I have been away from this forum for a long time but let us say I have been inactive for almost the same amount of time. (Has anyone noticed? ) The reasons for this are several, but let me say it was for medical reasons (Eddy, take note!).

I had a most horrible attack of a recurring problem I have have for many a year. Sometimes is vanishes for years at a time, only to resurface now and then. All medication seems to do to it is to make it even more potent (every trip to the medicine man compouns the complaint with the result now I just sit and suffer). For maybe 10 years now it has come back, but has only lasted a few days, a week at the most, and has been limited in scope; but this time... first one, then two and then three fingers just split open at the tips and remained open and sore for days on end, then closed, only to reopen in another part of the fingers or in a new finger altogether. Playing was impossible and I was wearing gloves for everything,avoiding cutting onions or tomatoes, using baby shampoo and make-up removal liquid instead of soap. I was even using white cottong gloves to work and since I work with the public, this rose an eyebrow or two. At times the wounds closed, only to reopen after a bout at the piano. Then... After one week when the wound on the tip of the middle finger made even typing painful, it closed and has thankfully not returned. So, at first, gingerly, I resumed to playing and now nothing seems to happen and I can once more indulge to the delectation of the masses.

I could even return to recording - my playing seems to have improved, but alas! The piano remains the same as well as the recording apparatus, so I wonder if it is wise to compete with "youse" (you all) with your home-studios, grands and top-notch editing facilities.

Richard,
I feel sorry for you and wish you didn't suffer so, and yes you have been missed. I presume that you had a dermatologist evaluate this? It is peculiar that it is limited to your fingers. That sort of presentation is usually associated with a contact dermatitis exacerbated by some compound that the person touches. I'm curious if this involved both the palmar and dorsal aspect of the fingers or just one side? Is the skin across the knucles tight and shiny? Did any doctor mention scleroderma?

Welcome back!
Eddy

hello Eddy,

As you might possibly know there are too many causes for skin problems and any self-respecting dermatologist will tell you that and consequently it is hard for one to come up with a correct diagnosis, though they all agree that it is contact dermatosis. As you say it is exacerbated by contact with a compound, as you mention, which in my case could be one of the following: soap, dishwashing fluid or, which I believe is the real culprit, medicated shampoo. This I imagine, because using it brought me severe dandruff on hair and eyebrows and irritation of the scalp and face. It was the length of the thing which astonished me, because it took maybe two months to clear after I had stopped using it. It must have been some element which takes time to be eliminated.

It only affected the palmar side. The skin, once closed, remains shiny for a time and the fingertips tend to vanish (hence my bulking at the prospect of future biometric identification as Big Brother the State would like to introduce in the world). Hoefully this will not reccur for some time.

Hey Richard,
Yes we've been wondering about you. Good you're back, but sorry to hear about this nasty problem. It seems that skin problems quite often can't be diagnosed, and eventually doctors and even dermatologists send you away telling you to wait until it disappears. I guess the skin is not just the largest,
but also the most complicated and un predictable organ we have.

Quite right, Chris! Now imagine typing a letter wearing those gloves one associates with waiters!" DFeasr Cyhhruis,!"

Some people type like that by default