Forums » Smalltalk » AMA: Life with Eczema

I'll admit. I didn't do a AMA last time 'cuz I didn't think there was something interesting about me. Eczema has been with me since the day I was born. The type I have is called atopic dermatitis which is a common one. There is no permanent cure for eczema but there are relieving methods though. It affects my whole body, but mostly my hands. Cuts, bruises, and burns take a long time to recover and left behind marks of hyperpigment.

I should mention that I'm a mixed black woman so the hyperpigment is noticeable. Don't be shy and ask away!

Since keeping your skin hydrated helps promote healing, what types of lotion do you use to help you?

With this type of skin condition, what do you do to relieve the itching?

What kinds of things agitate your Eczema?

My daughter was also born with Atopic Dermatitis! UV light helps keep her skin in better shape, but it still gets rough sometimes with painful cracked areas that she can’t stop scratching.

What helps you the most? Have you used UV lights? Yeah, the whole cancer thing makes that unappealing, but sometimes nothing else works for her.

Hi, Knight. I tend to use whatever lotion I can get my hands on, but Cetaphil, Aveeno, and Vaseline work like a charm every time. It really depends on where am I at, how bad the itch is, and what I am doing at the moment. If it is minor, I allow myself to scratch a little or simply ignore. For major cases, I use steroid cream. I tend to stray from streiod cream since the withdrawal from it is very painful. When I was a kid, dry grass used to get me to break out. Nowadays, it is certain fragrances or water. It is a gamble when comes to fragrances though.

Hi, Stormie. I haven't use UV lights to help with my eczema, but I'm glad it helps with your daughter's eczema. My hands can get cracked up to the point where it bleeds and I can't move them without pain. It is usually caused by my hands being dry for too long or water. I'm a dishwasher at the place I work at so my hands are drenched in water a lot. Thankfully, my job had a hose where I can spray off the dishes and just place them in a dishwasher. I use mainly whatever I can get my hands on. At work, I can't really put lotion on so I use the hose to spray my hands.

Hey Jaws! I have psoriasis, a form of eczema myself, so I understand your struggles with it quite well.

Do you have any moments throughout your life with eczema that you anticipated would be rather negative but turned out unexpectedly positive or wholesome?

I'm following this topic with interest!

Do you find that you have to do a lot of preventative management, or do you mainly treat local areas as issues come up?

Is there anything that you know will always make it flare up? Or is it always random? Or just constant?