Eczema

Regular sunbeds don't work- it's UVA light whereas the light that helps eczema is UVB.

Really? I get pretty bad flare ups and rashes and what have you if I stop using it.

Hi, I have it on my arms and my hands.

I don't really know of any good treatments, for me its a case of controlling it. My doctor prescribes me Dermovate for bad flair ups and I also use E45 cream on the areas once I've showered in a morning and just before I go to bed the rest of the time.

I'm really sorry its affecting your confidance, I don't know really what to suggest apart from getting into a good routine to help it which you've probably got going on already if you've had it a while.

I had it terribly when I was little, then it flared up again due to what I expect was exam stress etc. It's not so bad, just a bit on the creases of my elbows and sometimes a bit on my hands...however, it seems to have spread so I have very dry eyelids and underneath my eyes. I just use some creams I got prescribed last year -wish it would just go away tbh.

I have it on my hands and behind my legs. It does knock my confidence such that I never used to take my gloves off during winter and never used to paint my nails or use rings or bracelets so that no-one notices my hands.
Now, it completey went away I didnt do anything special but it's just not here anymore so I just finished painting my nails for the first time ever!!!!

I have it on my legs, the palm of my hand, my fingertips and under my eyes.

I use 50/50 cream (50% liquid paraffin, 50% white paraffin) at night, but it's like putting Vaseline on so I have to wear gloves if I use it on my hands, and can't use it on my legs... plus, it gets everywhere so my hair looks greasy when I wake up in the morning.. apparently I keep touching it in my sleep .
Hydro-cortisone cream works, and diprobase, aqueous cream, simple moisturiser, Fucibet, soap substitutes, Betnovate cream. Different things work for different people .

Mine is bad at the minute, it keeps bleeding and it's gotten infected a lot lately, but other than creams, there's not much you can do about it Don't let it get you down

its a common problem... mine is terrible at times... not seen many people with worse so i think what i say comes with good authority

it really is different for different people(flakiness, dryness, seeping, inflamation, itchiness, sores, redness combination of all of them like me lol), its a question of keeping it under control. when i was younger it used to bug me so much, i used to hate it or people mentioniing, i used to pretend it doesnt exist. now i realise that theres nothing less of a turn off than being shy and the way that i usually go about it is with openness and honesty (without being gross) if people ask. its not nice, i get it on my face and im sure people do look from time to time and think ewww but you know confidence does count for a lot - theres a lot of psychological studies to show that.

just find a way to keep it under control... i don't know if anyone has heard of abido cream?
its honestly like a miracle cure for me when i'd tried everything else... cleared my eczema right up (and i think ive stressed how bad it cud get) in a matter of days... maybe 5 days tops. its in a tiny tub as well, costs about a tenner... i'd get thru about 3 in the whole of winter maybe because once ur skin is good its not so hard to keep it under control. inbox me if ur not comfortable talking on public forum, always happy to help.


in other news (may as well ask) could anyone inbox me about how MAs work at Aberdeen/Dundee? im wanting to study business/politics there but im confused by the prospectuses etc dont want to mess up my application. im an english student looking to apply for 2011 entry. tyyyy

Dead sea mud and salt are good, also going to sleep with hydrocortisone and aqueous on

I had it really, really badly in the last couple of years- I think at one point last year I had it on my face, my scalp, my torso, my arms, my legs- all at once, and all bleeding and seeping too. Gross. Also my hair is ridiculously thin because it's all falled out cos of my scalp eczema. Luckily I don't have any balding patches but my ponytail looks like it's only half my hair up there.

Anyway I see a dermotologist now and it's way better, and if you can get your doctor to refer you to one it can make all the difference (e.g. before I saw a dermotologist my eczema had been diagnosed as psoriasis, doh).

I've been put on oral steroid for it (basically a month of not sleeping but my skin was amazing) antibiotics for an infected scalp (really bitter taste in my mouth all the time, had to eat mints constantly for a few weeks) and now it's settled down so I'm just using some creams and scalp applications.

At the moment Protopic is working for me really well- it's not a steroid cream but it has similar effects, but without the flare ups that you get when you stop using something like betnovate. On my scalp I'm using betnovate along with a steroid shampoo, forgotten its name.

Yeah, I've had it since I can remember and it can really knock your confidence. I'm a lot better with it now but I used to avoid going out if it was bad, and I haven't had a haircut in over 2 years. It really sucks but I think there's always something you can do to make it better, and there are SO many treatments out there that you're never really going to run out of trying something new.

I used to have it bad as a real young child, basically my whole body was red and/or bleeding, I also remember the day I completely lost all of my Eczema when we arrived in Paris for a holiday, it was a really strange feeling.
Since then i've barely ever had it again altough i've got a horrible bit of eczema on my inner thighs and between my neck and shoulders.

Yeah, I went out with a guy for like 3 years and we never, ever mentioned it. I just pretended it wasn't there and I think he felt like he'd left it too long to ask, so it was really awkward cos I had it pretty much all over me. I'm way more open about it now and it's so much better, such a relief to not be embarassed or awkward about it.

I had it extremely bad as a kid all over my body. My face was the worst. My mum didn't want to use any steroid creams on me when I was younger so after that's all the GP had to offer she took me to a Chinese herbalist.

He gave me a cream as well an absolute vile concoction of herbs to drink, all this really done was made me feel cold but it did clear up some of the eczema.

After she had taken me there she took me to a homeopathic doctor who gave me a sort of powder to take and that cleared my eczema up within a year. My eczema has been basically gone since I was about 8.

I still have really dry skin and I'm almost constantly itchy but you wouldn't
Even be able to tell now that I've got it.

If you havent already I would suggest busting a homeopath. Also
completely cut out fizzy juice and as much chocolate as you can. I was also told to stop eating and drinking dairy products, was told to have goats milk instead. Another thing I was told to stay away from was citrus fruits.

Try to use baby johnsons or simple shower gel, it's less harsh on your skin and also be careful what shampoo you buy. I use E45 as a moisturiser and that gets rid of most of the dryness.

I know people are skeptical about homeopaths but that was the only thing that got rid of my eczema and since then it's never came back. My sister had it too but not as severe, she didn't get any homeopathic treatment and hers is still behind her knees and on her arms.

I've Psoriasis.. Not too different. Got it on my arms, legs, torso, back, scalp, neck, face..

Had it since I was 3, and now 19. Used to be wayyyyy worse when I was younger, but I got a decent treatment for it about 9 months ago and it helped a lot. Used to have massive patches, but now it's just small outbreaks.

Got teased about it lots when I was younger so didn't really have much confidence and tried to do everything to hide it. But now it's cleared up well, I'm not as paranoid about it, but still be aware when meeting new people and stuff..

Diprobase is great for keeping the skin moist and smooth. Pretty much only steriod creams work on the outbreaks that takes away the scaleyness/redness.

Hey i have it all over my body, and have had it since i was young. When it really gets bad i take steroids that are in creams as a last resort it really does calm it down. But usually i just keep my skin moist with oil after a shower or Vaseline usually in the day. I find a hot shower often calms it down a little but it is a persistent think. It has had not affect on my confidence, does not bother me but when i get wet like in a swimming pool or rain or whatever i find it very annoying or when i get a hair cut.

On the bright side it gives me something to talk about if i decide to apply to medicine, since i used to constantly have to see a dermatologist.

DO NOT USE E45!!

I used it everyday for like 2 years and I swear it made it worse. There was stuff in the papers about it being bad. If you are going to use a cream, dont use an E45 water based type one. Use an oil based cream!

My doctor has given me diprobase; betnovate ointment; lotraderm, which is antifungal with steroids, for my feet; and fuicidin, which is antibiotic with steroids, for my nipples.

I have it on my legs, feet, my nipples, my arms, armpits, and my genitalia and now my left ear canal. The hard water in Iceland appears to aggravate my condition so it's flaring up far worse than it usually does.

I use hydrocortisone, substitute soap, and betnovate (for more regular use). I have it on my hands, and more occasionally on my forehead. I also hoover pretty much daily. On bad days, an antihystamine tablet is good.

With regards to confidence, I know how you feel. I'd often be quite paranoid about people seeing or touching my hands etc, lest they think me disgusting. Anyone I've mentioned it to, though, apparently hardly noticed I had it at all.

Coconut oil is great if you're diligent enough to apply it throughout the day!

also try tanning salons if the pain of eczema overweighs the risk of skin cancer in later life. im mixed race so ive guess ive always thought i'd be less affected.. i've never been but in the summer my skin clears up entirely and if this BLOODCLART COLD WEATHER CONTINUES FOR MUCH LONGER i might just buy one of these cheap return flights to portugal for a weekend lol

Regular sunbeds don't work- it's UVA light whereas the light that helps eczema is UVB.

Really? I get pretty bad flare ups and rashes and what have you if I stop using it.

Regular sunbeds don't work- it's UVA light whereas the light that helps eczema is UVB.

thanks for all your messages.. atm im having a flare up and its on my neck, forehead, around my mouth, arms and on my chest.. its like the worst one i've had in agess!

but im actually going to try everything you guys have suggested.. i already use betnovate, but apparently you shouldnt really use it on your face often

betnovate? yeah, me too- I don't really like betnovate, it only really seems like it works in the very short term alongside other treatment. Because when you use it it's great, and the eczema goes away straight away, but then as soon as you stop it flares up even worse than before.

Ah no, protopic. To be fair I've been on it since it was first on trial. I think I'm only a few years away from skin cancer now >_>

Does anyone else have asthma as well? I've heard the two are linked.

I had it really, really badly in the last couple of years- I think at one point last year I had it on my face, my scalp, my torso, my arms, my legs- all at once, and all bleeding and seeping too. Gross. Also my hair is ridiculously thin because it's all falled out cos of my scalp eczema. Luckily I don't have any balding patches but my ponytail looks like it's only half my hair up there.

Anyway I see a dermotologist now and it's way better, and if you can get your doctor to refer you to one it can make all the difference (e.g. before I saw a dermotologist my eczema had been diagnosed as psoriasis, doh).

I've been put on oral steroid for it (basically a month of not sleeping but my skin was amazing) antibiotics for an infected scalp (really bitter taste in my mouth all the time, had to eat mints constantly for a few weeks) and now it's settled down so I'm just using some creams and scalp applications.

At the moment Protopic is working for me really well- it's not a steroid cream but it has similar effects, but without the flare ups that you get when you stop using something like betnovate. On my scalp I'm using betnovate along with a steroid shampoo, forgotten its name.

Yeah, I've had it since I can remember and it can really knock your confidence. I'm a lot better with it now but I used to avoid going out if it was bad, and I haven't had a haircut in over 2 years. It really sucks but I think there's always something you can do to make it better, and there are SO many treatments out there that you're never really going to run out of trying something new.

oh right. Yeah I'm pretty sure by the time I'm 30 I will have NO SKIN. which will be a blessing.

I've only been on Protopic since the summer, I quite like it so far but I'm really rubbish at putting creams on so I forget about it for ages.

Are they?
I have it (:
*goes off to Google this*

don't want to alarm you, but protopic use increases the risk of getting skin/lymph cancer. Some specialists in america have advised against its use. Some specialists say the risk is small. protopic is better than steriod creams as it doesn't thin the skin like steroids.

Diet/deficiencies plays a massive role (although there are some specialists who wouldn't agree!) in conditions such as eczema/psoriasis.

Well, yeah, but sun also causes cancer and I get as much as that as possible for my eczema. I'd rather sort my skin out now and risk illness later than be miserable with terrible eczema and a slightly lower chance of cancer (I'm sure most sufferers would agree to be honest).



Why do you think so?