Latest news with #eczema
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Cruel eczema makes my face swell up and covers my body in a raw rash. Then I discovered the game-changing ways to control it - and now my skin looks like THIS
You know how it goes. You look amazing at 3pm on a Wednesday when no one's around, but the second you need to leave the house for something important, your skin decides to have a meltdown. That's my experience anyway. And in my case, by meltdown I mean an eczema flare-up of epic proportions.
CNA
12 hours ago
- Health
- CNA
Best foot forward: What you can do about your dry, cracked heels
Dry, cracked heels aren't a sexy look. Yet many of us aren't fazed enough to do something about them until they start peeling or, in more extreme cases, even bleeding. In severe cases, some may even find it impossible to put on shoes. HOW DO CRACKED HEELS DEVELOP? Cracked heels are directly caused by dry skin. Dry skin loses its elasticity, which is why it is prone to peeling and splitting – when this happens, the cracks can lead to open wounds, or even infection if they are exposed to bacteria. The first sign that cracked heels may develop is that the skin on the heels becomes thick and rough – you might even feel calluses on the skin and notice that it has a whitish or yellowish appearance. So why does skin on the heels become dry or thick? Likely because you are either predisposed to having dry skin and you just aren't diligent about moisturising. Certain medical conditions can also lead to it – these include diabetes and skin issues like eczema or psoriasis. Those who suffer from these conditions, or are on medication that causes dry skin, can be more prone to having cracked heels. Being on your feet or walking barefoot for long periods of time is another contributing factor – the pressure and friction that the heels have to bear can cause skin on them to become hard and thick over time. This also explains why certain types of shoes can cause cracked heels, too. They include unsupportive shoes or footwear that's made with hard, inflexible material that does little to ease the pressure and friction your feet have to withstand. Open-heeled footwear like slingbacks and sandals that expose your heels can also dry out the skin. Finally, your weight can also be a factor that contributes to the problem – the heavier you are, the more the pressure your body is placing on your feet. This is also why some women get cracked heels during pregnancy. HOW TO CARE FOR CRACKED HEELS 1. MOISTURISE, MOISTURISE, MOISTURISE Going for regular pedicures will help, but there are easy ways to care for your heels at home if you'd rather not splurge on services. Moisturising daily is essential. A foot cream that's made to target the thick skin on heels is ideal, although a regular body moisturiser will also do. 2. EXFOLIATION IS ALSO A MUST This will slough away dead, dry skin, prevent the skin on heels from thickening and allow moisturisers to penetrate skin and hydrate it more effectively. Once or twice a week, go over your heels with a foot scrub or loofah, and then use a pumice stone to target calluses and areas with extra thick skin. Soaking your feet in warm water for about 15 minutes before you do so will help soften the skin on heels and make it easier to remove dead skin. 3. PROTECT THE HEELS Avoid footwear that expose the heels so as to prevent skin from becoming dry. It's also important to wear supportive shoes – use padding inserts or heel insoles to provide the heels with adequate cushioning if necessary. Wearing socks will also help reduce abrasion against the skin when you're walking in shoes. If you have split cracks on the heels, shield them with liquid bandage to protect wounds from coming into contact with germs and moisture. 4. LIMIT TIME SPENT WALKING OR STANDING Reduce the time you spend walking and standing, as far as possible, will help keep cracked heels from developing or worsening. 5. SEEK PROFESSIONAL CARE In severe cases, where there's extremely thick and dry skin on heels, or split cracks that are bleeding, painful, infected or inflamed, it's best to see a podiatrist. A podiatrist can administer the appropriate medical care, such as providing prescription-strength ointments or creams, and perform the necessary bandaging or even debridement, which is the cutting away of extra thick and hard skin on the heels.
WebMD
4 days ago
- Health
- WebMD
Eczema Parent Toolbox Item #1
Contrary to what our children might think, most parents don't enjoy nagging. We do it because we know that what we're pushing for will help. We know that if our children listen to us, things will be better for them. But, unfortunately, the majority of the time, it doesn't work that well. So, what do we do? The way I see it, when it comes to watching our child suffer while eczema takes over their lives, we can do one of two things: either let them live with it, content in the knowledge that we tried, or give in and help end their misery by applying medicine, moisturizing, and whatever else is needed. The problem is, neither of those scenarios works that well for me. Watching them cope with it is out, but so is ending their misery myself, especially when they're old enough to take care of their own bodies. It's different with a baby or toddler – they get free passes. They're not capable of helping themselves yet. But older kids can and should learn to help themselves with problems they face. It's not my job as their parent to do it for them; it's my job to teach them how to help themselves. And continuing to do things for them, the way I did when they were younger, only makes them more dependent on me. So, that's where nagging comes into play. Did you apply your prescription cream yet? Why not? Did you even do it last night after I got on your case about it again? NO?????? Don't you know it will help you, and if you refuse to apply it, things will only get worse?! Come on! Day in and day out, staying on top of my children and the treatment they needed during their flare-ups was doing a real number on me. On them, too, if their reactions and refusal to take charge of caring for their skin were any indication. But thankfully, I finally found a solution. One of my daughters has allergies, and every night, an alarm goes off at a certain time. That tells her she needs to take her allergy medicine. She knows if she doesn't do it, her allergies will make her miserable the next day. So, once she hears that alarm, she gets up and grabs her medicine. Without any nagging from me, just an occasional, 'Hey, your alarm for your allergy medicine is going off.' Easy-peasy. One night, after being at my wits' end with my kids over refusing to take care of their eczema themselves, I had this thought: Why not set an alarm for them to apply their prescription cream, the same way I do for allergy medicine? So, I did. I let them know that this was the new plan and that from now on, when the alarm went off at a certain time, it meant they needed to apply the cream to their eczema. Almost right off the bat, the nagging stopped. The alarm would go off, and I would say, 'Hey, there's your alarm for your eczema,' and that was all that was needed. They'd jump right up and take a few minutes to apply their cream before going back to whatever it was that they were doing. Now, finally, we're at a point where their eczema is being managed. And it's all being done by them! Half the time, I don't even have to say anything when the alarms go off anymore; they just immediately jump up and take care of business. They don't get nagged, their eczema isn't nearly as big of an issue, and I have happier kids. Pretty crazy that this all came just from setting an alarm, huh?
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Winter is flaring up eczema for about a third of Aussies who suffer from the irritating skin condition
An irritating skin condition is flaring up for a third of Australians trying to keep warm this winter, made worse by heaters, woollen jumpers and long, hot showers. Eczema is a dry, itchy and inflammatory skin disease that usually begins in childhood and affects one in five children and one in 10 adults that suffer redness, scales, bumps, skin cracks, oozing fluid and crusts. Children are more likely to experience eczema because their immune system has not matured. People with a family history or from East or South Asian countries or others who suffer from hay fever or food allergies are also affected. The condition can be deadly when it is left uncontrolled and extremely inflamed, although rare. People can get serious infections from the disease, or the body can divert all of its blood away from vital organs to the skin. Dermatologist Deshan Sebaratnam told NewWire that a lot of people would notice eczema flare-ups due to the cold change in weather. 'When it is cold, there's often less humidity in the air, so your skin loses water to the air easily,' he said. 'There's also less sunlight, and sunlight dampens down the activity of the immune system in the skin and because it's cold, people aren't using their creams and moisturisers as much as they should. 'Wearing long clothes and things like wool can also be irritating on the skin, so now's a common time for eczema to flare up for a lot of Australians.' Dry air, heaters and long. hot showers that strip the body of natural oils can flare up eczema. The best way to avoid the condition is to use thick and greasy moisturisers that contain glycerine and ceramides to trap water in the skin and avoid products with fragrances, perfumes or food. 'You shouldn't be spending lots of money on your moisturisers,' Dr Sebaratnam said. 'Products from the QV ceramide range are really good or QV intensive as well. 'Funnily enough, people can use a cream their whole life, or a moisturiser or make-up, then suddenly develop allergies to a product. 'No one really knows why, but one day your immune system just decides it doesn't like it, then every time you put it on you get eczema. 'That's called contact dermatitis, and that can also make eczema worse.' Dr Sebaratnam said people with concerns about their skin should see a GP or dermatologist, a medical specialist in skin disease and health. 'No one understands your skin like a dermatologist, and they can help you know with eczema,' he said. 'It is a really itchy and uncomfortable condition that affects your sleep and has a cosmetic impact in terms of people's confidence if it is on their face. 'It can affect children's schooling, and even adults. If you're constantly scratching you can't focus at work, it affects every facet of your life.' Dr Sebaratnam said there were lots of myths about eczema. He said food rarely caused problems with the condition and steroids were a safe treatment option when supervised by a doctor.
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
I thought I found the answer to my chronic eczema but the 'cure' from doctors gave me an even worse condition
A woman struggling with eczema has lashed out at the doctors who prescribed her strong medications that left her with a worse condition. Lucy McDermott, a 32-year-old dance teacher, has been in a 'constant battle' with her skin due to chronic eczema flare ups. 'Even as a baby, my skin was red, inflamed, and itchy,' she said. 'By the time I reached primary school, it seemed to settle, and we thought I was growing out of it. But during university, it came roaring back. 'I was studying dance full time which was an incredibly high-pressured time, and my eczema started to flare again. First in the usual places, like the inside of my elbows, but it kept getting worse.' While eczema is a physical condition, it can take an emotional toll on patients. Eczema is among Australia's top 10 chronic health conditions affecting 2.8million people, including one in three children under six. Adult sufferers are three times more likely to experience depression with one in five reporting they have contemplated suicide. So, when Ms McDermott was offered a solution to her problems, she jumped at it. What she didn't know at the time was the 'cure' would leave her with an even more debilitating condition - topical steroid withdrawal (TSW). 'My doctor gave me steroid cream and at first, they worked. But what no one told me, what I wish someone had screamed from the rooftops, was how dangerous long-term use could be,' Ms McDermott said. 'Every time I stopped using it, the eczema came back worse, more painful and more debilitating than ever. No one explained you need to wean off steroids slowly. 'My skin would clear, then flare even worse when I stopped.' Ms McDermott described topical steroid use as an 'endless cycle' that continued for several years until she was prescribed oral steroids. 'I lived on them for most of my twenties,' she said. 'At my worst, I couldn't leave the house without relying on strong medication. I was in my 20s - the years you're meant to be enjoying life. Instead, I was trapped by my skin.' During that time, Ms McDermott was 'hospitalised multiple times, smothered in steroid creams and wrapped in wet bandages like a mummy'. 'Then one night, everything changed. I stumbled across a woman on Instagram whose skin looked just like mine - same red, inflamed skin, same desperation in her eyes,' she said. 'She'd tagged something called Topical Steroid Withdrawal. 'That night I went deep into research mode and followed the hashtag #TopicalSteroidWithdrawal. 'Every symptom, every picture, every experience – it was like reading my own story.' Ms McDermott decided to take advantage of the lockdowns during Covid and hid at home as she completely stopped using all her steroid medications. 'The first six months were absolute hell. I was bedridden, covered in raw, weeping skin,' she said. 'The photos from that time are hard to look at. 'I knew if I could just hang on, things would eventually get better as I'd seen others come out the other side stronger.' The one product Ms McDermott continues to use is MooGoo Full Cream Intensive Daily Moisturiser. 'It's the only thing I can tolerate and doesn't sting. It doesn't make things worse,' she said. 'It's the most gentle and effective moisturiser I've found - trust me, I've tried everything.' Melody Livingstone, CEO of MooGoo, said more of her customers are becoming aware of TSW. 'Sufferers say symptoms include redness, itching, flaking and dryness that just won't seem to go away, even when using the topical steroids,' she said. 'They report TSW recovery can be a challenging journey, marked by intense itching, burning, and skin that feels raw and sensitive. 'They tell us it can be frustrating, debilitating and disheartening for those experiencing it, as the symptoms can sometimes be even worse than the eczema itself.' A recent report shows 88.4 per cent of dermatologists agree TSW needs urgent study including Dr Adriene Lee, President of the Australasian College of Dermatologists. 'Looking back, I feel like I lost a decade of my life. My 20s were spent surviving, not living. I relied on medication just to function,' Ms McDermott said. 'None of the doctors I saw warned me about the long-term risks of steroid use. I wasn't told to wean off. I wasn't told what could happen. 'It took over a decade before anyone even hinted that I shouldn't be on them long-term.' Ms McDermott called for dermatologists to begin researching the causes, effects and treatment of TSW as soon as possible. 'We need research and accountability on topical steroid withdrawal and we need to stop handing out steroid creams like they're no big deal,' she said. 'Because for me, and so many others, they were life-changing - and not in a good way.'
