By Morpheus on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - 04:28 pm:

To redface

find this book on Amazon: The Eczema Solution by Susan Armstrong-Brown.

It teaches you how to stop the itch-scratch cycle. I was like you scratching for stress and emotional reasons and not just because I was itchy.

It really helps!I don't have any 'active' eczema now. Just skin reactions that are related to my allergies and which disappear within a couple of hours.

Eczema made my life a misery - I was depressed and suicidal. The doctors were useless and clueless. It's been 7 years since I used this book now and I've had no 'relapses' of my eczema (had it all over my body). I'm left with a some scars and slightly drier than normal skin but that incessant ITCH has gone...

By mental health on Monday, April 19, 2010 - 08:23 am:

redface

Yep! Since my eczema 'came back' in jan 2009 my mental health has been a mess. I was afraid to leave my desk at work because I didnt want anyone to see me
My doctor put me on fluoxetine to help me cope. I dont burst into tears all the time and I dont scratch quite so much (I scratch because im itchy but i started scratching when i was anxious too). Talk to your doctor about it because I found it really does help.

xx

By redface on Monday, April 19, 2010 - 12:20 am:

ECZMEA AND METAL HEALTH .

Does anyone find that facial eczmea affects their mental health? When my face is raw, red and weeping as it is now all over my body I become very recluse and not motivated. Esp things like job interviews ect ?

I wonder if going on mild anitdepressants would help as i cant seem to deal with stress well and often scratch to find relief, then i flare and scratch again. i just feel so ugly with this and not worth while as a human being?

By katie on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 - 10:01 am:

My dermatologist diagnosed ERYSIPELAS, then changed his mind and said my facial rash was eczema. I'm in flare-up at the mo. Nothing works. steroid creams, antibiotics, mousturisers. my skin gets so red/lumpy/itchy, then it splits. anyone else?

By Louise on Monday, March 08, 2010 - 04:47 pm:

I suffer with excema over my entire face and it is always dry, sore, flaking. For years my treatments were mild steroid creams, but I think these have exacerbated the problem in the long run - I try to control it now with Cetraben moisturiser and occasionally 1% Hydrocortisone, but often that strength of steroid is not enough. I've been hospitalised for it in the past and have tried immunosuppresant creams, such as protopic/tacrolimus - they didn't work well for me at all.
Dermol emoilent and shower creams are fabulous. Central heating really doesn't help matters...

By Happy on Tuesday, December 08, 2009 - 08:48 pm:

Hi all excema sufferers.What can I say?.Been there.Seen that.Bought the t shirt.Had excema quite serverly since early childhood but,its the stuff round the mouth thats the killer.Id suffered for about 4 years.Then I came across a wounderful thing.My doctor put me on antibiotics for 3 months.Yeah.Crazy.I know.He said hed had a lot of success and guess what.He was right.I only have mild attacks now.These are few and far between and can be soothed with a cream.

By Sue on Monday, March 24, 2008 - 08:49 am:

I know it doesnt sound very nice, but my brother is a nutritionist and he says rub you own (fresh) urine into it, it is sterile when it comes out of your body. I had a problem on my arm, itchiness that kept coming back and I tried it. Have had no problems since. Surely anything is worth a try.

By AJ on Monday, February 12, 2007 - 02:36 am:

its nice to see im not alone about 2 years ago i notices a few scaley spots on my arm and over the 2 years it has got worse its has spread all up my arms and legs even my bum lol :-( and now i have red patches both sides of my mouth at first it was sore ive been applying cream and now its really ichy and dont know y?? god i hate my skin. im on a puva light treatment at the moment and it doesnt seam to be working im just getting a nice tan lol but i have just been put on these new pills called Neotigason i hope this will work will post back and let u all know.

By Gloria on Sunday, December 03, 2006 - 08:12 pm:

Wow, it's nice to know I'm not the only one.

I hate to say it but creams will not help long term. You'll have to change your diet or the chemicals you are around.

By mia on Monday, September 18, 2006 - 01:22 pm:

hey parnie i was told that cheese meks eczema worse...dyu have ne allergic reactions 2 milk? i find that milk meks it even more worse than it alredy is!

By parnie on Sunday, September 17, 2006 - 12:36 am:

help my face is so swollen after eating pizza thanks

By mia on Tuesday, September 12, 2006 - 08:10 pm:

im so glad im not the only 1 hu gets red swollen dry n embarasin face eczema! im at scul n i find its a complete nytmare i jus cnt get rid of the redness! ne1 no ne suggestions? n the skins also so dry it can rely get me down it randumly cropped up las yr n has jus got worse n worse it seriulsy is lyk urgh wat am i suposed 2 do...doctors r jus so useless they cnt begin 2 undastand hw we feel! im sik of using steroids cz ive herd they thin skin but ther the only mehtod i no of mekin my face mre 'normal' lukin! ne1 got ne suggestions? mia xx

By rich on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 - 11:30 am:

cheers gina, i work in a warehouse where the shutters open and close for vans coming and going all day long, so the temp does change in there throughout the day. It was worse at christmas time when the heaters were on too. Its just really annoying when it flares up coz my cheeks go bright red and the skin tightens. knocks your confidence a bit, but i suppose everyone feels like that. hope your ok. THANKS.

By Gina on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 - 08:10 pm:

Hi Rich

Mine has come and gone over the years. As you get older unfortunately you tend to need stronger creams.

It could have been triggered by anything an allergy you have developed, hay fever, environmental factors i.e. poolution.

Have you tried something new recently a new food for example, have you got yourself a pet or spent more time around animals.

I would get it cleared by getting prescribed cream and then if it comes back keep a note of when, the food you had eaten at the time, environment you were in e.t.c.

The sudden heat recently wouldn't have helped anyone. I had the worst eczema flare up I have had since I was 14 and I am now 31. If it starts as prickly heat it is almost certainly to do with the sudden change in temperature.

Good luck!

By rich on Saturday, June 17, 2006 - 06:51 pm:

apparently i had eczema when i was a baby, now i'm 31 and have had a reaccurance of this on my face, [mainly cheeks, nose and forehead]. My face is, and feels red raw. I have been using hydro cortosone cream, but it does'nt seem to work for me. it's embarrasing as fuck. i thought it might be stress related, but i'm not stressed out about anything apart from this. does anybody have any idea's coz it's doing my head in!

By mathwig on Thursday, March 30, 2006 - 06:15 am:

oh my gosh! i seriously can't believe there are others out there! Right now i have a flare up so bad that I am to embarrassed to go to school. I have three huge red circles. Two around the eyes and one around the mouth. I have tried everything! elidel, cortozone, protopic, trimcynalome, anti-inflamatory, pills...nothing works. I am so frusterated. The patch around my mounth never goes away it is always bright red and dry. I was fine for years. What the hell happened? Could i Have possibly developed a food alergy that I am not aware of?

By flaky on Friday, October 14, 2005 - 04:07 am:

As I can say is Eczema F--king sucks!

thanks god!

By Zoe on Tuesday, December 07, 2004 - 07:21 pm:

Wow thought i was only person with eczema around my mouth, when i get a flare up my lips swell and i seem to get tiny lumps all over them and they look red raw, i look like a freak! Sometimes it's caused by things i eat, like citrus fruits and spicy foods, i have had to start cutting a lot of it out which is a bummer! I also sometimes get red swollen eyes so some days i wake up with swollen eyes and lips i look like ive been in a fight! i use hydrocortisone oitment but i have used it for years and i really worry about the effects! I also use chap stick and vasaline as a barrier every day and piriton allergy tablets for the itching and swelling, hope this might help others.

By lydia on Friday, October 15, 2004 - 01:22 pm:

I have darkened patches on my forehead. When it flares up, it will be very red and flaky. I am 28. It is very embarassing to be stared at all the time and to be the only ugly duckling at dinners etc (void of make up and patchy forehead!) Only got bad rashes at that area about 2 years back and never seem to subside anymore. Had always thought that it was eczema. Today, a dermatologist told me I had scalp psoriasis. I actually thought I had scalp eczema too, from all the itch and flakes in the whole scalp, around the hairline, ears etc. And what I had on my forehead was an extension of the scalp psoriasis. I am confused now. What is the difference between eczema and psoriasis? I had a biopsy done before (skin taken from calve) and I was suspected to have atopic dermatitis. Will the psoriasis heal? And when it heals, will my forehead clear? As of now (having a bad flare-up), I even have a red 'rings' around my nostrils and around my lips. Psoriasis? Eczema? :-(

By Pam on Wednesday, January 28, 2004 - 04:25 pm:

Dear Black lady,

I stopped relaxing my hair there are so many nice natural hairstyles. I found Oiltaum shampoo to be good.

By black lady on Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 03:40 pm:

i'm tired of relaxing my hair an killing my tender scalp every 8 weeks.people use to call it growing dandruff remember that.it's in the front of my hair line through out my head chin in an behind my ears base of my neck just after hair line.help

By alex on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 05:43 pm:

HI FORUM,

I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH YEAST PROBLEMS, MILK ALLERGIES,WHEAT ALLERGIES,ECZEMA,DANDRUFF ETC FOR MANY YEARS, BUT NOW I HAVE CURED MY PROBLEM!

I NOW DRINK MILK WITH PASSION!

HOW?

CLASSICAL HOMEOPATHY ONLY.

BEFORE I DID TRY HOMEOPATHY, BUT IT WAS NOT THE CLASSICAL METHOD, WHICH IS VERY RARELY FOUND NOW A DAYS. IT DID NOT BENEFIT ME AT ALL, IT DID MORE HARM THAN GOOD.

IN A CLASSICAL METHOD, THE DOCTOR PRESCRIBES VERY LITTLE MEDICINE, YOU TAKE 1 DOSE AND WAIT FOR A MONTH OR SO FOR NEXT DOSE, IT DOES VARY BY THE WAY, SOME DOSE ARE REAPEATED AFTER A DAY,WEEKS,OR EVEN 2 MONTHS.

I WAS VERY AMAZED BY THIS CLASSICAL METHOD, I REMEMBER THE NON CLASSICAL APPROACH WHICH I TRIED A YEAR INTO MY PROBLEM, AND THE DOCTOR GAVE ME LIKE 10 DIFFERENT REMEDIES AT ONCE, HE COULD HAVE KILLED ME!

PLEASE LOOK INTO CLASSICAL HOMEOPATHY, BELEIVE ME FORUM IT WILL HELP YOU VERY MUCH, I MEAN IT WILL CURE YOUR PROBLEM FOR GOOD, RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST DOSE YOU WILL FEEL AT EASE.

PLEASE DO YOURSELF SOME GOOD AND SAVE YOUR TIME AND GET BACK INTO DAILY ROUTINES AND ENJOY LIFE AS YOU ONCE DID.

HEY IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO EVEN SPEAK WITH THE DOCTOR THAT HAS TREATED ME, I WILL GLADLY GIVE YOU MY DOCTOR'S CONTACT INFO, WHO TREATED ME VIA EMAILS, NO PERSONAL VISITS.

email me and i will forward it to you:

alexmo634@hotmail.com

HEY I AM JUST HERE TO HELP YOU FOLKS AS I WAS WASTING MY TIME IN GETTING INTO ALL THESE SUPPLEMENTS AND THERAPIES WHICH DID NOT HELP ME, CLASSICAL HOMEOPATHY IS A LIFESAVER.

TAKE CARE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE A REFERRAL TO MY DOC YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT:

alexmo634@hotmail.com

i will gladly forward you the contact details.

By czarina_starla on Thursday, June 26, 2003 - 08:56 am:

The brand of make up i use, that has always provided enough coverage and moisture, is mary kay cosmetics. They just came out with a foundation last year that makes my skin feel good even on bad skin days. I mean nothing is going to make my skin normal, but when i wear the mary kay foundation i feel alot better about how i look, and that really does alot for me. Its got plenty of moisture in it and is hypoallergenic and has never caused me any problems at all. You cant find the stuff in stores, but you can go to www.marykay.com to get it. It really is great stuff. They also make a line of super gentle cleaners and emolliants that have saved my skin. Cause lord knows the prescription meds have done nothing.
Hope that helps

By Samantha on Monday, March 10, 2003 - 12:26 am:

Karen you are not alone, last september my whole face was red and sore! it was so tight, and even smiling felt awful as my skin was so tight. My skin was also weeping, and found that I had actually got an infection. At the time, I felt so alone as well, but hearing you guys makes me realise I was not.

All the best everyone.

By Anonymous on Monday, March 03, 2003 - 03:41 am:

i have eczema too and i went to the doctor she told me to use clinique makeup, for foundation i use the dewy soft kind it has really good coverage and gives a lot of moisture so it works sooo good

By Madelaine on Tuesday, September 03, 2002 - 11:03 pm:

The aquaphor is available at the drug store and is amazing for the area above the mouth and the "ends" of the mouth that crack also. It will clear up in a day or two if you apply every few hours. Good luck!

By Karen on Tuesday, September 03, 2002 - 07:04 pm:

hello, my name is Karen and let me tell you all that probably you have never had a severe case of eczema on the entire face. My eczema was so severe I couldn't even look in the mirror without crying my eyes out of how horrible I looked. I looke like elephant man. I didn't even want to get out of bed, I was so depressed. And not to mention the pain was excruciating! I couldn't see one clear patch of skin on my face. When I had to go to the doctor I had to put a cloth around my entire head so that I could cover my face. I looked like I was from the middle east. After the doctor I was extremely angry at the fact that he did not know what was wrong with me. A few months later I had it all over my entire body. I am so scared to have it. I don't know when it comes and goes. I still don't know what causes my eczema.

By Peachy on Friday, August 23, 2002 - 10:30 am:

Hi Anne. My acupuncturist says that the reason I get red rings round my mouth is because I've eaten something I'm allergic too and it hits the mouth worst of all. Does that make sense? Yeah, I hate looking like the funny guy from the circus too - a bit of lippy and foundation usually helps a little. hey ho.

Can't use Diprobase though. It causes havoc on my skin - red, sore, flaky, weepy. nasty!

By Anne on Thursday, August 22, 2002 - 05:09 pm:

Amazing! I thought I was the only person living
with this problem until I visited this site.
I have had many a day where I have been really
embarrased to see anyone looking like Coco the
clown with a big red ring around my mouth.
I find diprobase on my lips the best, vaseline
just makes them ten times worse. I don't think my
lips like lipstick either but then I don't wear any and they get really dry.
I think I'll just put a bag on my head!!

By Rose on Thursday, August 22, 2002 - 04:42 pm:

I have horrible eczema round my mouth.I have red itchy moustache(embarrassing!) cracks at both corners and nothing seems to help. I think they are immune to steroids now even. I used to be OK with a dab of 1% and by keeping cool but now they're constantly yuk. Its even affecting my decision to change jobs because I look so 'dirty'. We should all form a Manky Mouth Club!

By dw on Wednesday, July 10, 2002 - 01:13 am:

Anon,

Yeah I was lucky to get rid of that when i was a kid. You know what works for me around the mouth is regualar old Chap stick.

I have heard many people using vasoline, which i did not care for too much. Eucerin makes a product named Aquaphor it's like vasoline, but it works far greater for me. this is the sauce i use on my flaking fore, that sounds like a swear word, " Hey you Flaking Forehead!!!" lol

Well getting back on track, usually for the face they make a stronger hydrocorisone 2%, you just might need a stronger sauce to help you get over the hump to fight them nasty protiens.

It was interesting, i was talking to this dr. that runs a company. they have gotten into talks with a drug manufactor. they are calling the Pharmogentics. What this would be is using a vector genomic creams to keep recreating themselves, untill they kill off the virus / bad protiens. they say they that working on Serriocis, as he said that Eczema was to difficult.

this company one day can take off like a rocket. They state that they used the cream on herpes, one time use and it was gone. Also to create new hair, but getting anything through the FDA is a mircle.

Well any way try alittle Chapstick and some hyrocortisone around the lips, before going out and bed. Tell me if you have any luck, it worked for me.

By Peachy on Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 12:03 pm:

Hi Anon. Yes, I get that too - and on my forehead as well, where my skin just seems to flake off. It lasts for a few days and then goes as suddenly as it came. I try a little steroid cream for a day or so and then moisturise heavily and try to go without make-up (don't know if this applies to you!!!) as that just dries the skin out more. Good luck

Whgile we're on cosmetics, does anyone out there know of a 'safe' brand to use that doesn't dry or irritate skin?

Cheers,
Peachy

By Anonymous on Tuesday, July 09, 2002 - 11:51 am:

Does anyone have the same problem as me or am i alone? When i tend to get a flare up the area of skin under my nose above my top lip gets dry and itchy. leaving a red patch there which is so noticeable for others to see. People ask whether i have a cold- its horrible. Any tips what to do? I just use my moisturiser and a tiny dab of steroid if its bad.
Help. Thanks.