What is Haley-Haley disease?

BY Bruce Shane 9 July, 2007

Haley-Haley is a disease named after two brothers who first described it in the late 1930s. It is also known as "familial benign chronic pemphigus" since it is apparently an inherited skin disorder-yet there are no tests available to screen family members for the disease. The skin rash that characterizes this disease occurs typically in the groin and other skin folds-anywhere skin can rub together. When the skin becomes inflamed, it can crack and bleed and become infected. Symptoms can become worse in the heat, i.e. summer months or during exercise (which may be impossible).

Common treatments?
This seems to be one of those conditions which doctors do not have a clear treatment.  They often prescribe immune-suppressing medications such as steroids, antibiotics and antifungals.

Alternative practitioners often look at fungus as a possible cause. Haley-Haley likes the same places fungus likes, basically warm moist areas of the body where there are often folds of skin such as arm pits, groin, feet, vaginal area, neck folds, etc. So they feel that there is probably a connection or that the two get along really well.

Skin infected with fungus in these areas can crack and bleed and become infected. Skin fungal infections become worse with heat and moisture. These symptoms can often seem a bit like Haley-Haley.

Advice centres on changing your diet to a fungus unfriendly one and taking natural anti fungals orally and finding some good anti-fungal creams.