poor quality tap water in D15 causing extremely dry skin?

vibe666

I've been working in D15 for the best part of maybe 7 or 8 years and during that time the skin on my hands has been getting progressively worse with regards to getting dry and cracked.

however, I moved into clonsilla a few months back (from navan) and it's got a lot worse since then and my wife (who is on maternity leave, but works in the city centre) has also developed the same problem.

i've also been speaking to colleagues and quite a few of them seem to have similar issues and one who also lives in D15 has terrible problems with it, as does his own wife, but the overwhelming theme seems to be tat whenever we are away for extended periods of more than a few days, our skin starts to clear up again.

i've been to the docs and gotten various creams for it, but nothing seems to make much of a dent. the most success i've had so far, involved caking my hands in vaseline and putting n a pair of cotton gloves overnight, but it is hardly a long term solution and it makes the top layer of skin on my hands very thin and delicate.

has anyone else in D15 had this issue and if so, were you able to cure it?

skregs

I heard semen dries your skin out, maybe you should try cutting back

Keyzer

I'm with you on this (not the semen part)...

My head was like a packet of parmesan cheese last week - pain in the hockenheim...

ThisRegard

Same as myself, I'm keeping Neutrogena in profit via their Norwegian Formula cream at this stage. My hands get pretty bad, more so these days as with having dogs and a toddler you're constantly washing your hands. Went to France for a week last month, loaded up with hand cream at the airport and never had the need to use it once while over there, hands became soft as a babys.

The Hill Billy

skregs - Unacceptable comments in a community forum that are neither clever nor funny.

Banned for 1 month.

tHB

The Hill Billy

I'm not giving medical advice here, but I've used Silcox Base in the past for dry skin.

Has it been confirmed by your doc that the water is actually the cause of the condition? If it is a D15-based GP I'm sure that he/she would be aware if it was a wide-spread problem in the area.

vibe666

The Hill Billy wrote: »

I'm not giving medical advice here, but I've used Silcox Base in the past for dry skin.

Has it been confirmed by your doc that the water is actually the cause of the condition? If it is a D15-based GP I'm sure that he/she would be aware if it was a wide-spread problem in the area.

nothing confirmed officially, but we've ruled out soap etc. and it seems to be the only common denominator in all the cases i've spoken to people about. i did used to think it was the soap at work, but i've changed jobs since it started and it's gotten worse for me and only started for my wife since we moved into the area.

i've tried silcox base, e45, vaseline, 2 kinds of steroid or other creams from the doc and everything else in between at this stage and nothing works long term unless i use it literally 10 times a day and at night.

opinion guy

Maybe get the water tested ?

Morag

I've never heard of such a rash from just hard water.
Go back to your dr. It could be a range of things and you may need prescription medications.
Both you and your wife should go.

Gaspode

Why would it be the water? What do you think is in it that affects your skin and not the majority of other peoples skin? (assuming you're in the minority as i've never heard anyone else make the same complaint)

It could be anything from your central heating, to pollution levels, fungi, bacteria, shampoo, stress, etc.

It could also just be the water but I cant think why unless you're particularly sensitive to flourides and this presents itself as dry skin.

Gaspode

Just to reiterate Boards.ie policy, no medical advice is to be given here

ThisRegard

Sharrow wrote: »

I've never heard of such a rash from just hard water.

It's not a rash, it's dry skin.

Why would it be the water?

Water can dry out skin, some areas more so than others. It's not uncommon.

vibe666

it's not just me and my wife, it's several people that i know who either live or work locally (or both).

any time we go away we take our personal grooming products (i.e. soaps, shampoo's, etc.) with us and the problem goes away in just a few days and the other people i've spoken to have said the same thing.

it only started for me when i started working in D15 and my wife never had any problems when we were living in navan as she works in the city centre, but since moving to Clonsilla in December last year, over the course of about a month, she developed the same thing with dry, cracked skin on her hands and she has never had any problems like that before in her whole life.

and i'm talking dry and cracked to the point where it bleeds at times and you can peel lumps of dry skin off (although i wouldn't recommend it as it hurts like a mofo).

i've been to the doctor repeatedly with it and have been given various creams and ointments for it, but nothing cxlears it up and anything that does have some effect only lasts as long as i'm using it for and the minute it's used up it comes back again.

i've mentioned it to people over the last several years and i know of at least half a dozen who are either working or living around D15 who have the exact same problem, so i know it's not just me, hence the thread. it also looks like i'm not alone as people here have already commented at having the same problems as well.

i imagine its something that may only affect a certain skin type, but i've never had any kind of eczema or anything like that before and it always goes away any time i'm away from the area.

Diddler1977

Hmmm never had particularly dry skin on hands - and I live in D15.

I did have very dry skin on other parts of my body. However, since I started Bikram Yoga this seems to have miraculously disappeared! I am thinking I have got my circulation going and this has cured the dry skin.

Would you and your wife have bad circulation in your hands?

Phoenix Park

Sounds like clutching at straws to me to be honest, although the dryness must be frustrating for you both. I've lived in D15 all my life, no friends or family (including those who moved to the area in recent years) have ever commented on dry skin, or at least no more than those i know elsewhere. You might be putting 2 and 2 together and getting, well, more than 4.
I'd imagine a trip to a dermatologist for both of you would be a good start to get a qualified medical take on your skin, and go from there. Fluoride in the water won't cause dryness, it will just help protect your teeth from tooth decay. There are so many things that could cause dryness of the skin i just feel its so unlikely that this is the cause but a dermatologist could give you a specialist opinion.

vibe666

if i'm clutching at straws it's only because we've ruled out any other possible cause through years of testing theories by changing detergents, soaps, shower gels, shampoos and everything else we can think of to try and fix my problem and within a month of moving to the area and making no other changes to our routine, my wife has developed exactly the same problem.

any time i leave D15 for more than a few days the problem goes away and my hands return to their normal pre-crispy state that i had enjoyed for most of my adult life until i first took a job in the area.

having recounted all these things in multiple conversations with various people who have similar problems, i've found that they have also had more or less the exact same experience.

i don't doubt that it is restricted to a few people with a certain skin type or other factors, but since i imagine that we (the crispy ones) don't make a habit of shouting about it from the rooftops, its only likely to come up in conversation if i notice someone else moisturising their dry hands or visa versa, so unless someone is making a point of checking out my hands for some reason, they probably wouldn't know.

opinion guy

What are your pipes made out of ? Copper, nicklel, what ? Could it be some kinda contact allergy

vibe666

in work (two totally different jobs in the same area) and at home?

westies4ever

im in laois and we alos have ridiculously hard water; it made my skin very dry but my husbands was in bits. we installed a water softener system and have found it much better. it cost €1k at the time (7 years ago) but i think you can get one much cheaper now - like around €500-600. Still pricey but one of the best things we did. cant remember the name fo the firm but there are loads out there.

ThisRegard

Phoenix Park wrote: »

Fluoride in the water won't cause dryness, it will just help protect your teeth from tooth decay. There are so many things that could cause dryness of the skin i just feel its so unlikely that this is the cause but a dermatologist could give you a specialist opinion.

The OP never claimed it did, that was someone else making an assumption.

vibe666

i honestly don't know what it is in the water that is causing it, just that from my experience and the experiences of other people with the same issue, that there isn't anything else obvious that could be causing it other than *something* as yet undetermined in the water that is affecting some people.

i actually have a water testing kit at home for my aquariums, but i don't use tap water for water changes, so i can't say for sure yet without testing it what the obvious water characteristics are, although i do know that the water in navan was very hard from our experiences with washing machines and dishwashers etc. getting clagged up, so it would have to be worse than that for it to affect my wife when the hard water wasn't causing her any issues in navan.

like i said though, it could be anything i suppose, pH, hardness, mineral content, fluoride, chlorine or chloramine levels, heavy metals or anything i guess. thinking about it, i have no idea at all why it didn't occur to me to test the tap water before now.

Mr. Presentable

Only on your hands? Assuming you shower every day and your hands have some of the toughest skin on your body, is it not pertinent that it is only on your hands? Might it not suggest you look elsewhere for the cause?

Murt10

Water in Dublin 15 also tastes foul. I never drink it, if I want water I prefer to drink it from a bottle.

Other parts of Dublin tap water tastes fine.

amdublin

My skin is grand.

I drink the water fine.

Haven't a clue what you're on about.

Gaspode

Water in D15 does not taste anything even close to foul in my experience. Dublin has a high standard of water quality in general, and D15 is no exception.
Why throw money away on bottled water that in many cases is of no better quality or on some occasions even lower quality than the water from your tap? It is environmentally a poor idea too as all those bottles have to be recycled.

I find that a standard Brita filter jug will remove any residual 'taste' from the tap water. Much better idea than bottles.

Murt10

Gaspode wrote: »

I find that a standard Brita filter jug will remove any residual 'taste' from the tap water.

My point exactly. If thr water didn't have a taste off it then there would be no need for the Brita filter.

As I said, in other parts of Dublin tap water can be enjoyed without filtering it first

vibe666

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

Only on your hands? Assuming you shower every day and your hands have some of the toughest skin on your body, is it not pertinent that it is only on your hands? Might it not suggest you look elsewhere for the cause?

i don't know about you, but i only shower once a day, but i wash my hands probably 20-30+ times a day between after going to the toilet, before eating, before cooking, before playing with our baby and after handling our two cats.

everyone seems to think that i've just pulled this conclusion out of my backside after a 30 second thinking session, but this has been going on for over 7 years now and i've tried changing every single aspect of my routine except the one thing i can't change (i.e. the water that comes out of the tap). i've also discussed the issue with several local people with similar problems and they have all has a similar experience and come to the same conclusions.

as an example, i recently spent a week in temple street with our baby in the ICU there and even with washing our hands in the harsh alcohol rubs they have there every 5-10 minutes for a week (which hurts like a mofo when you have dry cracked skin btw) both mine and my wife's hand skin improved considerably over the course of the week we were there, but immediately started to get worse again once we were home and was back to being dry and cracked within a week.

at this point, if it's not the water here then i have no idea what it could be because it's the only constant that hasn't changed multiple times in the last 7 years. i'm totally open to suggestions of what could possibly be the cause if it isn't the water.

i appreciate that it's not a universal problem, but then very few conditions are. i don't suffer with hay fever or asthma, but that doesn't mean that nobody else around me does either, it just means that some people are more sensitive to certain environmental conditions than others.

Diddler1977

Murt10 wrote: »

Water in Dublin 15 also tastes foul. I never drink it, if I want water I prefer to drink it from a bottle.

.

I have no problem with D15 water. I drink it straight from the tap.

vibe666 wrote: »

i don't know about you, but i only shower once a day, but i wash my hands probably 20-30+ times a day between after going to the toilet, before eating, before cooking, before playing with our baby and after handling our two cats.

.

:eek:

Does your wife wash her hands this many times too?

Could you be over washing your hands and causing irritation?

vibe666

Diddler1977 wrote: »

:eek:

Does your wife wash her hands this many times too?

Could you be over washing your hands and causing irritation?

when you have a sick baby and pets, you don't have much of a choice, but we had a baby and pets before we moved here (and the baby was younger, so my wife would have been even more fastidious about washing her hands) and my wife didn't have any issues until we moved to D15.

that said, we've only had the baby for 6 months and i would have been washing my hands a lot less before that and the number of times i do or don't wash my hands has made no difference to their overall condition.

BostonB

AFAIK, the water can come from two different places depending where you are in D.15 I think some is fed from Meath, and the older part from the Dublin/Wicklow supply. I'm open to correction on that.

I do notice that our water is much harder than older areas in D.15. It builds up on every appliance far quicker than it does in older houses. In my experience. The taste of the water varies a fair bit too.

Theres a lot of comment on the web about the relationship between hard water and its effects on the skin. I don't think any of it has been scientifically proven. Personally I don't think it helps.

opinion guy

BostonB wrote: »

AFAIK, the water can come from two different places depending where you are in D.15 I think some is fed from Meath, and the older part from the Dublin/Wicklow supply. I'm open to correction on that.

I do notice that our water is much harder than older areas in D.15. It builds up on every appliance far quicker than it does in older houses. In my experience. The taste of the water varies a fair bit too.

Theres a lot of comment on the web about the relationship between hard water and its effects on the skin. I don't think any of it has been scientifically proven. Personally I don't think it helps.

Presumably water from Meath would be more likely to be hard as Meath is a limestone area (I think) whilst Dublin/Wicklow mountains are granite (again I think)

BostonB

That seems to be the case alright. I've heard new houses in Ratoath having problems and needing water softeners etc.

Gaspode

Murt10 wrote: »

My point exactly. If thr water didn't have a taste off it then there would be no need for the Brita filter.

As I said, in other parts of Dublin tap water can be enjoyed without filtering it first

My point is that there isn't really a need (IMO) for a brita filter, it's just a consumer preference. The water doesnt taste that bad.

Although, seeing the posts that came after ours, maybe I'm just getting a better supply than the you are.

Zaph

Gaspode wrote: »

Water in D15 does not taste anything even close to foul in my experience. Dublin has a high standard of water quality in general, and D15 is no exception.
Why throw money away on bottled water that in many cases is of no better quality or on some occasions even lower quality than the water from your tap? It is environmentally a poor idea too as all those bottles have to be recycled.

I find that a standard Brita filter jug will remove any residual 'taste' from the tap water. Much better idea than bottles.

I'd actually disagree. I'm originally from the southside, and the water that comes from the tap in my house is nothing like the water from the tap in my parents' house. There it's fresh, clean and odour free, whereas the water here is pretty much undrinkable imo as it tastes foul and smells of fluoride. I'd rather not buy bottled water, but with such a poor quality supply I have no alternative. And with water as bad as it is I have no interest in filtering it in an attempt to make it drinkable. It should already be drinkable.

Phoenix Park

Zaph wrote: »

I'd actually disagree. I'm originally from the southside, and the water that comes from the tap in my house is nothing like the water from the tap in my parents' house. There it's fresh, clean and odour free, whereas the water here is pretty much undrinkable imo as it tastes foul and smells of fluoride. I'd rather not buy bottled water, but with such a poor quality supply I have no alternative. And with water as bad as it is I have no interest in filtering it in an attempt to make it drinkable. It should already be drinkable.

One point, Fluoride is odorless, so whatever you are smelling its something else. What it is is another matter though. Like you, there is no way i'm gonna buy bottled water. There does seem to be a lot of people saying the D15 water is of poor quality as regards taste, and while i don't think its related to OP's problem of dry skin, we should not have to put up with water that many find tastes horrible (even though i myself don't notice to be honest). As one of the posters above said, there are different sources of supply, maybe there could be in issue with pipes/corrosion or something?

Can those who find the water tastes bad in D15 honestly taste a difference if blindfolded drinking it from similar glasses at the same temperature to bottled?. Genuine question!, i doubt i could.

Zaph

Phoenix Park wrote: »

One point, Fluoride is odorless, so whatever you are smelling its something else. What it is is another matter though.

Fair enough, but there's a definite chlorine smell when the tap runs for a while, and as fluorine and chlorine are similar I always put it down to fluoride in the water.

Gate Automation

I can confirm, i have the same problem with skin on my hands from time when i live on Blanchardstown

Morag

Southside water tends to be softer water and over this way it's harder which can results in a difference in taste and the taste of the water we are reared with always seems 'right'.

vibe666

i don't know if it's directly related to hardness of the water or something else in it, as we used to live in navan where the water was always known for being very hard and my wife has only developed skin problems since we moved to D15 even tho she'd been on maternity leave in navan for about 3-4 months before we moved.

that said, we drink filtered tap water via our fridge the same as in navan and there is a distinctly different (in a bad way) taste from the D15 water since we moved.

it's portersgate btw, in case it makes a difference.

Automan

Zaph wrote: »

I'd actually disagree. I'm originally from the southside, and the water that comes from the tap in my house is nothing like the water from the tap in my parents' house. There it's fresh, clean and odour free, whereas the water here is pretty much undrinkable imo as it tastes foul and smells of fluoride. I'd rather not buy bottled water, but with such a poor quality supply I have no alternative. And with water as bad as it is I have no interest in filtering it in an attempt to make it drinkable. It should already be drinkable.

Have to agree with everything that zaph said im also originally from the southside and there is a big difference in water quality between here and the southside.
On two occasions we had our water turned off 1st time for a few days, second time for almost two weeks because the water was contaminated (in Tyrrelstown) it was so bad they told us not to wash in it. (Turned out it was the developers fault the water was contaminated).
Personally I would trust bottled water more than piped water, who knows how long that water was contaminated before it was turned off, if bottled water is found to be contaminated said company's name would be destroyed and they would find it difficult to sell bottled water again, where as its up to the council to ensure that the water in our pipes is clean and uncontaminated, personally I dont trust the council at all. I have to ask why they need so much chlorine in the water that you can smell it.

Gaspode

The council are directly responsible for the quality of water from your tap and it must meet tough EU guidelines (enshrined in Irish law).
The EPA do a survey of water quality most years as well, and the results can be found online. You can get quality results for water in your area from the council, here is the latest one.
If you have a problem with smell, taste, cloudiness, etc.get on to them straight away.
I'd suggest the OP does the same and mention the skin problems.

BostonB

Theres a bit difference between some houses less than a mile apart in D.15. I wouldn't drink our tap water its lifeless and has a taste. I'd have no problem with the water in the other houses.

Morag

vibe666 wrote: »

i don't know if it's directly related to hardness of the water or something else in it, as we used to live in navan where the water was always known for being very hard and my wife has only developed skin problems since we moved to D15 even tho she'd been on maternity leave in navan for about 3-4 months before we moved.

that said, we drink filtered tap water via our fridge the same as in navan and there is a distinctly different (in a bad way) taste from the D15 water since we moved.

it's portersgate btw, in case it makes a difference.

It could be that there is something in your supply or your pipes they have been digging up that way.

vibe666

Sharrow wrote: »

It could be that there is something in your supply or your pipes they have been digging up that way.

that's the thing, it's not just one place.

it started after i took a job in the ballycoolin business park about 7 or 8 years ago, but it went away when i left that job.

then i got another job in mulhuddart and it came back. then i moved to clonsilla and it got worse and my wife developed the same thing, despite never having any problems living in navan and working in the city centre.

trust me, i've been through every aspect of my life that could be causing it, down to completely altering my diet over the course of the years and changing soaps, washing powders and detergents dozens of times, but the only thing (aside from spending the night wearing cotton gloves full of vaseline or silcox base or other heavy duty moisturising gunk) is to not be in D15.

before we moved here, i spent a couple of weeks working from home in 2010 and 2011 and it was almost totally gone in a week. i've been away for 2 weeks on holiday and it was gone within a few days, but whenever i come back, so does the dry skin, so unless it's something in the air or some other physical aspect of the location i can't see what else it could be, but i really am open to suggestions.

i'm looking into getting the water tested but until then, fire away.

Solair

Hard water just contains calcium and magnesium ions, it's not bad for your skin and it's actually good for your bones and teeth.

The only problem with hard water is that it tends to coat your kettle and plumbing with magnesium or calcium (limescale) and it also makes it hard to get soaps to foam.

The only thing that could be causing dry skin problems might be too much chlorine or if the pH value of the water was way off in either direction.

If you are that concerned about it, see if you can get a sample of the water tested.

Also, make sure it's not a problem with your own domestic water tank in the attic. I know a few people who have had horrible skin problems due to bacteria growing in the tank. Perhaps go up and take a look in the tank to ensure that it's not full of scum and doesn't have any dead insects or rodents in it!

Also, try using shower gel rather than soap. Traditional soaps can be really harsh on the skin.

Check your laundry too. Is your washing machine rinsing properly ? Low water pressure can cause them not to fill properly. I had this problem and it resulted in seriously nasty rashes as I had washing powder in contact with my skin.

Also, don't use over-scented laundry products or shower gels.
The non-bio laundry detergents being safer for your skin doesn't make much sense either. The main allergy culprits are usually highly scented products like softeners that are added to the final rinse and products that deliberately cling to clothes afterwards like those e.g. time release scents and stuff like that that some detergents advertise as a feature.

It's hard to beat old-fashioned Persil powder Bio or Non-Bio or SureCare (non-scented)

vibe666

it's not the water tank unless a dead rat has followed me through 2 different jobs and then moved in with us when we moved house to live in D15.

tried (literally) dozens of soaps and shower gels and now pretty much exclusively use sanex zero as it's got feck all of anything in it. even use it on my hair and it does a lovely job.

3 different washing machines in 2 different houses with probably 6 or more different detergents, settled on fairy non-bio now with the baby and it seems to be doing well on that front and my wife always does an extra rinse on everything just to be on the safe side, especially with a baby.

next?

BostonB

It wouldn't that surprising if they'd plumbed the water tank wrong. Ours was. it might be plumbed so that water isn't moving as much as it should.

vibe666

BostonB wrote: »

It wouldn't that surprising if they'd plumbed the water tank wrong. Ours was. it might be plumbed so that water isn't moving as much as it should.

the water tanks in 2 different offices and my new home that i've only been in since december?

BostonB

Unfortunately abysmal plumbing is fairly common.

That said I do think the water supply in parts of D.15 is not as good as others.

BostonB

Also in the news
http://www.thejournal.ie/almost-half-of-waste-water-treatment-plans-failing-quality-standards-357128-Feb2012/

Solair

If you're concerned about the water, get it tested. A quick Google will give you the names of labs.

Also, you can fit ion-exchange filters, active carbon filters and all sorts of fancy stuff to your incoming water supply. It's pricy, but if you've a problem with the water supply that is impacting on your skin, it might be worth trying.

Again, a bit of Googling and research would find you some good options.