UNPREDICTABLE SKIN

❣❣ Eczema? We don't want it! This is my personal learning journey and open space surrounding the skin condition ❣❣

[unpredictableskin]

My Twitter Experience

Twitter is a platform I have been using for years to engage with my favourite YouTubers, celebrities and gaming communities. Never did I think people would openly tweet about their eczema issues and promote eczema awareness. I searched for the word 'eczema' to to see what was out there and was surprised by the number of tweets. There were many people talking about their skin currently day to day, information they had found, sharing articles nd having conversations with one another. It was really humbling to see how open people were and how easy they found it to relate with complete strangers, especially with twitter having such a small word count to compose tweets.

Scrolling further, I noted common hashtags that various people and companies were using. These included #saveusfromeczema, #eczemaawareness, #unhideeczema and #geteczemawise. By using these hashtags when composing my own tweets, it allowed for more engagement in comparison to not using them, as I did not have any followers. These hashtags represent a community wanting to spread awareness and make a change. From these hashtags, I caught the attention of a similar page trying to promote a welcoming place for those suffering from various skin conditions and another user that is a fellow eczema sufferer. Both of these people retweeted a post of mine and actually started a conversation regarding it. Both people were being really empathetic to one another, while discussing their personal experiences with topical steroid withdrawal symptoms. They also recommended some creams and solutions to each other, which was exciting to see. By posting this article in the form of a tweet I allowed these people to connect, making me feel confident to continue on my blogging and social media journey. It also allowed me to see that power Twitter has to connect people with the same interests, by being able to follow hashtags and keywords.

Overall, I enjoy using Twitter for sharing quick thoughts and being able to have conversations with people. It is much easier than writing a while blog post, that at times, can feel very one sided. Twitter allows for more of a back and forth, simpler discussion. It also allows for the spread of information without overloading people with too many words. People can jump in and join the conversation while sharing their thoughts. Although I wish I had more engagement, that comes with time consistency, through building connections.

[unpredictableskin]

Itchy Little World!

Recently I discovered this eczema blog and read a little into this article on the best diets for your skin. I would recommend giving it a read for an introduction into digestion and skin.

Here is the comment I left on the bottom on the blog:

“Understanding that diet and eczema are correlated can be a huge revelation for many! When I first experienced it, my diet was the last on my mind as I tried various creams and elimination of possible triggers, still with no solution. Looking more so into it now, I can understand how after eating certain things, my skin gets better or worse. Also, I like that you noted disclaimers, such as diet does not fix eczema and everyone will react differently. By giving people information without providing a false sense of hope is valuable in this instance, as eczema can be such a tricky condition to get a hold of. The more circulated this information, the better and doing it so simply for everyone to understand, was a great bonus while reading this article. It’s interesting to note how important diet and health problems are related. I will be looking into trying some of the recommended diet strategies and seeing how they work for me. I have personally found chilli to be a massive trigger for my face eczema, is there any particular food that you have found to trigger your own? Also, while you are speaking about these recommended diet strategies, have you tried them yourself and how much success did you have with them?”

[unpredictableskin]

BBC News and National Eczema Week

Personally, I don’t think there is a lot fo media coverage surrounding eczema. Sure, it may not be a super pressing issue compared to what is currently going on in the world but unless you specifically search “eczema,” you aren’t going to hear much about it. Upon doing some research into eczema, I came across this news article which not only describes someones story surrounding their eczema journey but also mentions National Eczema Week (NEW).

I did not actually know that there was a National Eczema Week, which is quite interesting to me. It shows that there is a want for more exposure for those suffering from eczema and more general knowledge about the topic. Clearly something that is of importance to me, considering this blog. Digging deeper into NEW I discovered that it is from the 12th-19th of September and their main premise is to “unmask the truth about eczema,” by holding surveys and having open discussions. This is something I will definitely be advocating for in the future as it makes me even more empowered to continue to put out information.

The news article speaks about Anna Byard-Gold’s story and how she has and still is struggling with head to toe eczema from day to day. The article is relevant currently for this blog as it gives another perspective other than mine but also shows pictures and real images of eczema. This can show that eczema is so much more than a little rash or sore. Anna would describe her skin condition to that of a rhino, being very thick and dry. My eczema has never been that bad and really puts into perspective the varying degrees to which eczema can affect people. My eczema just made me feel like I couldn’t wear certain clothes but never to the point that it causes me pain when moving or not being able to write, as Anna has endured.

Seeing Anna’s story, it has allowed me to see how having the right mentality is so important. Not letting eczema define you, will allow you to continue to maintain it the best you can and understand how to go about your everyday life. Even though Anna’s eczema was more extensive than mine, she still tries to have a positive outlook, so this will hopefully be inspiring to many eczema sufferers.

The more eczema is spoken about, the more there will be awareness and understanding!

[unpredictableskin]

What is Eczema?

Researching eczema, I discovered there are many medical websites and articles online but the real issue is assessing the accuracy of their information. After visiting various sources, I have trie to collate all this information to give a general overview of what eczema actually is.

Eczema is similar to a rash but it is a more extreme version, where areas of the skin become inflamed, red and frequently itch. It can cover large surface areas of your body, anywhere from your hands to your feet and even your face. Essentially, it is a long-term skin disease and because of this it can end up leaving the skin scarred, scaly, flaky and thick. A general heat rash can go away very quickly and doesn’t usually return as eczema does. There are a few different types of eczema, including atopic or contact dermatitis. Atopic can appear at any time and is usually based off of genetics; Contact is more so based off a certain irritant, much like an allergic reaction.

Eczema can be triggered by a few different things but there is no definitive answer as to why or how eczema appears. It can affect both adults and children, although it is usually noted first in childhood. Some people grow out of it, similar to that of asthma but for others it may return randomly in adulthood. It usually runs in the family or there is a family history of eczema and this could be noted to the fact that there are certain genes relating to skin passed down. Depending on the person, there can also be environmental triggers but they can vary from person to person. These can include things like the weather, materials and certain foods, for example.

Because there is no cure, it can be very time consuming and costly to attempt to maintain and minimise eczemas effect. People with eczema essentially have skin that cannot retain moisture well and therefore becomes quite dry; this dryness then forces the body to create chemicals which are released to try and combat this but in doing so is also very itchy. In doing so, the scratching makes the eczema worse, so it can be a continuous vicious cycle.

If anyone has any further information on eczema feel free to comment below, so we can learn about our unpredictable skin together!

[unpredictableskin]

Why Eczema?

Now some people may be wondering why i’ve created a blog about a skin condition and it’s a fair question considering eczema isn’t exactly pretty. But that’s exactly why I think it needs to be talked about more! Some of my close friends who I’ve discussed the issue with didn’t even know it existed and yet there are millions of people from all over the world in varying climates that are affected.

Unfortunately, I am one of those people and it does really impact my day to day life. I sometimes feel as though I can’t wear certain clothes because it will show, or it hurts, itches and makes me uncomfortable while trying to work, which is quite distracting. It is also upsetting as I feel as though I can’t wear what I want because I am afraid of people noticing my eczema. Never would I have imagined that something that could be seen as just a rash, would impact my self-esteem and focus on tasks.

So, by being someone that is affected by this topic, it definitely interests me! Through doing my research online and trying various solutions, I can see how frustrating it can be to try and tame or understand the skin condition. This is another reason why eczema is so crazy to me. Nobody really knows why or how it comes about, so being someone who likes to know why or how things work, I obviously want to know more about my skin and the condition.

I want to look more into the various techniques people use, such as diet, creams, supplements, materials for clothes, to try and maintain clear skin for myself and share that knowledge with others. This is why this topic is important to me, because I know how it feels. The struggles, time and money that can go into trying to feel better about such a rogue skin condition, that just doesn’t make sense and can be so deflating. I’m ready to dive in.

[unpredictableskin]

Going through this skin journey, I wanted a mark or symbol which could help readers identify that it was me, throughout the various platforms I will be using to create my content. Having the synchronisation will provide comfortability in knowing that this is me and my thoughts. By also using a neutral colour palette with various shades, it creates a welcoming and diverse feel. The whole point of my content is surrounding beauty and skin, trying to treat eczema, which can make us feel insecure or concerned. Anybody can have eczema and I want that message expressed through my brand.