Skin changes with prednisone

Pics of skin changes with Polymyalgia

i too have had the same sensitivity. U have to be sooooo careful what touches you or if u scrape anything. It's a new lifestyle change... I started on 50mg a yr ago and now down to 5. It's a roller coaster so fasten your seat belt... As much as I hate this "ride", I will not let it win. Con't to listen to your doctor and u will get thru this. Do you take Tylenol arthritis also? that helps me.

D

Yes, my arms look similar to your picture, with the skin so thin that I bruise easily and it doesn't take much of a scratch to produce bleeding. The skin seems to rip rather than be cut. I have some issues with the capillaries too but I have red hair and I understand that redheads are more prone to have that problem so I can't blame the prednisone necessarily.
Your comment " I am still not pain-free. Every step reminds me that I have this disease." makes me wonder if your prednisone dose is too low. Not everyone is able to be totally pain free but hurting to the point of being miserable all the time sounds like you aren't taking enough pred to knock down the inflammation. When were you diagnosed, what was the starting prednisone dose and what is your dose now?

Looks just like my arms! I barely touch anything and I have a lovely bruise. And I am down to 4mg! Had a lab tech take pity on me and said to tell them when I come in for a lab work that I bruise easily. She used a butterfly needle and it was so much easier/quicker for them to take 6-7 vials of blood. Ha...maybe something good out of this??

I have had a terrible time with my skin too. Especially my forearms and tops of my hands. I have been using Aquafor to keep skin moisturized. Works better than any lotion or cream I’ve found.
When it gets a little cooler you can order “sleeves” for extra protection. They come in lots of colors and sizes. Just search online for “thin skin protection “.

My skin is so prone to tearing the slightest bump results in a tear, bruising is common also, as I have reduced prednisone on numerous occasions my skin visibly thickens. What is left is so many visible scars from the previous tears.

When i was on a extended high dose i used second skin dressing similar to what my staff used on the elderly in the senior's facility i managed enabling good healing

Ditto on the skin sensitivity....I have found that stopping my nighttime dose of ibuprofen and continued tapering of prednisone has helped immensely to the point that my dermatologist recently stated my skin looks the best it's looked in a year...

I have to say my skin is thinning a bit. I do bruise more easily. It's definitely drier than it was prior to taking Pred. My scalp itches, my hair is a little drier. Hopefully, once you're down to a lower dose of Pred, your skin will start to thicken. It looks very uncomfortable in the pic. All the best to all of us who are going through so many changes.

I have been on 2.5 mg of prednisone for about 10 years and have this known problem of thin skin and easy bruising. I just live with it. The biggest problem is when skin starts to bleed and I do not even notice it. I probably just hit or scratched by skin with no real pain and then later I notice a lot of dried blood. Hopefully the blood didn't get on my clothes. Sometimes it does and I do not notice it until later.

The best arm protection I have found is cutting the feet out of support hose and sliding them over my arms. They are thicker and stay in plce better than the sleeves you can buy for protection. You can get them in many colors and designs also. I used them during the hot summer, leaving my shoulders bare with a skimpy top and was quite comfortable. Now that it is cooler, I just count it as another layer.