hello guys!

so recently I got patches of eczema all over my face (thought it was ringworm at first, but the creams and stuff for that made it worse). i've not been wearing makeup over it, which is hard, and I've been using really gentle soaps and lotions. i've also been putting a topical steroid on it. the thing is, it's been over a month and it's not going away. i have no idea why. i've never had eczema before, and i really have no clue why i got it now after 2 decades of not having anything like it. i've always had dry/sensitive skin, but not this bad. i don't know too much about eczema.

total wall of text, but tl;dr i have eczema and i've never had it before, help.

do any of you have it? how do you deal with it - tips, tricks, triggers, anything?

i had eczema for a long time when i was little, it really sucked. you need to keep your skin moisturized, soap is bad for it. i've overused soap and had the skin all over my hands start splitting, soap definitely doesn't help. i used to run my hands under water then not dry them to get some more moisture into them because i didn't have any skin creams, so that might help for a bit until you can get something suitable for it. if you can drop by a pharmacy they should have over the counter creams for it. i find anti-allergy medications help a lot too.

Actually, if you have peri-oral dermatitis, which is a kind of skin inflammation, steroids will make it much worse.

If it's getting worse after applying these creams that's very likely what it is. It will go away eventually, but that could take months, so most people elect to have it treated for cosmetic reasons. Metro-gel or other topical antibiotics are usually prescribed for this purpose.

Sudden skin irritations can point to new triggers, but you'd be surprised how frequent use of some soaps can wear away at your tolerance. I've just had a reaction to the methyl-yada-yada in my dish soap, shampoo, face wash, and conditioner... I haven't checked my laundry detergents yet.

I wish you the best of luck. It's not fun. :(

Do you have access to a dermatologist? Even your GP should be able to help.

The first thing I recommend is that you see a dermatologist. I have had eczema since I was 5, and it took several trips to a dermatologist before I got anything that could get my case under control. I recommend that you use extremely mild soaps, preferably something vegetable-oil or olive-oil based, and only use warm water for showers. Stress can easily make your skin worse, and sometimes the steroids can also make it worse as well. But definitely see a dermatologist who can look at this and help figure out what it is that you have.

I figured out I had eczema a few years back after it had been misdiagnosed by a rather unimpressive pediatrician for a good five years. It mostly affected one finger on my right hand and because of all the cracking and scratching my whole finger was pretty much just scar tissue. After I figured out what it was I just tried using the store brand Hydrocortisone for a little while . I also switched soap and lotion brands. My itching stopped right away but it took a while before the skin healed significantly. I currently use Yardley for bar soap when I take my bath and a soft soap when I'm washing my hands, as it sticks less to my skin and doesn't dry it out as much. I use Eucerine lotion. (Most of them smell light glue, but they make a "lightly fragranced" one with pink marks on the bottle that smells pretty nice.) I found that using hot water when showering and washing my hands, increased stress levels, and using certain fabric detergents and softeners made my eczema worse. I use hydrocortisone and lotion right after my shower to make them more effective. When my hand was still healing, I also used some over the counter antibiotic gel. Neosporin I think. Keep in mind that the same thing does not work for everyone, even if they have the same kind of eczema. Sometimes what works for one type will actually make another type worse. Different things may be triggers for different people as well. If you go to see a dermatologist, keep them updated on if what they are telling you to do is working. I'd say if you don't notice a difference within two weeks, you should let them know.

I've had eczema ever since I was born, and there really hasn't been any signs of mine going away. I see a doctor regularly and he usually prescribes Triamcinolone Acetonide ointment (which is super greasy, but does a fair job in lessening the itching/dry spots) I recently developed a patch on my face that I have to put said ointment on every night for it to stay away. The eczema is roughly all over my body, but worse around the bends of my arms, my back, and my shoulders. I recommend going to a dermatologist or pediatric and getting some sort of ointment to use (probably at night, because like I said, it's really greasy.) Oatmeal baths help as well with the itching, etc.

So I've had this crap for the past 3 years annnnd it completely sucks. I went to the doctors and they prescribed some topical ointment that has a tiny bit of steroids in it. Clears it right up!! It's actually called Triamcinolone Acetonide Ointment. only 0.5% works fantastic!

I suffer from psoriasis and have it all over my body (in my ears, behind my ears, under my eyes, elbows, knees, hip and ankle), including in my bum. The only thing I can do for it, is use non-scented and perfume free soaps. I was refered to a dermatologist, who gave me topical treatments, which are really greasy and they really don't help my elbows or knees. I go for cortisone shots which help a lot. Maybe you can try that?

Oh... unscented products should be used for people who have skin diseases, including scent free laundry soap.

I was actually born with eczema, because I'm a premature child. I haven't had much triggers (except anxiety) so it's like I don't have it.

Except with I use soap for bubble bathes and certain cleaners for clothes, then I get really red and itchy. I normally have it on my arms but I technically have it everywhere. It's terrible sometimes but I've grown to brush it under the rug.