Understanding How to Treat My Eczema Led Me to Love My Skin
This post was sponsored by Pfizer Canada
Living with Atopic Dermatitis, also known as Eczema, can be a challenge. There’s no glazing over that fact. It’s itchy, rough, irritated, can flare up any time, and can be a real pain to treat.
At times I resented my skin, wishing to one day wake up with a fresh face that didn’t have rough patches after having worn concealer, or hands that could withstand wind, chlorine, or hand soap without flaring up. Especially in my youth, when I battled a flare-up on the center of my face, right around my lips, for well over a year. This of course followed an even nastier flare-up on the palms of my hands that cracked, bled, and turned all kinds of rosy colours from fourth to fifth grade. As if being a pre-teen isn’t hard enough.
My mom worked tirelessly to find me new skincare products that wouldn’t irritate my skin and moisturizers to keep my skin hydrated. We reached a point where we’d give literally anything a go. I had already been sleeping with cotton socks on my hands, and lounging with an ice pack on my face for years, so what did we have to lose?
One thing that strikes me fondly about recounting my childhood eczema experiences is the distinct memory that my mom and I were in it together, so I never felt alone. My skin successes were our successes, and she stopped at nothing to find me the best treatments for me. In a report by the Eczema Society of Canada, 65% of respondents have used four or more different treatment options to manage their child’s eczema.
Before I had a firm treatment routine with medicated skin care products that actually worked, I learned to work around my flare-ups, which always seemed to worsen in the deep, soupy heat of summer, and the stale, blistering cold of winter. It was in the tepid spring and fall seasons that I got some reprieve.
Golf camp was a favorite summer activity because it wasn’t weird for me to wear light and breathable leather gloves all day – the perfect disguise for my irritated, puss-laden palms. Long sleeve shirts were (and still are) one of my favorite wardrobe staples because I could pull sleeves down over my hands, and a good turtleneck to tuck my chin and mouth into quickly disguised my facial flare-ups. I got so used to layering thin turtlenecks under my clothes that my classmates poked fun at my signature style, but I loved it, and both long sleeves and turtlenecks are disproportionately overrepresented in my closet to this day.
My older brother, left, who does not have eczema. Myself, right, with an eczema flare up as a baby.
Although eczema is a condition affecting the skin, its presence had an immense impact on my emotions and my mental health. The feeling that I was in hiding, or that I wanted to disappear, crept up often, and I found myself worrying whether people were seeing my atopic dermatitis before they really saw me. 21% of parents/caregivers reported child/youth experience anxiety due to living with eczema.
Finally, in eleventh grade, I was free of major flare-ups in any visible areas. It was like a huge weight had been lifted, both physically and mentally. It all started when my incredible dermatologist had given me an individualized treatment plan back when I was in seventh grade. There was a remarkable and hasty improvement that corrected most of the very visible eczema. It took a few years for me to fully fall into remission, returning to what looked and felt like my “normal” skin.
As I moved into late teens and early adulthood, I put a greater focus on determining what triggered my eczema flare-ups, as I had been afforded a window of remission which I was determined to make last as long as possible.
I identified the following as my biggest personal triggers for eczema flare-ups (Atopic Dermatitis):
Stress
Dryness
Cold weather
Wind
Hot showers
Humidity
Chlorine
Washing my hands until they are raw
Harsh soaps
Some fragrances
Foundation and concealer worn for more than a few hours, or for more than 1 day in a week
Not washing my makeup or sunscreen off properly
Consuming too much sugar
Not getting enough sleep
Fabric softener
Not using the proper face cream
Not drinking enough water
Hair products, especially mousse and gel
Irritants like hair in my face, wool, or clothes that make me overheat
That first one – stress – that’s what led me to have a big flare-up on my face this past winter for the first time in almost a decade. It really caught me by surprise, but with persistence, and by diligently avoiding my triggers, it has mostly subsided. Eczema requires a lot of patience. Even as an adult I felt myself wanting to disappear into the crowd as I attended holiday gatherings with a face full of eczema, shiny from my fresh application of a moisturizer, and free from the fun makeup that I would usually pair with my party outfits.
But I do want to end this on a high note, and with good news. It was after a holiday season with eczema all over my cheeks that I learned to hold my head high. I persevered, was tactful, diligent, and attentive to my body’s needs. I shared my journey openly on Instagram, a filter-less, pajama-clad look into what it’s like to battle your own skin every day while also treating it delicately and with great care. The good news is that you, too, can manage your eczema flare-ups. Learn about how to manage your eczema, by visiting The Eczema Society of Canada at www.eczemahelp.ca and follow and share your journey by tagging #eczpressyourselfcanada, and learn to love the skin you’re in.