By Herbzman on Thursday, October 09, 2008 - 12:24 pm:
| By Herbzman on Thursday, October 09, 2008 - 12:24 pm: |
Vaseline Intensive Rescue Body Lotion has really helped me. After just a few days of use my face had nearly healed and was no longer tinted with redness. Now .. almost a month later, it is normal colour.
Although it wasn't what i'd call severe facial Eczema, it was still a continuous annoyance for 3 years.
Just thought i'd share this in case it offers relief to anyone.
| By Waheed on Saturday, October 04, 2008 - 11:31 pm: |
I have had eczema since birth and it has been total hell to live with. The eczema is all over my body from head to toe. At 13 years old i said to my mum why couldnt u have killed me when the doctors told her. I was regulary attacked at school and called 'deseased'. Im depressed i literally cant walk out my front door. Pretty much given up on life. Ointment,creams,emolients watever nothing works it might help one day then the next it will be totaly useless im 49 now. NO TREATMENT, NO CURE, THE END. YOUR STUCK LIKE THIS. For all u people with eczema WALK OUT THAT DOOR IF PEOPLE WANT TO STARE LET THEM BECAUSE UR STRONGER THAN THEM.
| By cins244 on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 - 02:05 am: |
hi all, my 10 year ols suffers from chronically rubbed eczema, its very bad on his legs, we have been to specialists in Raleigh N.C .and all they did was use Topicort (thins the skin) and it worked but then you can only use it so long. he uses every thing u can name and tried every treatment known to us. Recenly some1 told us about Selsun Blue Dandruff shampoo so we r using it on 1 leg to see if it helps, we are rubbing it on him at night then he will take shower in am before school then we moisturise with Burts Bees Honey and Orange cream or Eucerin Lotion..will let u knpw if the selsun blue works.
| By frazzledazzle on Saturday, December 08, 2007 - 10:43 pm: |
I used to suffer from dry skin around my nose when i was around 13 years old but didnt think anything of it until 2 years ago it started to become a regular occurance, itchy, and ultimately red and sore as a result of itching constantly. I had no clue as to the condition, but i knew it seriously affected my confidence as it would flare up around once every 2 weeks when i was still in school, with a large part of my 'middle' face being affected. I left school and went to college, where i found that my confidence had hit rock bottom and i was constantly looking in a mirror,car window, anything with a reflection to see what my face looked like. I suppose this lack of confidence made me lose all interest in college as all of my attention was focused on one thing - my eczema. I was severely depressed, which wasnt helped by nicknames of 'Rudolph' and 'Skinny' and a less than supportive girlfriend. My mum, fearing for my mental aswell as physical health, marched me to the doctors for an assessment. By now my eczema had spread to my top lip, my chin and to my forehead and eyebrows, which let to the doctor believing it was 'Butterfly Effect' eczema. I immediately left college because i could not cope and tried to join the army in the quest to either A. do something worthwhile with my life, or B. end my life sooner rather than later and stop suffering. I was rejected, and guess what, for my eczema! I am currently a waiter, and i have to give my boss the praise she deserves for being so supportive of me and understanding the pain of the disease. She always tries to instill confidence in me that she can see has been whittled away. I also get spurred on by the regular customers in the cafe that i work which is nice to get. I like to work but sometimes i just want to shut myself in my room and stay in the dark. Its bad to know that other people are suffering the same as me, as its a terrible illness, but atleast we are not alone. I cannot speak to my friends about this because they do not know what it's like and try to avoid the subject, but i know they stare. I currently use hydrocortisone cream which does work but when mixed with water re-appears - which means no swimming, no going out in the rain, showering and bathing trying desperately to keep water off the treated areas - and i have to 'peel' it off if water does get to it which can only make the areas worse. Off of advice, i am currently taking Zinc tablets as i am desperate to do something to rid myself of this horrible disease as it runs my life as i am constantly worrying about my appearance 24/7.
If anyone would like to chat and moan you can contact me using fraz_12345@hotmail.co.uk
| By Wade on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 - 11:15 am: |
Hi all. I have it just around my nose and eyebrows - if I don't treat it, it spreads out from there. SOLUTION: Cetaphil face wash (most chemists) every shower, then moisturise with the most chemical/perfumed free moisturiser you can find - the key to this problem is daily application - every day, every day, every day! I hope this helps - I too know the social pain of eczema! Cortisone creams and chelated zinc help as well! - It CAN be beaten!!!
| By Mitch on Sunday, July 08, 2007 - 11:23 pm: |
People with genetic eczema:
Please try this:
Take 50 mg of Zinc orally per day.
Chelated Zinc is preferred.
You can purchase this cheap at any vitamin store.
This treatment has put my eczema into remission.
Restrictions:
Do not do this if you are pregnant.
Also, you may want to start taking a multi-vitamin
as well.
If you try my Zinc treatment, please report the results (and your case history) to me.
-Mitch.
| By helenmelon on Monday, June 11, 2007 - 09:10 pm: |
Hi All
I feel for everyone out there, i have had eczema since a child, I can pretty much control it on my body but in the last 3 years it has appeard on my face and neck. It is horrible and i just feel like crying. The itching and burning makes it so i cant think of anything else and i am always looking in a hand held mirror when i am out to see how bad it is. I say no to soical situations like going out with my friends because i feel like such a freak. Sarahm said about the face tanner which i may give a go, there was a programme a couple of weeks ago where a girl with severe eczema had light treatment and it cleared up.
I am willing to try anything and worry so much that i will be like this for the rest of my life and i am only 23 and it scares me
Good luck everyone
| By andrew on Monday, May 07, 2007 - 03:44 am: |
Hi guys,
Can I just say I feel for you, eczema is something that can really ruin peoples' lives as iv read your posts. I have had eczema all my life, im 16 now and I just basically have dry skin in places, it gets better and worse but generally I dont really get red soreness. I have realized that I am pretty lucky with the level of eczema I have compared to some people, most of the time if I just put moisturizer on twice a day and have a 10-20min bath in Oilotom my skin looks and feels fairly nice. I sometimes get a bit petty when on the back of my arm/should or some random place shows dry skin and it really bugs me sometimes. But on the whole I find just keeping the same consistency of what makes u feel best while treating your eczema is what will make it better. I have had stages in my life where i didn't need to put any moisturizer on and my skin felt and looked great.
Good luck guys I really hope one day you can feel comfortable in the skin your in. I know that you can get very jealous where loads of people you know all have perfect skin and dont even need to take a second thought about it, but just please face it. You have eczema it WILL get better and worse and some lucky people may clear of it and some may not, just learn to accept it the best you can.
| By Jean9v on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 - 12:51 pm: |
arania,
How long have you had this...?
Have you been allergy tested ?
j
| By aranja on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 - 12:05 pm: |
i have horrible eczema all over my body, i'm only 16 and cancelled so much of my schoold days, because i don't want anyone looking at me or talking to me. It is basically ruining my life, I have tried every single thing there is, and it hurts me so much to know it will never go away. All my firends don't have eczema, it feels like its just me. but even if there are others what is the point? I will always have it, and my life is being ruined by it, I am failing subjects due to it, cancelling school and everything. Eczema is controlling my life, i can only wear certain clothes, and go out at certain time. I'm just a teenage girl, and I shouldn't be going through this. I know i need to think of the positives, but what the hell? If i'm going to always feel like this, then there is no point. Unfortunately I'm a coward and too scared to take my eczema filled life
| By mitch on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 - 10:30 pm: |
ZINC! ZINC! ZINC! ZINC!
I have what appears to be a treatment for my case of eczema.
I am now 2 months into the treatment (begun September 15, 2006), and the results have been AMAZING.
Background:
___________
I first showed signs of eczema in 1999, at age 31.
It disappeared for awhile, but by 2002, my hands, wrists, legs, and feet were cut to ribbons.
I finally went to a Dermatologist, who diagnosed me with genetic eczema.
The Dermatologist really had no idea how to treat this thing.
I did a one time high concentration cortisone cream treatment in 2002, which completely healed
me for about a month.
Knowing cortisone was a temporary fix, with possible side-effects, I never went for another cortisone treatment.
So, twice a day I applied basic hand lotion purchased at a 99 Cents store.
Applying lotion permanently removed the symptoms of eczema from my wrists, legs, and the palm side of both my hands.
The back of my hands were no longer cut, but thousands of "water blisters" covered them, and stayed permanently.
However, my hands rarely itched.
My feet were much improved, but they still itched and had permanent rough patches and cuts.
No over the counter "treatments", not those anti-itch cortisone containing tubes, did much for me.
Zinc Treatment:
_______________
I recently went casting about on the Internet for some new ideas.
I found a website by a guy who had been a successful Rock & Roll drummer, who put his eczema into remission by taking Zinc.
(I seem to have lost his URL).
He recommended Chelated Zinc, Zinc attached to an amino acid, which is absorbed by the stomach faster than pure Zinc.
I bought a bottle of 100/50mg capsules at a Vitamin store for $7, and began taking 3 capsules a day (150mg) for the first 2 months.
As of November 1st, I have reduced my intake to 125mg Zinc per day.
Results:
_______
As of November 15, 2006, 100% of the "water blisters" have disappeared from the back of my hands.
My hands are neither itchy or swollen, nor do they have any rough patches.
They are totally clean.
I consider my hands in COMPLETE REMISSION.
I really don't need to apply hand lotion any more, my hands feel softer, as if they are oiled properly.
My feet are approximately 85% less inflamed, less itchy, and less cut.
I am still applying the basic lotion twice a day to my feet.
Notes:
_________
Clinical studies have repeatedly shown that genetic eczema sufferers have low levels of Zinc.
The theory is that eczema causes a drop in the level of Zinc, not the other way around.
In turn, the low levels of Zinc are a main factor in the resulting skin problems.
I have done extensive research on the ingestion of Zinc.
Apparently, there has never been a study done with eczema patients ingesting 100-150mg of Zinc every day for a reasonable period.
This is crazy.
However, it seems that many websites I visited promote Zinc creams as a way to put eczema into remission.
Also, many websites I have visited indicate medical professionals are well aware of the success of Zinc in treating eczema.
In fact, these clinically oriented websites bluntly state that "anecdotally", Zinc can put eczema into REMISSION.
I belive there may be a co-agent involved, that will heal my feet to the 100% level.
I have already tried Magnesium, and Cod Liver Oil.
Neither had any effect.
I intend to try Vitamins A, B-6, C, and D, all individually paired with Zinc.
When all is said and done, I believe my daily regimen will consist of Zinc, plus a yet to be determined co-agent, plus a multi-vitamin.
Warnings:
_________
If you are pregnant, don't take Zinc.
125mg of Zinc per day appears to be the safe limit of daily Zinc intake for everyone else.
A Request:
__________
I am requesting that eczema sufferers, especially genetic eczema sufferers, try this treatment, and post the results on this message board.
I do not know if Zinc will work for people who have environmentally caused eczema, such as those whose eczema was caused by exposure to chemicals,
but I welcome you to try it anyway.
Feel free to email me:
mitchmitch319@hotmail.com
| By evnlee on Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - 06:07 pm: |
hi all,i have eczema on my face it comes and goes but it started when i was 3 i also have it on my arms back ,neck and chest and it really gets me down ive tried all the creams from the docs but i dont like the thought of all the steriods as i think there doing more harm and as soon as i stop using them it spreads to another area of my body i have also tried certain foods goats milk instead of cows etc i always use non bio washing powder ive tried many different things such as olive oil,oats in the bath reflexology and nothing seems to help! if any1 has any natural methods please please share im interested in trying accunputure but spent so much on different methods please if any1 can advise of natural method thanks
| By preeti on Friday, December 10, 2004 - 01:51 pm: |
ive had exactly the same problem as scarface the damn doctors dont help at all all theyve given is steroid creams which have totally ruined my skin now, do any of you have an idea about what it could be because its been coming back for the past 5months
| By scarface on Monday, February 16, 2004 - 03:02 pm: |
Hi all,
I appear to be having a flare up - my face is all red, sore and hot, the skin is very flakey (every time I touch it skin falls into my hand!) and my eyes are swollen.
Please help me!! I'm at college and everyone keeps staring at me!!
| By angela on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 06:18 am: |
All these commentaries break my heart, as i can relate to the pain you all feel from having facial eczema. I went to a famous dermatologist in China to try to cure my eczema, and she prescribed herbs for me. I have found that that intense itchy "heat" felt after and during scratching has decreased dramatically. I just battle extremely dry, damaged skin now.If any of you want, I could fax you over the prescription after asking some questions to see if your eczema is like mine (these are questions that the doctor asked me.) it can't hurt to try, i think. Also, i have found that "creme de la mer" works. I am also taking a milk protein supplement called Immunocal now that is supposed to help your immune system. I think it has worked well!Good luck everyone, and email me at stinkychen@hotmail.com if you want the prescription.
| By Moira on Friday, November 07, 2003 - 02:32 pm: |
For sufferers of eczema and severe dry skin, like myself, I have just begun using a 10% urea based moisturiser recommended to me by a pharmacist- Calmurid by Galderma - and it's the best thing I have ever used in the battle for re-hydrating skin, especially the face. The trick was in the application, immediately after washing with the skin still damp, apply a thick coat and leave to absorb for a few minutes. I'll admit it did sting a little, but it's normal because of the salts. My skin returned to normal complexion within hours - no more tightness, or flakiness, and no need to keep reapplying moisturiser, the skin remained hydrated all day. It was truly an amazing improvement. Drawbacks are that it does remain sticky on the skin and doesn't relieve the itching completely - but it helps in conjunction with a mild topical steroid, or essential oil based soothing gel which i prefer to use.
Another tip for a soothing (and a mildly disinfecting) face rinse, esp if open sores are present, is to add salt to your basin of water and splash several times. Very soothing. Do a final rinse with unsalted water to remove the salts - and moisturise straight away.
These are just a few tips I've learnt over the many years I too have suffered - it's great there's a site like this where we can at least share some tips and treatments. Look forward to reading your comments. Cheers
| By bob on Tuesday, September 23, 2003 - 10:32 pm: |
I am 28 and have eczema all over and particularly on my face at the moment. I can honestly say that it is ruining my life - I can identify with everything written below - it is good to know I am not alone in feeling so unhappy about it.
Nothing seems to make it better, even cyclosporin, steroid creams and antibiotics, and protopic was absolutely useless for me. I am desparing. One of the worst things is that it is constantly flaking on my face - I put emolient cream on about 20 times a day and it makes no difference - it is still as dry and flakey. I hate smiling now as my face cracks and I have loads of lines which have recently appeared.
Does anyone know of anything to make your face less dry and feel less tight?
Has anyone found that completely changing their lifestyle has had a positive effect?
| By Beth on Monday, March 31, 2003 - 10:47 pm: |
Wow. What a comfort to find this site and read everyone's posts. I feel so much for all of you. And I totally understand. I developed eczema on my face just two years ago and it has turned my life upside down. I've gone from being a happy, go lucky person to living a roller-coaster ride where I can cry at the drop of a hat. I worry constantly about what others think when they look at me. I get so embarrassed all the time. And I HATE the fact that not even one minute of my day goes by when I'm not thinking about the eczema on my face. I use both Elidel and Protopic. Elidel feels nice but I don't think it does a damn thing. I put Protopic on my face at night and I think it helps but it's so greasy. Still, my eczema is always there. Has anyone used Elidel or Protopic on their face while pregnant? I'd love to talk to anyone who has. Anyone out there want to chat? It's good to know I'm not alone. Beth
| By koz on Monday, February 24, 2003 - 03:12 pm: |
hi sarah, i can understand what u must be going through.I've had eczema all my lifeand i'm 19 now.when I first had eczema about 90% of my body was effected.since then i've improved a lot at the present moment only my face neck is effected the most. but then again these are the 2 least place u want your eczema to be, but what can u do.my confidence has gone down very low because my face and neck is affected.I always get paranoid thinking that everyone is looking at me and it use bother me before.One thing i've learnt in life is not to fill sorry for myself. yes I have a lot of disadvantages in life due to eczema, but I always try to think about the positive things such as the love and comfort I got from my parents and small things like that make u feel so good.
try that yourself it might help and take care of yourself and don't let eczema change u.
| By Catwin on Wednesday, January 22, 2003 - 02:57 pm: |
Hello, about a year and a half ago, the skin around my lips flared up something terrible, i dismissed it as a cold sore for a few weeks and applied vasiline. As a child i had had patchy eczema around my joints and behind my ears, which dissapeared by the time i was seven or eight. As a teenager, i had, what was then diagnosed as stress related imbetigo around my mouth, which was horrendously painful, that lasted a year or so. Years later it flared up again i went to my GP and gave me steroid cream which cleared it up.
This time around nothing has really worked. My GP although sympathetic, has been worse than useless until finally I demanded a dematological test, after months of blood tests and creams, only to be told that i had to wait at leat 4 months for an appointment i was at the end of my itchy tether. I paid £105 for a private consultant to, in the matter of 10 minutes, inform me that i had atopic eczema.He prescribed me a combination of 2 steriod creams which has helped tremendously but not cured the condition. Reading this web page has given me lots of theraputic avenues to pursue. So i am off to buy myself some Milk Thistle, i'll let you know the results
| By Kez on Friday, January 10, 2003 - 04:29 pm: |
Mandy - keep going back to the doctor, you need to keep them informed of whats working and not for your young child. If they are not too helpful, try asking to be referred to a specialist. Ive learnt not to suffer alone with my 3yr old, who also suffers from lots of food intolerences etc as well.Good luck x
| By Mandy on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 09:04 pm: |
I have 2year old twins and one of them has eczema and I'm now really sure if it is. The doctors said it was but he didn't even touch or look at it really good. my daughter has red,dry,itching skin. White puss comes out of it and she has so many medications to take what can i do?
| By sarahm on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 - 09:50 pm: |
Hi, I dont know if this will help anyone else but it seems to have worked for me. Only last week i was complaining how bad my eczema was on my face, It was red, blotchy and cracking in places so i bought myself a facial tanner (about £40 in the sale at Argos or Index) and bought some hemp body lotion from the body shop (£7.00 for a fairly big pot) and my ezcema is vairly visible now.
All I did was use the facial tanner 3 times for 10 minutes each time over a week then immediatly after washed my face with cool water and applied the cream. I also used the cream every time i washed my face (I used to apply E45 instead)and it seems to have done the trick.
I definatly recommend the cream as i have tried a lot of things and this is the first thing that has worked so quickly.
I hope this helps someone
| By imogen on Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 01:18 pm: |
hi my name is imogen I have had eczema on my face and other parts for 38 years and at times it really gets me down when its good i have so much confidence but when its bad i feel like i am so inferior to other people i have tried lots of things but always resort back to cortizone cream on my face i know its bad and i am already aging so much through using it but what can i do to stop the rashes i cant get protopic where i live any suggestions would great.
| By treiw on Friday, September 13, 2002 - 10:45 pm: |
i am after some advice, my 3 year old son, has, in the last few days come up with very red circles on the cheeks, he is not hot, he says they hurt a little, but i don't know if they itch etc.., he has had lots of probs with rashes in the last year,all unexplained. he has asthma, and i heard the two commonly go together! is it likely that this could be a mild form of eczema that he may have? he says his eyes hurt, but then rubs just under his eyes!please help!
| By dw on Tuesday, July 02, 2002 - 12:44 am: |
Hey Gaz,
The skin on your face is more sensitive than the rest of the body. To much steroids can thin the skin on the face to a weaker condition. Yeah I realize that if you get a sore, you need to do a little dab.
What I usual do is mix a small amount with a mositurizer, so it softens and medicates at the same time, with out just using pure medication.
| By Gaz on Saturday, June 29, 2002 - 05:08 pm: |
DW,
It's not quite so bad now, I've been treating it with steroids. I don't know what triggered it. I'm not under any more stress than usual, and I haven't really been out in the sun very long either. No chemicals or hot areas either.
| By dw on Friday, June 28, 2002 - 04:11 pm: |
Gaz,
Are you under any stress?
That is a major reason.
Excessive Sun?
Sun is okay, but it seems more harmfull these days if you get to much.
With me Eczema, picks a target for awhile and attacks generally 2 areas at a time.
Touch chemicals or grease?
Being in hot areas?
I would have to say the getting it on your face is the worst place. It could be just rotation.
| By Gaz on Thursday, June 27, 2002 - 09:53 pm: |
Anyone know what might cause my eczema to suddenly flare up violently in the last few days? It's only on my face (worset on my cheeks and under my eyes), but it's extremely itchy and red, it itches constantly and feels very hot, but it's only my face that'a affected. I haven't done or eaten anything different to my knowledge, but it's really horrible. The rest of my eczema is under comtrol with Cyclosporin, which was also keeping my face nicely under control until about 3 days ago. I've tried hitting it with steroid creams, but to no avail, and emollients don't even soothe it and stop the itching. Also, my eyes are very itchy and weepy, that's been going on for about the same amount of time. I've taken some antihistamines but they haven't done much either.
Any ideas, as this is driving me mad!
| By Anonymous on Saturday, June 15, 2002 - 07:26 pm: |
ive had eczema since i was 14/15 the older i get the worse it seems to get isuffer badly for a month or two then it clears up ,its embarrassing when i go out any ideas would be greatly appreciated,ive found that germolene ointment keeps it at bay but doesnt clear it completely i feel sorry for anyone suffering from eczema.
| By David on Tuesday, June 11, 2002 - 04:05 pm: |
Hi folks, Missxma, you mention your problems with the pool. Perhaps the leisure club pool has higher than usual concentrations of chlorine, or other things added to clear the water. I wonder if applying a very greasy emollient lightly to the skin before bathing might help. (Something like petroleum jelly - Vaseline - or Epaderm). Of course it wouldn't help your eyes if you get water in the eyes, but it might otherwise provide a protective barrier.
With regard to 1% Hydrocortisone, I find Mildisone Lipocream very good (from Yamanouchi). It is 1% Hydrocortisone is a greasier base than generic hydrocortisone creams, and therefore stays on the skin better. I use it on my face as needed.
| By MissXma on Friday, June 07, 2002 - 08:20 pm: |
Recently I joined a smart leisure club mainly because of the lovely pool. It is the only pool ever that has caused my eyes to swell and my eczema to flare up. I daren't swim anywhere at all now. Well worth £75 subscription fees!! After doing several different classes I also realise that sweating causes me major problems. I have particularly bad patches near my left eye and between my nose and top lip (upper lip?). I tried Chinese Herbal after this but even if it had worked I couldn't afford to keep paying for a prescription every week. Hemp products from The Body Shop are really good(but dont prevent flare-ups) but I think I'll always need that 1% hydrocortisone. Apart from 'dont exercise' has anyone ANY suggestions?
| By Peachy on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 - 01:07 pm: |
My face used to be a mess, very red and scaly but I've started washing it with aqueous cream which has been revolutionary!!! Also, having spent £100s on expensive face creams which didn't help, I've just discovered Asda's 12-hour face cream which works a treat. It's like WOW! I feel like a new person!
| By Anonymous on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 - 01:01 pm: |
Hi rebecca,
my eczema on my face used to be really bad. then I decided to stop using any form of steroids on my face, and since then it has improved greatly. I wash my face with a particular brand of bottled water. ( I dont care if poeple think im crazy, but i know that the tap water brings my face up. Then i put some olive oil (boots ) on a tissue and apply it to my face. I never use my hands. If i find my face still feels uncomfortable I wash it again and grease it till it feels comfortable enough. I also noticed that if i drank chinese herbal medicine whilst sticking to my regime, the skin on my face would rejuvinate and gradually clear up.
Take car
| By Anonymous on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 - 01:01 pm: |
Hi rebecca,
my eczema on my face used to be really bad. then I decided to stop using any form of steroids on my face, and since then it has improved greatly. I wash my face with a particular brand of bottled water. ( I dont care if poeple think im crazy, but i know that the tap water brings my face up. Then i put some olive oil (boots ) on a tissue and apply it to my face. I never use my hands. If i find my face still feels uncomfortable I wash it again and grease it till it feels comfortable enough. I also noticed that if i drank chinese herbal medicine whilst sticking to my regime, the skin on my face would rejuvinate and gradually clear up.
Take car
| By alyson on Monday, May 20, 2002 - 02:46 am: |
Hi Everyone!
I'm 25 and i live in Canada. This is my first time looking up eczema on the web. I finally realized that i'm not alone in this world. I have really bad eczema on my face, hands and some parts of my body. I have had this all my life but in the past 3 years my eczema has been getting really bad and i cant stand it. I have gone to the doctors here in my home town and my doctor doesnt know what is causing my sever eczema. I know that when i'm out in the sun i break out really bad. It gets to a point where i cant be out in the sun more then 5 mins. If i do stay out in the sun, by night time i get really bad red patches of eczema all over my face. This year my eczema wont clear up no matter what i do. The best thing for me is to stay inside and away from light. I wonder if my same reaction to the sun effects other people to? I have been married for 10 years and have three children. Sometime i get really depressed and think my husband will leave me for a better looking women. My husband loves me a lot and say i'm beautiful to him no matter what, but sometime i dont believe him and dont like him looking at me. I would really like to have someone to chat w or talk to about my condition and also someone who has eczema aswell
| By Sarah on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 09:39 am: |
Hi,
I have suffered from eczema since I was 12. But only on my face and neck. I was told I would grow out of it...but I haven't and I'm nearly 27! It did ease up for a couple of years, but the past year has been hell and I'm constantly getting impetigo. When it's bad, my confidence goes, I just want to cry and think everybody is looking at me. This is a good week at the mo and I'm almost clear...for how long I don't know. Though it is in my ears which is infuriating, at least no one can see them!I have antibiotics, steroid creams all at the ready, have to wash with hibiscrub and use all the different hair shampoos with coal tar etc for my bad scalp.
It just drains me and my finances. I was waiting for another Nhs appointment, still no joy, got really cross with my Gp and ended up demanding to see a private specialist who actually listened.Everyone just is concerned with controlling the condition. Just like everyone else I want a cure!!
| By Julie on Saturday, May 04, 2002 - 11:58 am: |
Hi
How reassuring to read all your messages... suddenly don't feel so alone in this. I've had atopic eczema since I was 3, mainly on my body, but in the past 3 years the skin on my body improved and it all moved to my face. Steriod creams have thinned my skin and now appear to have totally stopped working, the emulsifying ointments burn and it takes 20 minutes every morning to remove all the dead skin... in order for it to start flaking again immediately!! I've heard of Tacrolimus, but have to wait until July when I see the specialist, to see messages where there have been positive results for facial eczema gives me renewed hope and to be honest I'd just about given up. I'll keep you posted on the results!
| By beatriz on Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 08:15 pm: |
HI again Melanie.
In the Usa you won´t get it without prescription I have family there, and when I knew this product I talk to them, and they went to but some for me and it was impossible, even my aunt has got a good relation with her GP.
And the price is the same than in Andorra.
But anyways try it.
| By Melanie on Thursday, April 11, 2002 - 05:02 pm: |
Can you buy it without a prescription in the US? At present I can't get it here in the UK, but I have a relative going to the States in a few weeks and he could get some. How much would it cost? A;though I would pay almost any price for my daughters face to be clear from eczema (She's 13 and its really knocking her confidence)
| By Jennifer on Wednesday, March 13, 2002 - 02:51 am: |
I've been using the Protopic since about February 26. I stopped using it last week for a few days (My face was completely clear so I saw no need)Last night my face started breaking out again, around my eyes, on my forehead, and near my mouth. I used the Protopic again last night and this morning things were better. I don't want to use it constantly, but I'll continue using it through the season I think. I'm sorry it is so expensive for you. My health insurance covers it so I only pay $12.00 for a 60 gm tube.
Jennifer
| By beatriz on Tuesday, March 12, 2002 - 12:25 am: |
Hi everyone
I´ve used Protopic for a week and is really great!!!1
can you please jennifer tell me how long you have been using for?.
I want to know how it works for long term.
I´m from the Spain, here is not still avalaible, but i couldn´t get it from a pharmacy in another country. It´s also really expensive!!!!!
thank u very much
Good luck for everyone
| By jennifer on Friday, March 08, 2002 - 04:05 am: |
It's horrible to have to go to work every day when your skin is bad. It's demoralizing. I quit work over 3 years ago after my 3rd child was born. So, I basically became a hermit because I didn't want to be seen.
I have very good news, though. I saw a dermatologist a little over a week ago, and he prescribed Protopic. My face is nearly completely clear! There is just a little bit of redness in a couple of spots, and my skin is smooth and soft now. It started to get better the first day I used the Protopic. It did burn and itch quite a bit all day (even longer for me than the prescription insert said had happened in 90% of the people who used it)By the 2nd day there was no burning or itching anymore.
It hasn't worked as well on the eczema on my arms and legs for some reason. That's okay, my steroid cream is working well for that, and I'm less concerned about using it on my body. Besides, the body eczema has only been around for the last few months. My facial eczema has been burdening me for over 3 years (since the birth of my last child).
I feel so good now. I don't think I realized just how much my eczema had been affecting me. I started taking antidepressants and speaking to a therapist in December last year. That was good, without that help I probably never would have worked up the energy to see a dermatologist. I had absolutely no hope that anything could ever be done. Now I'm thinking that sleep deprivation and my skin problems were probably the main reason I became clinically depressed.
I'm not sure where you live, (I'm in the U.S.)but I'm sure Protopic will be available where you are soon. I hope you can get a hold of some and that it will make as big a difference in your life as it has in mine.
Jennifer
| By Su on Wednesday, March 06, 2002 - 02:55 pm: |
Hi Rebecca and Jennifer,
I am also suffering from eczema on my face, and after a few years of mentioning it to my GP I finally got refered to an Eczema clinc last year.
I have been through the whole thing with patch testing (that was a really bad week for me) and eventually all they could tell me was what I already knew; use lots of emolient/moisturiser on my skin, use my steriod creams when it gets really bad(even tho they make me itch more).
From various web sites I have found that I should have been taking evening primose oil supplements ... I have started them now, but why didn't my GP/the dermatolgy clinc tell me this? Its just so frustrating.. unless you talk to someone else who has ezcema people just don't understand what you're going through.
I am 30 this year and am getting married as well... my confidence is pretty low because all I think of is that I will have a really bad eczema day for my wedding.
It has also affected me at work, I am a supervisor and my boss expects me to go with her on visits to other companies, and at present I have to say that I will go if my eczema's not too bad.
At the moment I'm waiting for the summer and some stable weather so that my skin will settle down, its getting me down that I haven't more than 4 continuous days of good skin since .. well I can't remember when.
I'm sat at work today with a bright red blotchy itchy face and can't even concentrate on my work.
| By Jennifer on Monday, February 25, 2002 - 11:25 pm: |
Hi Rebecca,
I'm 34 and have had eczema for my entire life too. I have it quite badly on my face right now, and I can sure relate to what you said about it knocking your confidence. At the grocery store I wonder what the clerk is thinking when she says hello. That's about the only place I go when my face gets really bad. I have an appointment with my dermatologist tomorrow, but I've almost given up hope of ever finding something to make this better. I've been dealing with a long running flare up of about 3 years (with varying degrees of severity). It's really hard to stay positive when it goes on and on. I'm really hoping the dermatologist will have something new for me this time around, but not holding my breath.
| By Rebecca on Sunday, February 24, 2002 - 02:23 pm: |
I have had eczema all my life. It affects all my body. I have tried all sorts of creams, oinments, emulsifiers, tablets, capsules, foods, eliminating foods, changing washing powders, you name it. I've learnt mostly just to cope/put up with it, but recently it's been getting worse on my face, and anyone with eczema on their face knows just how it can knock your confidence. I have "lichenified"(thickened deeply wrinkled hard skin) skin all over my hands and several other areas of my body from years of scratching and now I'm actually scratching my face. It used to just be red and patchy, sore or sometimes weepy, and always dry but now it's very itchy. I don't want my face to end up with hard deeply wrinkled skin too. I'm 33 years old now, and think by the time I'm 40 I'll look as old as a pensioner and it freaks me out.
I know everyone is an individual and what works for one person, won't neccesarily work for another. I suppose I'm writing for a bit of support. Does anyone else suffer long term chronic eczema especially on their face?? Perhaps we could have a moan together! My eczema really does knock my confidence when it's bad and stops me from going swimming and wearing certain clothes. We live in a society that loves nice skin, there are hundreds of adverts about anti wrinkling creams, skin cleansers, moisturisers etc all to make your skin young and beautiful. What I would give just to have just oily skin or just dry skin as long as I didn't have to have the eczema!