Eczema Support Group
Eczema is a form of inflammation of the upper layers of the skin. The main symptoms are skin rashes characterized by redness, skin edema, itching and dryness, with possible crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing or bleeding. Eczema can be extremely physically and socially uncomfortable. If you're an eczema sufferer, join the group and get support.
Life as a teenage girl in high school seems impossible having eczema. Every where I turn there are people with normal soft skin and then there's me! It sucks so muc to walk around with this everyday! I feel like I have a huge weight me. Only immediate family members know about my eczema. I go to school everyday keeping it from my friends and laughing stuff off and putting a smile on my face to hide the pain. It's such a struggle! Having to put on medicine twice a day and putting lotion on everytime I wash my hands. I don't even give high fives anymore and regret to shake peoples hands out of embarrassment. Then summer comes around and everyone is wearing flip flops and I stare at their nice feet and hands in pure jealousy wondering why me? My friends have asked me to get pedicures and manicures with them and I just make up an excuse. My mom doesn't take my eczema seriously by saying it could be worse and I could be dying which I agree without but nobody including her have any idea what it feels like to have this. It's absolutely dreadful! I wish I had somebody in my personal life who I could talk and relate to. I feel like I'm stuck in one place by myself everyday. Idk what to do anymore! I try to build myself up to say something about my eczema to my best friend and family but I can never spit it out. It's like my mouth is open but no words come out. People tell me I look sad all the time and hey wonder why. This is by far the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with and probably will always be. On top of that I have midterms that I have to study for which just causes more stress.
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On Saturday, while I was at yard sales with my best friend, my lawn guy texted me that he did my lawn. This costs me $70 every two weeks or so. I don't have great grass so sometimes, he skips. Anyway, I paid him on CashApp when I got home. On Sunday morning, he texted me again, to say goodbye because he was moving. My little thinking cap went on and I thought about how I am healthier...
This is a great group, and you will find some great people here, and get some advice from others who have it too.
As you would know people do grow out ot it.
Definately you need to try to explain to your mom/family how it is making you feel & how it affects you.
I am actually surprised you have been able to hide it from everyone all this time, not sure where you have excema or if you just hide it under clothes.
I would start off with telling a close friend that you excema which is like dermatitis & not contagious. That is often the first thing other people are worried about. (catching it). It will make it easier to deal with when you are not hiding it. Your friends probably wonder why you dont want to do some things (like pedicure) with them if that is something that they like. Once you share with a friend it will give you more confidence/ease to tell people.
Excema is not something to be ashamed of at all.
Feel free to ask anything here as we do understand.
But stay positive and if you ever need anyone to talk to i am here. I don't really have anyone to talk to and I find that it is having someone to listen to you and relate to which is what you really want sometimes.
1. Avoid long and warm water baths. If you take too long to bathe, it just takes out all the natural oils away from your skin. Also warm water should be avoided because it can quickly dry up your skin.
2. Use skin care products that have moisturizers in them. Be careful when trying out products for the first time because you might just trigger your eczema.
3. Consider taking vitamin C & E supplements. Both these vitamins are really good for your skin. Also, you can try using skin care products that have these vitamins too. When taking vitamin E, just make sure you don't exceed 400 IU with daily intake.
http://treatmyeczema.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/different-ways-you-can-prevent-eczema-from-the-inside-out/
Hope that you'll find it useful :)
Just wondering if your eczemas improved at all? After rereading your post, I thought that maybe you would like to follow my blog (its only new!) but I basically started it as a way to write everything down (and kind of get it off of my chest!) about my eczema because I felt like I needed to get it out and thought that hopefully it can help other eczema sufferers. its myeczematales.wordpress.com and I've recently done a post about my feelings about summer. Thought you may like to read my experiences and thoughts! feel free to comment with your thoughts =]
Also, pure skin salvation is a balm I use for my skin, and it works wonders for the dryness and keeps me moisturised for long periods when nothing else does. because its a balm its really thick so works well when your skin is really dry. Perhaps give this a go? Its available in the UK thats where I'm from. It is kind of expensive but when it makes your skin better its totally worth it for me!
Hope you're well
Selina