Skin's PH Changed?

Hi all, I'm 8 weeks post op tomorrow. I returned to work on February 4. I work with food all day and have to wear food handling gloves, of which we have 3 different kinds, Latex with powder, latex with no powder, and then just basic baggy-type plastic gloves. About 3 days into work I noticed the skin on the backs of my hands becoming red/raw by the end of the day...at home the redness clears up but they are extremely dry, to the point of being flaky. Do you think the absence of my uterus has caused such a chemical change in my body that I'm all of a sudden getting a reaction to these gloves? I've never had trouble with them before, and change them constantly throughout the day.

I am not sure if your PH has changed but it sounds like you could be Latex Allergic. My daughter is and they say that the more you have surgery the more likely it is to show up. My daughter has had 26 surgeries so we stay far away from it. You could have never had it before but as much latex as we come into contact with during surgery it is more likely that you will have a reaction. I suggest you call your regular DR. I have noticed that I have drier skin since surgery so i put lotion on 2 or 3 times a day now.

It sure does sound like a latex allergy. It is very common. It is caused by the talc on the gloves. When you put the gloves on some of the talc/with latex is areosolized and you breath it in. Over time the allergy develops. Surgeons wipe the talc off the gloves prior to operating to prevent allergies formed from surgery.

Hi I also work with food in a bakery I will be returning to work Wed Feb.23rd That will be 6 weeks post op for me. Anyways I don't use gloves much because they cause my hands to sweat and it get's worse. But I have a problem with dry hands especially in the winter. It is caused by constantly washing and drying my hands all the time etc etc Nothing helps for me except not working and steroid cream the steroid cream will heal it overnight and then when I go back to work it comes back. I have severe dry hands though even before my surgery.

But I noticed after my surgery all my skin got severely dry my face was horrible I wouldn't even wash it with soap and white flakes would just scale off. I put cetaphil cream all over my face and it still was dry and flakey the only thing that worked and made my face feel hydrated was aloe vera.

I go back to work in 2 days and I'm thinking that my dry hands is going to be a much bigger problem now.

Ihad everything removed ovaries cervix too. I started HRT right out of the hospital. I have been taking extra vitamin E hopefully to help with the dryness of my skin. I know to that drinking alot of water or more water hydrates your skin also but I drink plenty of water.

I hope all turns out well for you. You may be allergic??? May not I noticed a big difference in my skin right after surgery. Advice was given to me to get on HRT but I was already on it??? So lots of luck Kayline

kayline, getting off the hormones would make it worse. Your dry skin is likely the result of not enough hormones.

After my surgery I was off estrogen for 2 weeks and started to feel and look like a lizard. It was weird. The condition improved with the restarting of estrogen. I think my skin was in better shape preop.

Hey Thanks Pearle,

I started taking .6 premarin had hotflashes then took 2 a day dr said that was fine then they prscribed me .9 premarin been takin that works well for hotflashes . I still have dry skin but not quite as bad as the first 3 weeks out of surgery.

Have a good one kayline