Saturday, April 24, 2010

Can (or do) allergy shots dry your skin?

I started taking allergy shots about two months ago, and just recently--within the last week or so--I noticed that my face is very dry and "tight" feeling. I know that allergy pills (Benadryl in particular) can dry out the body, but can shots do the same thing? Let me know what you think. Thanks!

Can (or do) allergy shots dry your skin?
The allergy shots that I take are not medicine, but small amounts of the things I am allergic to to desensitize my body to them. These wouldn't or shouldn't have the same effect as antihistamines like Benadryl. Ask the doctor or nurse at your allergy office. The only time my face feels dry and tight is in the winter (in Ohio) when the humidity is very low. Is the humidity really low lately where you live? Are you using something different to clean your face? If you have allergies, there are always new things to get allergic to, unfortunately. So the cleanser you used on your face that used to be fine may now be causing a problem. When my son was a teenager, he bought some good ol' Noxzema for his face and immediately complained about it burning. His younger sister tried it and also complained. I washed my face with it (ah, it brought back memories of my youth...) and while the menthol in it was tingly, as soon as I rinsed and dried my face, it felt fine. I asked my kids if their faces were still burning, and they said they were, so I told them not to use it any more (duh.). The next time we were at the store, we found some Noxzema for sensitive skin that advertised it was Phenol-Free. Phenol was one of the chemicals my son had tested positive for, and obviously his sister was too, but not me.





You really have to put on your detective hat when you have allergies and sensitivities. Good luck!





Edit: As the other answerer said, it could also be that your system is just a little bit extra reactionary because of the shots, and that's why your usual cleanser might be irritating you.
Reply:yes, they can. the effect of the shots changes from person to person, but it does irritate the skin, because you getting an injection of something you're allergic to.


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