Hey all – I believe the channels and dents in the head stem from the contraction of the collagen fibers that are a normal part of human skin. The skin and practically everything else in the body (including bones and organs) is structurally built on a network of collagen fibers that act as somewhat of a framework for supporting the skin and other structures. In my own case, I’ve had a severe excess of both collagen fibers and keratin (keratin is what skin cells are made of in large part).
The surface of the skin is made from “keratinized” cells which are basically dead cells that once were tiny sacs filled with liquid keratin before they were deposited on the surface – the liquid keratin is largely what keeps the skin from absorbing most toxins and chemicals.
Thus, considering that these 2 proteins (collagens and keratins) basically make up the skin I think many of the symptoms of Morgellons including lesions, channels, itching, fibers, etc. could be caused at least in part by something that is impacting how the body normally produces these 2 key, structural proteins (and both of these proteins can be in the form of fibers).
The link below is to a write-up I did that may be the information you were thinking about unknownpest. There are a number of things that can cause problems with these proteins including simple nutrient deficiencies, parasites, toxins, etc., but regardless of the cause of Morgellons, I think the result is damage to these 2 structural proteins that the physical body largely consists of.
https://home.comcast.net/~morgellons..._Cause_web.htm
The next link is to a diagram of these tension lines (called RSTL for Relaxed Skin Tension Lines) in the face – it’s a powerpoint presentation and the diagrams are on page 22 and 23. These diagrams show the face but these tension lines run throughout the body including all over the scalp (in similar patterns to those on the face – the diagram on page 23 shows some of the lines that come into the skin of the face from the scalp.
http://www.utmb.edu/otoref/grnds/Sca...-04-slides.pdf
This thread has some information on the first page that discusses the channels and dents and some links that reference the “article” I wrote (from the first link above) and a link to an additional diagram of tension lines in the skin that I think are likely responsible for the dents and channels in the skin on the head. It is well accepted that wrinkles in normal skin are caused by the contraction of these tension lines that are normally in the skin (as we age the bundles of collagen fibers that create these tension lines start to contract because our bodies don’t build and maintain collagen as effectively as when we were younger).
There is also a brief discussion on how
a variety of nematodes, bacteria, fungi, etc. produce enzymes to dissolve / digest collagen and keratin (which I think could be a good possibility of at least a partial cause of the contraction of collagen fibers in skin that makes the channels and dents – I’ll try to post more detailed information soon on how these parasites dissolve and digest these proteins).
I think anything that depletes / degrades collagen in the body can cause many of the symptoms of Morgellons including the skin problems as well as joint pain (all the connective tissue in the body like tendons, ligaments, cartilage is made of collagen fibers). Interesting Theorie
I wish I had a quick “cure” to tell you about to remove the channels and dents. However, the only relief I have been able to achieve has been temporary from soaking in 3% hydrogen peroxide multiple times daily. Peroxide is a known solvent of keratin (the only known solvent of collagen is specific enzymes that dissolve collagen specifically – the human body creates them to “remodel” collagen on a constant basis and many parasites produce these enzymes as well as a means of entering the body and using collagen as a food source). I can’t honestly say I would recommend soaking in peroxide for most people – I think the excess keratin in my skin has prevented it from doing much to hurt my skin but I’m not sure how normal skin would react to it (the bottle has warnings not to use it over large areas of the body – it theoretically would dry out normal skin dramatically and could cause cracks as well as bleaching hair color).
Over time (about 4 years) the number of channels and dents in my head has decreased significantly and the depth and tension of the remaining ones is not as bad as it once was either. From my experience the increased tension of these bundles of collagen is what causes headaches and neck aches as well (and sinus headaches as well because the fibers extend into the sinus cavities and everywhere else – this same network of fibers is what provides shape to the fleshy areas around the eyes, the gums, the tongue and every other structure in the face and body).
The transmission “paths” of nerves in the body are actually collagen fibers with “receptors” on the ends of them that enable us to feel pain and other sensations. As the tension lines contract in the skin, it puts pressure on nerves and nerve endings which I think is the cause of a lot of the pain I experienced (and I suspect a lot of the pain and discomfort associated with Morgellons). These collagen fibers in the bundles that make up tension lines can be as much as 10 feet long under normal conditions and they naturally swirl and overlap (and “twist” around other body parts) as a means of supporting the skin. I think this is why it has taken so long for the channels and dents in my scalp and face to be diminished – the body “recycles” these proteins to a large extent naturally so when you have an excess of them it is very difficult to eliminate the excess. When the body can’t produce enough collagen for whatever reason, the fibers have no option other than to contract or shrink in the skin.
I think in most cases, the tension lines (and Langer’s lines which are mentioned in the write-up) are contracting because of a reduction in these proteins (which applies to my case as well in relative terms – many things including parasites can cause a reduction in these proteins in the body). The next link is to a post I did a while back that outlines the nutrients needed by the body to produce collagens and keratins. I noted in it that the amino acids lysine and proline are two of the key nutrients used but recent research has shown that the amino acid glycine is important as well (I would imagine that all 22 or so of the amino acids needed by humans are important to some extent at least).
nutrients / supplements for producing collagens and keratins
The excess of these proteins in my case was caused by taking specific supplements over a period of many years – the Morgellons like symptoms didn’t start for me until after I STOPPED taking these supplements. In my case I had developed long collagen fibers embedded in the surface of my skin that were visible to the naked eye (although this symptom has greatly diminished I can still rub the skin on my head and feel fibers move in different places on my body including my feet). I think this caused a relative deficiency in collagens and keratins in that my body couldn’t produce as much of these proteins as it had been doing for so long without the excess of specific nutrients – I think the deficiency resulting from stopping my intake of the supplements caused the contraction of the collagen fibers and the basic result was that my skin was too tight.
If anyone wants to try building more collagen and keratin I don’t think it would hurt to take the specific supplements I discussed in the post immediately above as long as you don’t do it over a long period of time (say for more than a year). I think that theoretically in some cases it could help to build additional collagens and keratins by allowing the fibers to expand (grow) thereby lessening some of the tension (just my own opinion). It took about 12 to 14 years for it to become a problem for me so I think the key is moderation and not overdoing it over an extended period of time. I think sulfur (MSM mainly) was the main problem for me but I’m sure the glucosamine-chondroitin also played a large role because they are both natural components of the cellular matrix of human skin (and glucosamine stimulates collagen production as well).
Hope this information is helpful.
January 21st, 2009, 06:06 PM
head channels and dents 
thanks! 
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