Eczema Won’t Stop Me This Winter

This week, something not at all unusual happened. I went down to the front desk of my condo building to retrieve one of my (all too frequent) online orders, and the concierge made a comment about my skin.  

“Did you put some new makeup on your face?” he asked, with what I believe to be complete innocence, after seeing my cheeks red and inflamed around the mouth and cheek area. I quickly dismissed the question, signed for my packages, and hastily got onto the elevator.

It wasn’t a new blush – it was just a very adamant eczema flare up.

I had been camping out at home all morning, feeling too embarrassed to go outside with my face looking as it did. It’s not uncommon for people living with eczema, or Atopic Dermatitis, to feel anxiety about it. Especially when the flare up is on your hands, face, or other visible areas of your body, it can be nerve-wracking to be in public, and even more so when people share their commentary.

When I got back to my condo that day of the flare-up, I decided to post a picture of my angry, irritated skin on Instagram stories, because the more we talk about it, the more normalized it becomes. Then I followed some suggestions on the Eczema Society of Canada’s website: I washed the area with a gentle cleanser containing familiar ingredients, patted the area dry with a cloth, applied my regular moisturizer to hydrate my skin after the water exposure and then I applied my treatment prescribed by my physician. I also held an ice pack to my face for a few minutes to help calm the skin down.

After the level of eczema flare-ups I experienced last winter, I’m trying to be proactive to prevent it from getting that bad again this year. Last winter, I developed a flare of eczema all over my face and hands. It was the worst it had been in years, and left me feeling dehydrated, itchy, irritated, and uncomfortable.

My change in lifestyle at the time, moving from an office job to full time blogger, had unexpectedly unearthed some of my personal eczema triggers. I was no longer sitting inside all day in a predictable and controlled environment. Instead I was often out and about in the cold winter wind, with my face and hands exposed. When the early stages of the flare up did occur, I was caught off guard and had to retrain myself on how to find my personal triggers. I made some missteps, like continuing to wear fragrance and makeup, and not getting a proper scarf to cover my face.

With all the Christmas parties and holiday gatherings at the time, I didn’t want to miss out on wearing my favorite outfits or doing my hair and makeup. Of course all of this exasperated my condition, as a coating of hair spray is not welcome on eczema-prone skin. But there I was, getting ready to go see The Nutcracker, or dressing up for my husband’s work holiday retreat, or dashing out into the cold wearing a trendy pea coat to see a play with my cousins. I chose to prioritize fashion over function, and my skin paid the price.

The flare up began to impede my enjoyment of these parties and activities, because my skin was irritated, and I just wanted to lay in a cold and dark room until it went away. I felt embarrassed by the condition of my face, and awkward about other people looking at me.

So this fall I implemented a strategy, and when I get flare ups like I did this past week, I know how to try to control factors in my environment to help minimize them

without feeling overwhelmed. Some of my plan includes minimizing or eliminating my triggers to help reduce the number of flare-ups, reducing the amount of perfume and makeup I wear, such as: ensuring I consistently get a full night’s sleep, wearing a scarf around my face in the cold weather, reducing the amount of perfume and makeup I wear, and moisturizing at least twice per day to keep my skin hydrated. The last thing I would want to do is let eczema get in the way of experiencing life; I should still go to parties and plays, and go for long walks, and get dressed up. I just have to be more mindful about how I do all those things. Laying in a cold, dark room is only an option if that’s truly what I want to do that day, and not because I feel like hiding.

The next time someone asks me if I put on too much blush, I’ll tell them no, it’s just eczema, instead of letting myself feel embarrassed. If you live with eczema, there’s nothing to be self-conscious about.

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Pfizer Canada. The views and opinions expressed in this blog, however, are purely my own.

——————————-

References

[1] Eczema Society of Canada (2019). Atopic Dermatitis: Patient Insights Report. https://eczemahelp.ca/wp- content/uploads/2019/02/ESC_Insights-Report_Nov-2017-1.pdf

[1] Eczema Society of Canada (2019). Treating Eczema. Available at: https://eczemahelp.ca/about-eczema/treating-eczema-atopic-dermatitis/

[1] Eczema Society of Canada (2019). About Eczema. Available at: https://eczemahelp.ca/about-eczema/