u/MediumPackage9613

anyone else notice 1) they restocked a few minutes before the scheduled drop time and 2) they didn’t restock the headbands at all today?

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has experience with this. I’m also trying to give enough background so this makes sense.

Since I was in about 2nd or 3rd grade, I’ve had issues with my skin and pores. I remember my mom constantly picking at and worrying about my skin growing up. I have very significant scarring and enlarged/stretching pores in areas where I flare groin, underarms, breasts, arms, etc. Some of the pores are connected in weird ways, trap sweat/dirt, and almost seem like the hair follicles themselves are stretched out. We’re talking thousands of enlarged pores across all the affected areas combined.

Growing up I tried basically everything: doxycycline, bleach baths, PanOxyl, Hibiclens, and a ton of topical products. The only things I never tried were things like Humira or Accutane.

I was officially diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa at 18. In my early 20s I lost a significant amount of weight, and my flares improved dramatically. I still occasionally get boils, but usually only 1–2 at a time now, mostly in my groin, underarms, or breasts. I’ve heard people talk about “remission” with HS and I honestly wonder if that’s where I’m at now.

What’s confusing is that years later my longtime hometown dermatologist eventually told me she no longer thought it was HS and thought it was more acne-related, so she keeps recommending things like PanOxyl and other skincare ingredients that honestly don’t really do much for me. Then more recently, a completely unrelated surgeon referred me for another opinion at a major hospital, and that dermatologist again felt it was HS and referred me to an HS specialist.

Part of why I’m asking this is because I’ve already seen how skin removal can help me. I had a cosmetic tummy tuck, and before that I constantly got painful irritation/rashes underneath my lower abdominal apron where sweat and debris would get trapped. Once that skin was removed, the issue completely resolved.

I’m currently going through a prophylactic mastectomy/reconstruction process, and honestly the skin removal underneath my breasts already seems to have helped the HS there too. At this point, my biggest remaining problem areas are my arms and inner thighs, where I have significant loose skin and enlarged pores that constantly trap sweat/debris.

So my question is has anyone here had skin removal surgery (especially arm lift/thigh lift/etc.) specifically to help reduce HS flares or improve hygiene/trapping issues? Is this something HS specialists ever support or refer for medically? What did that process look like for you? I know excision surgeries exist for HS tunnels/lesions, but I’m wondering more about larger skin-removal procedures helping reduce the environment that seems to trigger flares. I dont have a stomach (at all, total gastrectomy) so I’m 99% taking something like accutane would be a total science project for me and I’m really nervous about being on humeria. I feel like my entire life I’ve been treated like I’m being dramatic but this condition has taken a HUGE toll on about every aspect of my life.