJGo/TcnRT-a59JI/AAAAAAAAHTI/xjpmUDpnnI8/s1600/left+breast+underside.jpg
Image of HS progression in the groin area - http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0RfuaEaw_2I/UB8NgItMxlI/AAAAAAAAH1s/Deum5FUypPI/s1600/3yrsofhs.jpg
HS on the stomach - http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vvY2VyH17r0/TcnRVNHfR8I/AAAAAAAAHTU/1oA8iAzfHWs/s1600/march+021.jpg
Cellulitus - http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CGX17-6mkJs/TcnRV22XVZI/AAAAAAAAHTc/XQXPNxf6v0U/s1600/new+017.jpg
My blog - http://tjkorri.blogspot.ca/
