I have eczema. I’ve had it for a pretty long time and as I’ve gotten older it’s become easier to deal with. My mother is very big into self-love and self-care, so I’ve always gone to a dermatologist. Even when I was younger if I had a flare up I would be in the dermatologist office. We’ve gone through two dermatologists and the one I have now is a keeper. I’ve had a series of bad flare ups on my scalp and my hand.
When my eczema on my scalp got bad it caused damage and hair loss. I ended up using a prescription shampoo every week for a good chunk of a year. I stopped and started again, which is when I really started going natural. As of now I use a couple shampoos for it (pictured below) and it keeps it pretty well-managed. I wash my hair pretty often though (about twice a week) and it keeps my scalp itch free. I made a promise to myself that once my scalp started itching I would work to become itch free. My hair is starting to grow back pretty quickly and I’m very proud!
I didn’t have eczema on my hand until December 2014. It started off as just dry skin and I tried to manage it. I did for a while but it came back July 2015. And that was horrible. It blistered and had cuts. Mind you this is on my hand so I was extremely self-conscious. I ended up going to the doctors (I couldn’t get into the dermatologist) and they gave me some cream and told me to use a thick lotion like Eucerin. It cleared up and I continued to use the Eucerin. I had a small flare up and ended up running out of creme earlier this year. I tried a new dermatologist who refilled my creme but told me to stay out of some much water and use the lotion. The lotion alone pretty much cleared up my skin. Even though I use the thickest lotion out of all of my friends, my eczema stays pretty clear. I also use the Aveeno eczema relief (my sister uses it more than I do) and the Banana Boat Aloe after sun lotion keeps my skin really moisturized all year round.
There are some known triggers to eczema: water and dairy. Decreasing the amount of dairy and exposure to water helps your skin. My old dermatologist told me to take 5 minute showers. Though my showers consistently are longer than 5 minutes, I have taken 5 minute showers. It can be done. If you think about it most of the time you’re just standing in the shower. If you stop standing there you can take a 5 minute shower.
My advice is find products that work for you. Many people don’t go to the dermatologist like they should, whether it’s for money or time reasons. But there are things you can do at home to help your eczema. The lotions I use I purchased at my local drug store. I know I got the Shea Moisture shampoo at Walgreens (their African Black Soap brand is specifically for people with eczema I usually use the deep cleansing one I just bought dandruff control on accident). I read online that the cleansing shampoo is sold out but you can request to be placed on the waiting list. Start taking care of your skin! You deserve to feel comfortable in your own skin.
