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[notyouraverageitch]

The Dangers of Dough

I have confirmed a long-time suspicion; kneading dough can be really quite risky if you have eczema on your hands. It’s not necessarily the act of kneading, but more the situation where the flour and the liquids are just starting to come together and your hands are covered in flour and then shortly covered in that really ridiculously sticky, gooey kind of dough that sticks to itself more than your hands once you work it enough. The act of kneading dough (and baking bread in general) also requires a substantial amount of hand washing, compounding the issue seen here. So, I’m deciding that maybe while it is a good idea to use a utensil to might the dough for as long as possible, maybe it would work just as well to have someone else step in for the kneading step if you need your hands to not experience a flare for the next few days or weeks.

My experiment might have had too many changing factors; I also consumed a considerable amount of dairy a day or two later, so depending on reaction times, that might’ve made the results of kneading dough seem worse. Too many variables and not enough controls nor enough trials to make a solid conclusion.

Anywho, maybe these factors could be affecting you! Give a look to your habits and try identifying what is making your skin react.

May you feel moisturized!

[notyouraverageitch]

Staying Diligent

It is somehow not so easy to continue the same extremely moisturizing regiment when the weather starts to get nicer and the humidity increases. I tend to experience discomfort with the weight of certain products on my face during the transition from winter to summer, and my hands seem toe experience the same kind of thing.Products that were nicely moisturizing suddenly feel oily, or heavy, or create adverse reaction in my skin. As thus, everything is in a bit of a transition during this season. But  I’m hopeful, and a lot of things in my life have a “light at the end of the tunnel” moment arriving soon, so I’m looking forward to the coming months.

[notyouraverageitch]

Spring is coming!

It seems like winter’s grip is loosening and spring is starting to edge its way into our daily lives where I live. I think we still have a long ways to go before I can expose my skin to the warm sunlight and feel comforted that the air holds a certain level of humidity, but if I can hold out a little longer and maintain the condition of my skin as it is right now, I think it might be okay. It really is about playing the long game-- if I can keep my skin healthy this spring, it’ll likely only improve over the summer, and then I might have little problem when it transitions into autumn and winter next. That was true with the big, round spots on my elbows: in the spring of two years ago, they were pretty bad, but improved significantly over that summer when I spent a few months in a really humid place. Then, I was able to really maintain that health through the winter, and when it became summer again the health of those spots was only reinforced. How nice would it be to so perfectly maintain healthy skin that I basically don’t have any red, dry, or itchy spots for very long ever again. That is the goal, indeed.

I wish you all peace, happiness, healthy gut flora, and supple skin.

[notyouraverageitch]

Getting through winter’s long end

Where I live, we’re getting to the point in the year where the humidity has been low for long enough that its starting to really show up in the condition of my skin. I’m lucky enough to have a small humidifier that can sit on my desk and spit out cold steam for hours on end, but it can only do so much for that long-term lack of moisture in the skin. I had a scary day where some of my old (1+ year of normal skin) patches flared up and had to work really hard to avoid scratching for the fear that they would come back with force. Luckily, it seems like I got them mostly under control. Thank goodness. I try to drink lots of water or tea everyday to supply moisture from within, but again, it seems like that can only go so far when the air is so dry. This part of the year that drags on with dryness is one of my least favorite, and I always find myself wistfully thinking of the coming warmth and humidity. I think that’s a very human reaction, but ultimately a waste of energy. For now, I can only try to think positively and use lotion liberally. The humidity will return, as it does each year, in apt time.

May you have soft skin!

[notyouraverageitch]

And all the old scars ache anew...

You know how you hear people talking about how their old injuries and ailments seems to wake up when they become newly sick or hurt? I feel like some part of that is true with eczema. There is the tendency for my tender skin to feel itchy, hot, and ridiculously sensitive all over if one spot starts to get itchy and inflamed. Today I had one little raised bump on my elbow get (accidentally) scratched and it really made everything else come alive again, beyond the baby patches that I’ve been managing quite well. It took a good amount of self-will and moisturizer to prevent any major scratching. I really think that is one of the more frustrating aspects of eczema-- you try and try your hardest, but one day can really change the course of events and cause some really damaged skin.

I hope you are all healthy and brimming with positive energy and the intention to do well in the new year. I am cheering for you.

Supple skin.

[notyouraverageitch]

Winter

Alright folks, we’ve reached the dangerous period of drying. Humidity is way down where I live, and even though I’m not so sensitive to/damaged by the cold temperatures, I make it a point to turn on my humidifier and sit with my hands in the sun for a while each day (luckily my WFH set up gives me some afternoon sun). I’m starting to notice a few spots getting a little bit rough and a tiny bit dry-- they seem to be the places where I rub my hands against objects more. For example, writing on paper can be kind of drying. The spot where my hands rests on the paper is definitely drier than the rest of my hands. Thankfully, my elbows are a full year into really good texture and moisture, so those might be safe through this winter too. Maybe if I were (sassy, confident, Frozen 2 kind of) Elsa I wouldn’t be so afraid of winter (sorry, I had to). I’m going to keep eating foods that are good for my gut-- miso, kombucha, kimchi, homemade soy yogurt, etc-- and keep drinking lots of water to try to maintain a good internal source of health for my skin. It’s hard enough to have eczema, but it seems a little harder to have it during a pandemic. Stay strong everyone, and try to lean into the moments of happiness and joy in your life. Sending you soft, supple skin.

[notyouraverageitch]

Smooth as...

I cannot believe how smooth my skin is. I had a bit of a scare a few days ago when one of my old haunts started itching again, but it’s doing fine now, and like the title says, all of my skin is smooth as a peach, smooth as a baby’s butt, whatever you will. Is it okay to feel optimistic have have a moment of victory?! I think I should appreciate this moment because it encourages. Yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You can change your habits (and thus change your life) with constant effort and daily, incremental changes. Don’t give up people. We can do it; let’s do it.

[notyouraverageitch]

Entering Autumn

Okay, this is where the things I’ve learned about my eczema over the last year or so really come in. The seasons in the Northern Hemisphere are starting to change and my location is starting to get real dry... I’ve already started employing my little humidifier to keep the moisture in my skin a little higher for as long as I can. I’ve started seeing little spots of concern and parts that have started to get itchy on my hands, mostly as a result of washing my hands and not applying lotion quickly enough or using some “harsh” cleaning supplies (thx corona..). It has been at least a year since the eczema on the sides of my elbows have gone away, and I literally think it’s due to neglect. Like I got them into good shape last summer and then started wearing long sleeves when it got cold and forgot to even look at (or moisturize!!) the dry spots. But here I am with literally normal skin around my elbows. I can tell the stuff on my hands isn’t completely gone because the expanse that had eczema this spring (when it still wasn’t humid at all) is slightly paler. I take a walk everyday and it is enough sun exposure to make my hands just slightly tanner, leaving a faint border between normal (more tan) and current or recent past eczema skin (more pale). So, what am I trying to say with this post? I think I really need to ignore my hands. Use them to cook, keep them clean, but then put on lotion and don’t think about them. Just use them to work and study and make art and play piano, but don’t think about the status of the skin. If I can avoid thinking about being itchy I might be able to avoid scratching for many months, which would put me in a better place for next spring and thus next summer when they will get better again, and hopefully put me on the track to permanently having “normal” skin, like how my elbows are going. I understand I just made a, like, 2 or 3 year plan and made it sound simple, but it’s going to be a hard battle everyday. It’s not eczema that takes over your life, but it can sting and bleed and attract attention more than the normal spot of season eczema that many people experience in dry climates. I hope this give you some ideas for your road to recovery (oh man that sounds cheesy) and maybe even inspire you to try to care less about the skin that bothers you. If you don’t bother it, it won’t bother you...? Good luck!!!

[notyouraverageitch]

Good News

In what may be my clearest singular (accidental) experiment with what causes my eczema flares to date, I’ve learned that dairy really impacts my skin. I was born with a dairy allergy so that makes sense; but let’s talk about how I figured it out. I experienced a tremendous amount of pointed, concentrated stress over a period of about a week. Surprisingly enough, I didn’t scratch my hands much during that time, and I didn’t have a flare in the following days. I did feel mentally unhealthy during the week surrounding the event. About a week after the stressful event, I ate an unusually large amount of dairy products in one day. I’ve been avoiding dairy products very thoroughly for the last few months because they still give me stomach aches, but it usually isn’t too bad if I have a little bit with some other food. If I have a problem because of dairy I usually react within 30 minutes or a few hours later-- it’s very obvious what the problem is caused by each time. This time, the eczema on my hands flared as if I were having a stomach ache after eating dairy (I also had a stomach ache, but my body in general felt unwell). Just by seeing this pattern happen for years, I think I can reasonably assume that the dairy had a larger impact on my eczema than the stressful event did. To me, that’s somewhat of a relief! It feels like I can at least predict, and maybe even control, my eczema better. Before the weather gets dry again in a few months, I want to get my skin to a really good condition and try to make it last for as long as possible. I’ll have to drink plenty of water each day, hydrate with lotion often, and avoid known irritants. But I think I can do it. It feels like the light at the end of the tunnel is shining brightly. I hope you, too, can track your body’s reaction to certain triggers and work to temper them. Peace and good skin to you all!

[notyouraverageitch]

Lotion

Since my eczema is currently only on my hands, I’ve been spending a lot time applying lotion/cream. I typically wake up and wash my face before applying any lotion because it seems like too much of a waste, but I always check the condition of my skin and whether it seems like I need to drink more water throughout the course of the day. It is usually quite obvious if I didn’t hydrate enough the day before. I also check for signs of scratching during my sleep, which is fairly rare. I mostly use CeraVe’s SA Cream for Rough & Bumpy Skin, because it is the most consistently effective product I’ve come across yet. I hope to retreat to more natural formulas in the future, but for now I mostly use mini spoon to scoop out of this big jar of cream every few hours. I’ll also use some random lotions sitting around my house once in a while to mix up the texture and ingredients applied to my skin, but CeraVe’s thick cream is my go-to. I wonder if it would be a good cream for you, too?

[notyouraverageitch]

Intro

Hello! I’ve begun this blog as a record of my encounters with eczema. The accounts I found on the internet were of very extreme cases where the person was unable to function normally due to the severe state of their skin. Mine is more so ugly, somewhat painful, and a daily nuisance, but not life-threatening or the end of a normal lifestyle.

I first noticed some small itchy spot which appeared to be eczema after a quick search on the internet around three years ago. I have no idea what started it. (Side note: I had a dairy allergy as a kid, but it’s more like a sensitivity now. Eczema and psoriasis also seem to run in my family a bit?) It was likely most aggravated/spread by the talc powder inside nitrile gloves that I used nearly daily for many months about two years ago; the majority of the spread was on the backs of my hands, but I also had spots that quickly grew on the tops and bottoms of my elbows. (The parts that are neither the pointy elbow bone part nor the crease that folds over.) Everything was clearly made worse by my incessant itching, sometimes even while sleeping, but commonly when stressed out over studies or something else.

Through embarrassment and the desire to not have my hands sting all the time, it got better last year summer. I spent nearly three months in a location with high humidity, lots of sunshine and the ocean. I usually suffer through very dry and cold winters that make my skin worse. But the problem is that this summer, even though the texture isn’t so bad and there aren’t as many ugly, red, open sore-type problems, the spread is probably as far as it has ever been.

I tried using creams prescribed by my dermatologist, but they only seemed to make my skin much weaker, thinner, and prone to big injuries if scratched. I was also concerned about using such strong steroid creams. I was prescribed to only use them for a short amount of time before taking a break, but it wasn’t enough to really help my skin. I’ve decided to pursue solutions that aim to solve the root of the problem, rather than putting a bandage on the problem by treating the most visible and most painful symptoms.

**Things I know should help:

-reduce stress (easier said than done?)

-drink more water every day

-keep skin moisturized, especially after highly-drying events (i.e. a hot shower)

-do not scratch, do not touch, do not think about eczema

-use those long kitchen gloves to prevent washing hands so much when cooking/cleaning

**Things that might be helpful:

-consume less dairy products (they seem to cause flares)

-promote gut health and good bacteria

-when it’s cold, keep the skin covered; when it’s warm, allow for some sunshine?

**Things I’ve heard are helpful for other people:

-avoid certain foods that promote inflammation (sugar, super spicy/salty foods, foods that contain lots of ‘heat’)

-taking probiotics

-taking fish oil

-using a variety of moisturizers (so far only one is consistently good for me)

I will continue to freely update this blog as I learn more and more about my eczema, and I can only hope some of the things I do to help my eczema calm down might be useful for you too. I’m not a trained professional, so everything I try is just an experiment.  I wonder if it will be too gross to look at pictures, or if that would be helpful... Please feel free to message me if you have any questions!