Seven year(s since the) itch

Shortly after I graduated from college and moved to New York, I developed a sporadic allergy whose cause eluded me for over a year. I have never been allergic to anything in my life - not pets, not pollen, not any food I had ever tried. But every few weeks or so, starting when I was 22, I would wake up in the morning with my eyelids swollen and patches on my jawline red and itchy.

This would happen for a few days in a row, in which the redness and tenderness would be puffy and swollen in the mornings, but throughout the day gradually decrease into dry, scaly skin. Sometimes the allergy would be noticeable only to me; other times I would have to stay home from work, embarrassed by the red patches and eyelids that drooped like the saggy baggy elephant. Some days it was merely frustrating; other days it was horrifying. I not-so-lovingly referred to my condition as "rash face," as in, "I can't leave the house today, I have rash face."

I went to my primary care physician about it, but he was of little help, suggesting I start taking certain items out of my diet to see if we could figure out what caused it. Having lived with the condition for a few months, at that point, though, I was pretty sure it wasn't food-related. That wouldn't have explained why the condition only presented itself in the mornings, and anyway, I hadn't changed my diet in years.

Finally, after one particularly bad episode, I made an appointment with a dermatologist. I didn't even have Rash Face by the time I went to see him, but he asked me a few questions and within five minutes of being in the office, he had correctly diagnosed the problem: nail polish.

Apparently after I moved to New York, I had switched top coats, to one with a particularly potent chemical. Also, apparently, I slept with my hands by my face at night, irritating the very sensitive skin around the eyes and neck. This perfectly explained not only why I would have problems in the mornings (and not during the day when my hands were away from my face) but also why the problem would come and go so seemingly randomly. After all, I didn't polish my nails every week - only when the mood struck, which could have been twice a week or twice a month.

Liberated by this knowledge, I went home, threw out all of my nail polishes, and, sure enough, never had the allergy again.

Until now.

Two weeks ago, I woke up in the morning with swollen, itchy eyes. The swelling went down by that night, but for the next three days, I recognized the familiar peeling, dryness, and sagging that meant the allergy was over and the skin was in the process of healing. A bit freaked out, because I haven't worn polish on my fingers in years, nor could I recall dipping my hands in chemicals before I went to sleep, I tried to monitor everything I put on my face and hands for the next few days. Nothing. Nothing new that I bought at the drugstore, no makep or face products I hadn't used before. I hadn't changed detergents or eaten anything exotic. After a week or so, I decided it must have been a one-time thing, and became more lax about monitoring my routine.

So of course when I woke up this morning and felt the corners of my eyes itching, it didn't surprise me to see that they were on the verge of getting puffy. I raced to the bathroom to wash off anything I might have put on the night before, but, if history is repeating itself and this was caused by my hands, then I know that most likely, the damage has already been done. Five hours later I sit here, wondering if the itch on my eyelids is real or psychosomatic, trying to remember if my lids were dry yesterday or if this is a new development.

Clearly, since I can't even decide whether my symptoms are real, the allergy isn't as dramatic as the one I had before. But it is just as frustrating. I use only skin care products from the company I work for, which are all natural; and while I know that people can be allergic to natural things, they are the same products I have used for months. (Well, I don't mean the exact same products, like from the same jar - that would be gross, and yes, likely irritating if dirt gets in there. Like normal, sanitary people, I use up one jar and buy another. And sometimes, even if the jar isn't done, I get another, because stuff just goes bad after a while.)

I don't think I touched any chemicals before I went to bed. I didn't scrub the bathtub or anything, although by the looks of it today, I'm thinking that's long overdue. In fact, all I really did yesterday evening was celebrate Quatro de Mayo at El Guapo for Happy Hour, came home and checked my email, and then went to bed at the embarrassingly early hour of 9:30 PM. I washed my hands and face before getting into bed, and had a very sound sleep until I woke up to the familar itch.

I'm praying I don't have to go through this process again. Although I will tell you two things I learned from the experience the first time. One, my fingernails have never looked better since I gave up polish and manicures seven years ago. Seriously, people think that polish strengthens the nails, but all those chemicals actually weakens them. My nails are harder, stronger, and longer than anyone else's I know. Two, I have the name of a GREAT dermatologist in New York. Not that that helps me now.