I had eczema (the most common type, known as atopic dermatitis) in varying degrees of severity for decades. I always had hay fever and other allergies. When I was a kid, I usually got the rash behind the knees and inside the elbow. Sweat in those areas seemed to encourage it. The condition used to get worse as winter approached, when the air would become more dry, both indoors and out: Mostly, I used to get it on my neck, forehead and behind the ears.
Later in life, as an adult, it seemed to be aggravated even more so due to food allergies and stress. The worse the stress, the more widespread the eczema would get. At one point, during a particularly stressful period in my life, my body was like a walking skin rash.
I went to see doctors in search of a treatment for eczema. This quest became pretty desperate. To relieve symptoms, it seemed like I tried it all. Sadly, while these methods did provide temporary relief, they failed to end my eczema and this just led to more frustration, making the condition worse:
- I tried tons of retail skin lotions, aloe vera and even baby oil, but it was like my skin would just soak them up, and the underlying condition remained.
- Oatmeal baths were a nice, natural relief for sure, but I couldn’t stay in the tub all day!
- I used a humidifier to prevent the air inside my home from getting too dry. This also helped somewhat, but did nothing to get rid of the problem.
- I tried all sorts of soaps, especially ones that claimed to “keep the skin moist.” Again, the relief was marginal.
- Wool items in my wardrobe were eliminated (too scratchy and irritating to the skin).
- I got prescription cortisone creams from dermatologists, even though it tended to “stretch” the skin. It helped somewhat, but it kind of made the skin weird and shiny. It too, did not really resolve anything beyond providing temporary, moderate relief.
- I used to swallow over-the-counter benadryl and other pharmaceuticals just to help me to get some sleep and dull the itchiness somewhat. That did help get me a bit more sleep, but when it was time to get up and go to work the next day, I didn’t want to be all “doped-up,” and the scratching would start all over again. Also, I would tend to build up tolerance and the effectiveness would diminish.
- I took cold showers because I heard that hot ones dried out the skin too much. Boy that was fun. Not.
In its worst and most widespread phases, this “dermatological inconvenience” tended to dominate my life. Yeah, sure, I know there could have been worse afflictions to be suffering from but that doesn’t change the fact that it affected my general energy level and my social life for the worse.
My main point here is this: For years, even the medical doctors, with all of their expensive schooling and supposed “expertise,” failed to provide an eczema treatment that really worked.
It took me a LONG time, but eventually I did find a treatment for eczema. I am living proof that it is possible to find an eczema cure. Don’t give up. There is a solution that will work for you. Hopefully, because of what I have to share with you here, your search won’t take as many years as mine did.
-TJ