MY SKIN has always been my weakest organ—hives, rashes, welts, acne, and itchy skin in reaction to foods, animal dander, chemicals, bug bites, and toxic fumes. So when I noticed patches of dry, rough, red skin on my lower torso in my early 50s, I accepted them as yet another sign of being oily above the neck and dry below. As the patches grew in size and number, I slathered on myriad flavors of lotions. Since no physician remarked about them during exams, I assumed there was no need to be concerned. In late 1999, I saw a dermatologist for a wart and asked about the patches. She offhandedly said … Continue reading
