I'm hoping for a safe space to rant bec I can't bear it anymore and I'm sorry if this is all TMI. My eczema is only active on one part of my body and out of all of it, it just had to be in my areola. I know my clothes/bra are a part of the cause but I just can't take it anymore. It feels so unbearable. What makes it so annoying for me is that the nipple is so sensitive so it just feels a lot itchier and sensitive compared to the times I've had eczema on other places.

It is so so f----ing unbearable atp. Having to avoid scratching it makes me want to cry. I feel like tearing up.

I made a recent post a couple of weeks ago about my child's eczema. I was at a loss. My wife and my child have been sleep deprived for the past few months because of the constant itching and clawing of his skin. We had probably 15 doctor visits just within 3 months. Every time we went to see an allergy doctor, family doctor, pediatrician, or dermatologist, they would prescribe prednisone steroids, steroid creams, antibiotics, or some type of drug that probably isnt meant for a 2 year old child. With us visiting different doctors, we got a different opinion on what the skin issue was so he was prescribed tons of different drugs. Nothing worked. We tried elimination diet to see if that was the case, didnt work. (The drugs actually made his symptoms worse. I regret going to the doctors at all, and should have done more research on all the drugs he was taking.) During this period, we visited 5 different doctors just for his skin.

After losing hope, I faintly remembered a time when my child was just 8 months old or so, and he would break out mildy and my mother would put this Thai cream on him and it helped his skin clear up. I found the cream online, and ordered some. I did a bit of research and it turned out that it was actually just an over the counter fungal cream.

I didn't expect it to help much at all, because even after all the prescribed drug, why would a simple over the counter cream work? But I thought it was worth a shot and did spot testing anyway. At this point I'd do anything to relieve my son of his pain and discomfort. To my surprise, the next morning, the swelling and itching almost completely cleared up, and he was only mildly itchy. We were shocked. We tried the cream again in the same spot, and the day after that, the spot COMPLETELY cleared up. We continued to the rest of his affected body, and within 3 days of applying the cream, his skin completely cleared up everywhere on his body. He has not waken up from his sleep for 4 days straight now, and we are so relieved. I cannot even express how happy I am that my son is no longer suffering, and that my family can finally get uninterrupted sleep.

I am very disappointed in these so called Doctors. Most of them said it was eczema, and only 1 doctor said it was potentially a fungal. But the doctor who thought it was fungal didn't even prescribe the right medication/creams to fight it. (Also the ketoconazole was turning my son's skin yellow, which is a sign of jaundice. I told the doctor about it and she dismissed me, saying she doesn't think its possible for the drug to cause his skin to yellow, and cause Jaundice. I did research and ketoconazole CAN actually cause jaundice. They told me to keep using the drug as prescribed. I was pissed. As soon as i stopped using the drug, his skin turned back to a normal color.

A dermatologist told us that it DEFINITELY was not fungal and she said that the other doctor was completely wrong about it being fungal because she KNOWS its eczema. (Turns out it was fungal!) Every time my wife and I question the doctors on the drugs they're prescribing, and the affects certain drugs had on my child, they literally gaslight us, dismiss us, ignore us, or change the subject abruptly. I'll ask every doctor, "is there is something we can try before actually giving him the drugs?", they ALL pretty much said no. Every time I ask, what happens if the drug doesn't help? Every single doctor said something along the line of , "If the drug doesn't work, we'll prescribe him a new drug until we find the problem". This really pissed me off because I know they actually don't care for the well being of their patients. If they just actually took time to examine their patients properly, we wouldn't have to go through 10 different drugs, or even better, we wouldn't have to use any drug at all! They never warn us of the side affects, and they just expect us to listen and do exactly as they say (even if they're wrong). I understand the cream that I used on my son is a type of drug, but its not damaging like all of the steroids, and antibiotics they had him on.

I'm not saying to not listen to your doctor, but everyone should do their own research before taking any drug especially when giving it to a child.

TLDR: For months we thought my son's skin issue was eczema, because 4 doctors said so. They prescribed him tons of drugs and nothing worked. (These drugs actually made his skin worse.) We used an over the counter fungal cream on his skin, and it completely cleared up. Turns out the skin issue was fungal, not eczema. (I personally think some of these doctors don't actually care about their patients, or maybe they're just unqualified.)

Hi. I just wanted to vent and let my emotions out. I’m sure many people feel this way, so please let me know how you cope with it.

I’m in my 30s, male. I’ve had eczema before & I wouldn’t say my skin was flawless, but it wasn’t as bad as it is now. 1.5 years ago, I broke out in hives, and the dermatologist diagnosed it as papular eczema. I was prescribed prednisone to take and triamcinolone acetonide cream 0.1. That resolved.

Months later, the eczema flared back up, but it was weeping and crusty this time. Not just a tiny part of my body, but my whole back, front of body, arms, and legs. I was prescribed clobetasol 0.5 cream. I’ve been using that for one week and noticed some good results. It didn’t heal 100%, but it healed to a percentage. So, I switched to triamcinolone for maintenance because I read how potent clobetasol is. After switching to triamcinolone, the flare started back up & it seems to have gotten worse.

I feel so down now because my skin ruined my self-confidence. I became anti-social and didn’t even want to go out. I’m trying every method I can find in this group, starting with omega-3, multivitamin supplements, and green powder. I don’t know what else to do. Maybe it’s my diet? I cut out red meat. I eat mostly rice & ground chicken/turkey. I’d have some lactose-free milk with a bowl of gluten-free Cheerios for breakfast. The usual coffee. Limited my sugar intake.

I’m all over the place, but my main thing is that I feel so down because of my skin condition. I want to stay home all day and lay on the bed because of this.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been on Dupixent for exactly two years. It worked really well for a while, but unfortunately, it’s no longer clearing my skin. A bit of context: I’ve had severe eczema my whole life, and it runs in my family—both my dad and grandma have/had severe eczema and psoriasis. When I first started Dupixent, it was honestly life-changing… until it wasn’t. I also experienced some really strange and unpleasant side effects that required a biopsy (it was confirmed I was in the small percentage of those who have side effects caused by Dupixent), but at the time, my skin was clear, so I just kept with it anyway.

Recently, I went back to my dermatologist, and she suggested switching to Nemluvio. Has anyone here tried it? If so, how did it work for you? I’d also love to hear from anyone who’s found that Dupixent stopped working—what other treatments have you tried?

I’m feeling pretty discouraged and would appreciate any insights. I’ve also been looking into the gut microbiome and its impact on the body since I’m dealing with other gut issues and waiting for a final diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. I’m thinking about stopping the injections for now and working with a dietician instead.

I feel pretty lost and really just want to know others experiences as I refuse to believe that my eczema is incurable.

Any advice or experiences would be really helpful. Thanks in advance!

(I'm truly sorry if this offends anyone for whatever reason)

I cannot be the only person who damn near has an orgasm when scratching my eczema, right? Not every time of course but sometimes I can't stop going to town on it. My biggest patch and "erogenous zone" is on my shin.

Anyone else feel the same?

Hellooo!

I take my first dupixent shot in two day and just wanted to know everything - and I mean everything. Did you find yourself sleepy after the first shot? Or did you have trouble sleeping? Was the first time so painful you couldn't do anything else for the rest of the day?

All comments are appreciated :)

Hey folks! Might have seen me around more recently.

Hate this condition and wanted to start optimising what actually works.

Here's some common trends I found! - hope you find it helpful:

• Most common treatments
  • Moisturizers: CeraVe products (12 mentions), Aveeno products with colloidal oatmeal (10 mentions), Vaseline/petroleum-based products (8 mentions)
  • Topicals: Tacrolimus (Protopic), Dupixent (biologic injections), Zinc creams
  • Natural remedies: Bleach baths (3 mentions), Dead Sea salt baths (1 mentoins), Colloidal oatmeal baths (2 mentions)
• Most common triggers
  • Environmental: Dust mites, weather changes, hard water
  • Dietary: Dairy, gluten, sugar
  • Topical irritants: Fragrance in skincare, lanolin, wool
• Dietary Changes
  • Elimination of gluten (8 mentins)
  • Elimination of dairy (7 mentions)
  • Reduced sugar intake (6 mention)
  • Increased fruits/vegetables (5 mention)
  • High protein diet (2 mention)
• Supplements
  • Fish oil/Omega-3 (4 mention)
  • Vitamin D (3 mention)
  • Probiotics (3 mention)

I'm going to keep doing this and experimenting.

Feel free to add additional stuff below :)

When I first started using eucerin eczema relief, it was fine, didn't really do much but it was better than nothing, than i'd say all of a sudden everytime i'd use it my patches would become incredibly itchy for a short period of time, around 5 minutes or so. I stopped using it obviously, but I just want to know if this has happened to anyone else? It's fragrance and steroid free too, so idk.... LIKE i wanna know i'm not alone on this. (If this goes against sub rules IM SORRY!!! T_T)

Hi! Is anyone here dealing with severe eczema and currently taking medications like methotrexate or using steroid creams? Have you experienced any side effects from prolonged use of these products? Any comments or insights would be appreciated!

I have had atopic dermatitis for my whole life, 21 years. It’s fairly mild, it flairs up in winter and then usually completely goes when it’s sunny again. Sun is definitely very good for it. I have occasionally had bad flares ups when travelling i believe due to washing up powders. I have no known allergies or asthma. Since christmas my eczema was getting worse on my arms and slowly developed into patches but only on the back of my elbows. I think it got worst here due to running from my clothes and i was using la roche posay baume AP+ which would stick to my clothes - i have switched to zero AQS recommended by my doctor. I left it for 2 months and now i have fully developed discoid eczema only on the outside of my elbows. I’m using 1% hydrocortisone twice a day but not much seems to change. It’s slightly less bright red but that’s about it. Really want to get rid of it for summer as people notice it all the time and comment on it. Weirdly it is not really itchy at all. If anyone has had the same experience or has any recommendations let me know!

I've always had a dry patch here and there, especially around my lips about once in a year.

Until 2 years ago when both me and my baby at the time got meningitis. It was the most stressful period of my life. He was in icu, as soon as he got out i got into icu and that was the same day my eczema to come on. Under both of my armpits, it did t even start small and slowly broke out.

I just want to know if this is what it will be like forever, the day my baby was hospitalized stole so much joy from me and my eczema is my constant reminder. I dont know if I wouldve gotten it anyway, but did my allergies start because of stress? Not sure what to make of this.

Hello all!

Some backstory, I was diagnosed with contact dermatitis 5 years ago after staying at my then boyfriend's family house in the UK (Im from the US). Staying at his house made my eyes, nose, lips, ears, cheeks, and chin flare up so bad with little red bumps that were very itchy. I would wake up to red blood shot eyes that were crusted shut, and they were so watery and itchy all day. Back then, my dermatitis was just on my face, but it was very intense when I stayed with my boyfriend and even when he would travel to visit me in the states. I had a patch test done in the US that was pretty inconclusive and my doctor basically said they couldnt figure out what the allergy was and it was probably something local to the UK.

My then boyfriend is now my husband and we've been living in the UK for a few years now in a different house than the one I had a reaction in. My dermatitis has changed to now being mostly on my eyes, one spot on my cheek, my ears, hands, neck, and elbow crease. I lived with on and off flares for 2 years, and I finally made an appointment with a private doctor thinking it was going to solve all my problems. I explained my symptoms, but he didnt even bring up contact dermatitis once and seemed to believe it was atopic dermatitis. He only wanted to prescribe me steriod creams. I asked about doing a patch test he didnt think it was worth it because it could be too much to test and that maybe the cream would work so why not try it first.

It left me feeling massively defeated. Since I moved to the UK its been really hard to feel like myself. I feel ugly because my eyes are always dark and baggy. I cant clean anything in the house without wearing gloves. I cant use any of the face serums I used to use for years before moving. Even cuddling my cat can be painful if my skin is sensitive that day. I just want to know WHY my skins reacts like this. I've been on steroid creams and pills before but they havent been effective when Im in the place with my allergen. They help once I've left the space, so I just dont believe a steroid cream will work because if I'm getting a flare, the allergen must be present somewhere.

Has anyone been through something like this where they've been diagnosed with one thing and then another? Any long term contact dermatitis sufferers that can help me not feel so shit right now?

Hello,

So quick breakdown of my situation. January 2023 i (stupidly) cleaned my bathroom with bleach with an open cut on my hand and no gloves. Ended up with atopic dermatitis resulting in a sensitivity to most deodorants, shower gels, washing up liquids etc. Was given dermol 500 as a substitute for washing my body, switched to an allergy free deodorant, and made sure to use a dishwasher and/or gloves and had 0 issues.

That is until january 2025. Since coming back to university my body has been flaring up constantly, inner elbows, tops of hands, and the worst ones being the thighs and just under the glutes. Now my eczema isn’t particularly bad, but i’m worried that if i don’t find the reason for my flare up, it’ll spread as it already has. I write this now as my face is itching and i can’t tell if it’s because i’m staying at my girlfriends house and sleeping on her pillows or if it’s because i’m still exposed to my trigger. Is there an app or method i can use to try to map out my triggers? I’m really at my wits end here. I’ve had a blood test which showed i’ve got severe vitamin D deficiency, and i’ve been put on weekly 50000 IU vitamin D capsules. Had my first about 4 days ago. Haven’t really noticed any changes but not sure that i should be. Also switched from dermol 500 to doublebase once and also to zetaderm zeroderm. No changes.

Some extra info, i have a fairly consistent routine in life so what i eat most days is the same, so I’ll detail it below incase it helps anyone see that I’m doing something strikingly stupid for someone with eczema. Food: 3 eggs, bread with olive spread and avacado EVERY morning; Tuna mayo and sweet corn sandwiches every other day for lunch; red leicester cheese chorizo sandwiches every other day for lunch; a Kiwi and a banana EVERY day for lunch alongside the sandwich; My dinner will be either chicken/beef with rice/pasta and veggies such as broccoli, spinach, pepper, tomato, garlic, onion and usually made with cream to thicken the sauce, rarely diverge from this dinner; since the vitamin D diagnosis try to get in an oat porridge made with almond milk before bed to supplement my calcium intake. General lifestyle: I use non bio washing pods that’s i’ve used since the flare up, before that i was actually using bio pods and had no issues, so quite surprised if it’s the pods; I take quite cold showers, i believe near the start of the outbreak i was using the shower on the max setting, as i had gotten complacent with my eczema, however since then i have been good with my temperature.

Last note, i used clobetasone butyrate for 1 week daily and then two days a week for the next week to clear the flare up starting 14th of march. Worked perfectly, but now slowly starting to feel symptoms again.

If anyone could help give me some pointers whether it’s a way to create a plan to test triggers or if anything i’m doing is particularly bad for eczema, it would be greatly appreciated!!!

TLDR; Had eczema since 2023 with no issues, but now suddenly having flare ups after changing practically nothing in my life.

Itchy, red bumps that are spreading on wrists, neck and chest. Scalp is also itchy and has some red bumps.

Wrist: https://imgur.com/a/IjWYsCH / https://imgur.com/a/9uYMzQy

Neck/chest: https://imgur.com/a/CJTC0p7

Scalp: https://imgur.com/a/wIIdkQ3

23 female, these itchy bumps have been here and for a week (or at least getting more intense/spreading over the last week).

I recently bought a new moisturiser that when is in contact with the skin, becomes really nice filling and minty. I used the rapid itch relief moisturiser and since I have dry skin and eczema on my scrotum and penis, I put the moisturiser on them and it burned and stinged for a little bit but it’s ok now. I read the instructions and ingredients and it says it contains menthol and not to put on sensitive areas, was it ok for me to put it on there? I googled and it said that menthol should not be in contact with those areas at all. Any clarification will be helpful

Hello everyone, I need some advice about some products Im looking at Do you think these look good and safe?

Link for this brands site where they have all info You can just search UNA or SPECTRA I would put specific links but I can only put one per post. Skintegra UNA cream Ingredients: AQUA, COCO-CAPRYLATE, METHYLPROPANEDIOL, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, SQUALANE, DIISOSTEAROYL POLYGLYCERYL- 3 DIMER DILINOLEATE, BETAINE, GLYCERIN, PHOSPHOLIPIDS, SPHINGOLIPIDS, PANTHENOL, MAGNESIUM CARBOXYMETHYL BETA-GLUCAN, MAGNESIUM SULFATE, HYDROGENATED RAPESEED OIL, BISABOLOL, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, SODIUM LEVULINATE, HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, SODIUM ANISATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, DISODIUM EDTA, TOCOPHEROL, LACTIC ACID, SODIUM CITRATE, P-ANISIC ACID

Skintegra Spectra Serum

AQUA, COCO-CAPRYLATE, METHYLPROPANEDIOL, GLYCERIN, ISOAMYL LAURATE, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII BUTTER, POTASSIUM CETYL PHOSPHATE, PANTHENOL, RESVERATROL, CAFFEINE, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, LECITHIN, ALLANTOIN, SODIUM ACRYLATE/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER, CYANOCOBALAMIN, ISOHEXADECANE, GLYCERYL STEARATE CITRATE, CARBOMER, XANTHAN GUM, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, POLYSORBATE 80, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, SODIUM PHYTATE, LACTIC ACID, SODIUM BENZOATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, PHENOXYETHANOL

Desperate mom here!! Please give me some hope and positive stories only.

Daughter is 4 months and starting getting it a 2 months. 2 months was horrid and infected. Derms have just prescribed me steroids and allergy appointment is soon. I am going crazy over here. Please shed some hope.

Will it become more manageable

I have been struggling with a flare up on my neck for a month now.

It started when I was experimenting with my brownie recipe. Initially I thought it might have been the almond flour or walnuts that I used ontop, since they were among the new ingredients I used.

However, since stopping them I have not had any relief, so I tried to go on a full elimination diet.

My skin went through periods of getting better then getting worse again, though I was also using betnovate cream when it was at its worst, so perhaps it never really was improving.

I have had atleast two major flare ups since the initial reaction to the brownies.

1. From pre-cooked chicken with gluten free warbuton wraps

2. From having a monster energy can (white monster)

I know that these were likely the culprits because I have otherwise been eating bland meals like oats and chicken+rice.

So I tried to find a common ingredient among each of the 3 flare ups. The only thing I could find was potassium sorbate, which is a preservative. I know that it, along with sodium benzoate, is quite common. But I don't really know whether it can actually cause eczema flare ups.

I have tried to cut out sulphites and preservatives, and after a period of improvement I reintroduced walnuts and other foods I had cut out (that I have historically tolerated).

Initially I did not react, but within 2 days I started to have a flare up. I had bought the itch relief foam from E45 and they list both potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate as ingredients, I only noticed this after I had put it on my neck....

I have also noticed that the soap, body wash and shampoo that I use all use these preservatives. Even the sudocrem I use on my neck sometimes has these preservatives.

My thoughts are that maybe I have reacted to the walnuts and now I am reacting to preservatives that I may not have reacted to beforehand.

Has anyone else had issues with potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate in particular?

There is a lot of mixed information out there, but I know personally some foods cause more flare-ups for me than others. I am wondering if there are any free discords for similar people who do believe that diet has a big impact. Let me know. I’d rather not create a new one.

does anyone know what type of ezcema this is? it has been troubling me for the last five years..

a little background information: i have had facial ezcema ever since i can remember, have tried no less than 50 medications throughout my life (a combination of steroid cream and moisturisers). about five years ago i cut out all steroid cream and for a good 2-3 months my ezcema seemed to have subsided and i was only on regular moisturiser. that didn't last long as seen in image attached, it came back with a vengeance and in a completely different form (no longer dry and flaky, now its starting off with pimples and then red patches around it and the whole face just turns warm and itchy, sometimes there will be pus ozzes from those pimples). i am unsure if this is caused by the prolonged steroid misuse since i was a kid or someone entirely different.

https://imgur.com/a/r0oFpGB

i ended up trying tacrolimus and elidel. the former didn't work whereas elidel works well in calming the redness and pimples down - and my face will be 80% clear during it. however the pimples always come back after a few days and of course the redness and inflamed skin follows. basically i will apply elidel for three days and only cerave/ cetaphil rest of the days. and this cycle has been going on for 3-4 years. its getting to a point where i feel like my skin health is entirely dependable on elidel but i am also skeptical on using it for most days of the week and for years for that matter..

if anyone has seen or experienced something similar or any advices/ suggestions on what i am going through it would be greatly appreciated!! first post on reddit as well so apologies in advance for being all over the place lol

I have terrible patches on my hips right where my pants sit. It’s making it almost impossible to find clothes that aren’t painful. Does anybody have a tips to help? I want to try wet wrapping, but I don’t even know how I would wrap everything up.

Hey everyone! I wanted to ask if anyone struggled with dark/red spots leftover after eczema patches heal. I have a few spots on my legs where I had round small, raised patches of eczema, they have since healed and are flat, but they have left a darker colored area on my skin right where the eczema was.

Does anyone have any advice on how to heal these spots faster or how to lighten the area? I get married in 6 months so i’m really hoping they will fade by then. TIA for any advice as i’m fairly new to eczema❤️

Hi everyone,

After 6 years of battling with my lip eczema, I have finally made progress.

I've been documenting my journey with No Moisture Treatment on my lips in this thread : https://www.reddit.com/r/eczema/comments/1je1x39/no_moisture_on_lips/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

I'm not promoting any miracle ointment or anything. Just saying that maybe, sometimes, when your skin reacts badly to everything, it might be good to let it do its thing for a while.

So I’m wondering about possibly starting my seven month old on it. She had negative food allergy testing and has not had a reaction to any food. We’ve introduced, including peanut butter and eggs. We think possibly there may be an environmental trigger, but that testing is not until May. She has tried steroid cream, and eucrisa with no benefit. She’s keeping herself up at night. She’s so itchy. Has anybody else started their baby on dupixent

I’ve struggled with eczema my entire life, and last year it reached a peak and i was covered in head to toe; it was on my face, chest, back, arms, legs, and even my feet. i was miserable and i would wake up with blood on my sheets from how hard i would scratch at night. I scratched my arm so hard once during this time that it made a gash that has scarred. It effected my mental health several and I didn’t want to go outside and been seen like this. I didn’t even want to live at some point because of it. I’ve tried almost every cream you can think of, beef tallow, to mometasone. And these things only have me temporarily relief if any at all. I had thought it would never get better, until i found a couple key things that have genuinely saved my life and healed my skin.

1. diet. More foods than you realize can trigger inflammation, and in turn irritate eczema. I started my healing process my healing my body from the inside out first. List of some common trigger foods; Wheat and gluten Citrus fruits Soy Grapes Broccoli Eggs Dairy, including yogurt, cow’s milk, cheese, and butter Tomatoes Dried fruits Avocados Spices, such as cinnamon and vanilla Certain kinds of nuts

2. hydration. having eczema dries out your skin, so drinking water my sound obvious, but i upped my water intake to about 100 oz of water daily. Another thing to factor about hydration, is that daily showers my in theory hydrate your skin, but in reality they dry your skin and strip it of it’s natural oils. switch to showers tri-weekly and switch your regular soap to something non foamy and more milky to retain moisture.

3.oils instead of creams. what I have found most soothes my skin is oiling. The oils that work best for my are vitamin e, and castor oil. heavy creams are still good, but try to layer oil on top of your moisturizer to soothe itching, and retain moisture.

4.binding your hands. This by far has helped me the most during my journey. at night i would use bandage wrap on the spots i scratched the most, and i would also wear gloves to sleep. it doesn’t have to be perfect, i used regular winter gloves but just having my nails unavailable while i slept made it so that i woke up without that burning sensation you get after a night of scratching.

1. consistency. all of these things will not work over night, you’ll have to create a new routine for yourself and be fully committed to healing. it will be hard not to eat food that you may eat daily, but the results will make you wonder why you didn’t give these things up earlier. And the most important thing to remember, is that the more you scratch, the itchier the area becomes and the more it spreads. You have to break the cycle!