My Eczema Journey

I used to take being able to have a nice, hot shower at the end of the day for granted. As my eczema has worsened over the years, I find showers, the main culprit for making my skin worse. I now make sure nothing comes in contact with my skin except emollient and water, but still find my skin inflamed afterwards. I have done some research and found that water softeners may help, but I have yet to try them. To minimise skin irritation, I do the following: As uncomfortable as it is, I try keep the water temperature as low as possible, as heat will dry the skin further. I later myself in Epaderm emollient from head to toe before I get in the shower. I wash myself with Epaderm as a soap substitute. Then as soon as I get out the shower I pat my skin dry gently, and then apply more Epaderm. I put on my Clinfast top and leggings, which are kind of like bandage clothes.  I then wash my hair over the bath with  Jason Gluten Free Daily Shampoo  as it contains no SLS and d...

Dupilumab - the miracle cure? Skip to main content Search This Blog My Eczema Journey My story of a life with eczema. Plus some related fashion and beauty tips. About me Subscribe Subscribe to this blog Follow by Email Dupilumab - the miracle cure? Get link Facebook Twitter Pinterest Google+ Email April 12, 2017 I have been following the recent trials for dupilumab, for the past year. I had really pinned my hopes on it being the cure for eczema, so imagine my happiness when I received an email from the National Eczema Association, explaining that it had been approved by the FDA ! I have done a fair bit of research into dupilumab, and from what I have gathered, it is administrated as an injection once every 2 weeks. Which isn't ideal, but at this point ...

Over the past few years, I have occasionally used sunbeds as a fail safe way to clear my skin up temporarily before a big night out. I am well aware of the risks of skin cancer, but sometimes I really need the confidence boost that clear skin can give me. A week in the sun after a holiday also completely clears my skin, which is why I was excited when my dermatologist recommended me 24 sessions of phototherapy, twice a week. She made it very clear that this would only be a temporary solution, and it was very likely my eczema would return once I finished the course of UVB therapy. But at the time I was having one of my worse flares and was desperate for some relief. Before I started the treatment I took prednisolone for 2 weeks to sort my skin out, as it was really bad. I then started my first phototherapy session about a week after that. So for those of you who don't know what to expect, I will give you a bit more information. These are not ordinary sunbeds. They are incredibly i...

Lets face it. Who has the time to cover themselves head to toe in cream, five times a day like the doctors recommend? Certainly not me. I'd say I manage to apply it between two and three times a day, which I don't think is too bad. It's certainly more difficult to find the motivation when you have severe eczema, as it can seem like a waste of time. But if you find the right emollient, it can soothe your skin somewhat and reduce that irritating itch. However I can't say I'm completely sold on the theory that they improve the skin barrier and prevent flares... There is a lot of trial and error going on, when you are on the hunt for your perfect emollient - one that doesn't irritate you further, and manages to keep your skin moisturised for more than 5 minutes. I tried many brands over the years such as Dermol, Cetraban, Aveeno ect. I finally settled on Epaderm after trying it out in hospital. I woke up to notice my skin's redness was massively reduced and...

Steroid creams tend be the most effective and commonly used treatment for eczema sufferers. They come in a range of strengths from mildly potent up to very potent. Although this may not always be pointed out to you by your doctor, the level of potency is very important to know for your own safety. The potency level is normally mentioned on the label when you collect it from the pharmacy. The higher the potency the more damage the steroid cream can do to your skin, so its important to use them very sparingly and for the least possible time. Too much of a high potency cream could make you very unwell and could leave you with some side effects you would get from taking a steroid tablet. Although steroid creams are not very effective for me at the moment I have a big range of them as you can see. In my personal experience I only get results if I use them on a mild flare, which stops its from getting to the point I'm in now, were nothing seems to work. I have hydrocortisone 0....