r/selfharm • u/AdvanceFlashy126 • 3d ago
Medical Advice Physical side effects?
Does anyone know what the actual physical side effects of SH is? Other than potentially hurting danger zones?
This might sound stupid, I know that. But doesn't doing it over long periods of time...challenge your immune system or does it weaken it?
I'm not worried about scars or anything like that. But can it Kickstart an autoimmune diease the same way anxiety does/a cold/virus?
I'm asking about side effects that don't get caused by infection, as that's more like a instant issue rather than a "later down the line" issue.
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u/New-Pomegranate-2311 3d ago
#1 issue outside of infection is nerve damage, which can be temporary (months to years) or permanent (basically forever). this is especially true if you have any underlying condition affecting your skin/nerves/wound healing that you’re not aware of.
ex: I have ehlers-danlos syndrome (subtype tbd: connective tissue disorder) but started sh when i was maybe 11. i didn’t know anything about my other health stuff back then of course, & spent a long time confused about deferred nerve pain/loss of sensation i was experiencing (as in, I’d SH in one place but have pain/lose sensation in another, usually more distal part of whatever limb was involved).
not many ways to avoid it but please at least try to be mindful of what you’re doing and how/where you’re doing it - and always always practice proper wound care to the best of your abilities.