30/07/2010 by Nicki.

Hi everyone! So nice to read your comments, I can already see some of you are going through the same things I have.

Going out can be a nightmare when you have a skin condition because apart from things like smokey environments, you can have very little confidence. Even if people aren’t saying anything horrible, the staring can be enough to make you feel awful about yourself.I have always thought that those people just aren’t worth caring about (and so should you) but sometimes you need a break!

A couple of years ago I had a friends 21st and as girls do, we spent a long time planning what to wear. Being in the middle of Summer there was no way of hiding my eczema and after many tearful trying-on sessions I decided not to go.The next day however my Mum bought home some burns/ tattoo covering make up. I tried it and have a look at the result!! I wouldn’t say it’s an everyday solution as obviously your skin is sensitive, but for me it was just the break I needed and had a brilliant evening without feeling defined by my eczema.

Just don’t hug anyone!!! I frequently saw people in tuxedos across the room with arm prints on their backs…Talking of breaks, I’m going on holiday this weekend so will have lots to talk about next week, I’m already dreading the suncream/ heat/ sun combination!!

Nicki x

Posted in Socialising and Activities | 6 Comments »

27/07/2010 by eczemaboys.

A few days into the school holidays and my children, all boys, James 19 years, David 14 years and Joseph 11 years are enjoying the lie ins, and pleasing themselves what to do with their days.

They have all had eczema from birth. James’s skin improved at that magical age of 8, but then his eczema returned with a vengeance when he started his GCSE’s and has got increasingly worse the past couple of years; he now visits a dermatologist regularly.  He has just finished his first year at Uni and is living in Halls during term time.

David’s skin at the moment isn’t, dare I say too bad!  He still needs to moisturise with ointments and creams morning, day and night, but has not needed to use a topical steroid for a few weeks.

Joseph’s skin is extremely dry and requires a lot of attention, we are using a steroid cream and a heavy ointment in an attempt to put some moisture into the skin.  He is a keen footballer playing for two clubs and even though it isn’t the football season he is constantly training and playing matches.  He has problems with shin pads and football boots and we don’t seem to be tackling the eczema on his feet and ankles very well.  It is important that the children do not miss out on sporting activities and this means that we have to work harder and spare more time in looking after the skin.

If any of you have hints and tips I’d love to hear about them.

Anne x

Posted in Children and Eczema | 2 Comments »

25/07/2010 by Nicki.

Welcome to the new blog everyone! I’m Nicki and I’m one of the bloggers that I hope will be frequenting your computer screens.

I’m 23 years old now and have always battled eczema, despite being told I would grow out of it in my early teens. In the process I have tried numerous treatments and had to experiment with ways of coping with the condition (as I’m sure have you) and thought it’s about time we shared them with each other and what better way of doing it than at the click of a button (and in your pyjamas….).

For me the major struggle of my eczema was the psychological aspect, having no sleep and seeing a doctor in desperation who would just tell me to ‘be patient’, and feeling like no-one understood quite how seriously bad I felt.

Have your experiences been the same? I sincerely hope that we will be of some added support and we can really understand how you feel!!

Looking forward to sharing more posts with you and reading your comments.

Nicki x

Posted in General | 9 Comments »

25/07/2010 by IanBankfoot.

My name’s Ian and I live in central Scotland. My daughter thought it would be a good idea to get involved in this blog; who am I to disagree - her wish is my command! Anyway, my first experience of contact dermatitis arrived in my early twenties - I’m now 74, so bear in mind that things were very different then; after all I’m harking back 50 years.

I worked in a grocer shop. In those days we had “whole” cheeses, covered in wax and fat to preserve it; we also worked with “blocks” of butter and bacon and ham was cut from the bone. As much as I actually enjoyed my job, it was here that the dermatitis on my hands and forearms became out of control largely due to contact with the waxes and fats associated with it. Of course, it didn’t help that we were constantly washing using very hot water and soap.

I was off work constantly when my hands became bad; they were red raw, sore, weeping and bleeding. It eventually got to the stage where at my wits end, I quit. Other people, I’m told, would describe me as “committed” - committed to my wife, committed to my family, committed to my own principals and beliefs. But when I quit that job, my then wife of just under 2 years was just one month away from giving birth to our first child, a son. I just couldn’t take any more. I couldn’t deal, not just with the pain and indescribable discomfort, but with the frustration of knowing that the only thing which had any effect on the condition was by avoiding the triggers and the triggers were in that grocer’s shop! When I had periods off work the worst of it cleared up; I went back to work and immediately it flared up.

Fortunately I got another job very quickly; as a Labourer for a Government Department. The dermatitis, although it improved beyond measure, didn’t go away completely, but I’ll save that for another time.

I’d be interested to hear about the lengths that other people have been driven to through their experience of eczema.

Cheerio for now. Ian

Posted in General | 3 Comments »