Serena’s story at a glance
- 6 yearsof flares that kept coming back, often in rainy seasons, before she found answers.
- 2 weeksinto working with us, her skin had already improved a great deal.
- 99%healed today, in her own words.
The short version
- Serena’s eczema started on her hands after years of wearing gloves in a lab, and in 2018 it spread to her arms with intense itching.
- She learned a lot on her own, but a suspected staph skin infection kept the cycle of weeping, crusting and flaking going.
- Treating the infection, plus a customized plan from our team at Eczema Conquerors based on her blood, functional and stool tests, made the difference.
- She says her skin is about 99% healed, and so soft she could hardly believe it.
Serena’s hand, before and after. Shared with her permission. Results vary.
What it was like
Serena worked in a science lab for almost 20 years, and wearing gloves all day is when her eczema started on her hands. After she left the job, it settled down. Then, in 2018, her arms became intensely itchy, with red bumps.
Her last big flare turned into infections. Her before photo shows very red, inflamed skin with a lot of yellow crust.
- She scratched until it was uncomfortable or painful. Even a sleeve touching her skin could set off a major itch.
- Her skin wept, then flaked off “like peeling paint,” then wept again.
- She kept her hands bandaged to let them heal.
- Her flares came during especially rainy seasons.
What she tried before
Serena is a researcher by training, and she tried a lot on her own. Some things helped, and some made it worse.
- Steroid cream from her doctor in the early years. After reading about TSW, she decided not to go that route again.
- Cutting back on sugar, which she says is “still a struggle.”
- Sushi ginger and raw sauerkraut. Her skin cleared for a year and a half.
- Warm castor oil treatments. Her skin turned permanently red, and the cycle of infection began.
- Vitamin D, and then zinc, which finally let her skin absorb moisturizer again.
- Ointments, manuka honey and aloe vera. These made her skin weep more.
The turning point
Then another rainy season brought another major flare. Desperate, she searched online forums, heard about our podcast, and contacted our team at Eczema Conquerors. Her first session lasted about an hour, and she had filled out detailed forms about her health history beforehand.
“It was a journey of learning about my body,” she says, “things that a regular physician wouldn’t necessarily tell you.”
Three things made the biggest difference:
- 1Treating the suspected staph infection. Vinegar baths and other steps to calm it. “I could see a difference immediately,” and a little more each day.
- 2Testing. Blood tests, functional testing and a stool test showed gaps that a quick visit would have missed.
- 3A customized plan. Warming foods, supplements and herbal teas, built around her own body and constitution.
What we found and what we did
Treating one thing at a time wouldn’t have worked for Serena. Here is what came up, and why we looked at all of it together:
- A suspected staph aureus infection on her skinThe yellow crust and heavy inflammation pointed to staph. Bringing it down came first, which calmed her skin so the deeper work could start. Her skin had already improved in the first two weeks.
- Nutrient deficienciesHer blood tests showed low B12, vitamin D, folate and iron. Replenishing them helped her skin repair itself.
- Thyroid function on the low endHer thyroid markers were on the low end, which is linked to dry skin, poor sleep and slower digestion.
- Gut and immune balanceGuided by her stool and functional testing, we supported her gut microbiome and her bloating, since much of the immune system sits in the gut. A cordyceps mushroom supplement supported her immune system, to make her less prone to staph infections.
- A cold constitution and a stressed nervous systemIn traditional Chinese medicine terms, Serena runs cool, so we used more warming foods and herbal teas. We also supported her nervous system and added protein for skin repair.
Why a customized plan matters
It would have been easy to say Serena’s hands were just candida, or just her gut. But if we had only killed candida, her skin might have flared during the detox. And if we had only treated her gut, we would have missed the vitamin D, folate, B12, iron and thyroid findings.
“The customized approach is, to me, the best approach,” she says. Please don’t copy her plan at home. The vinegar baths, supplements and foods were chosen for her body, and yours may need something different.
She also took a short course of an antibiotic aimed at the suspected staph infection and says it helped. Any decision about medication should be made with your own doctor.
Where Serena is now
Serena says her skin is about 99% healed. It became so soft she could hardly believe it, and she can go out without keeping her hands covered.
- Much less itching, and more confidence
- Still taking vinegar baths, because she likes how calming they are
- A small flare a week before the interview, which she managed with the tools she’s learned
- More aware of sugar, and of what she puts in her body
Questions people ask
Can painful, infected eczema on the hands improve?
Serena’s skin improved a great deal, starting within about two weeks of working with her team. Her story is one person’s experience. Everyone’s skin is different, so individual results and timelines vary and are not guaranteed.
Can I copy what Serena did?
It’s best not to. Her vinegar baths, supplements, foods and teas were customized to her tests, her constitution and her skin. What worked for her may not be right for someone else.
What does working with Eczema Conquerors include?
Your own eczema-focused practitioner, private 1-on-1 sessions, a personalized plan and weekly support calls. See what’s included.
More client stories
Client stories are shared with permission and reflect individual experiences. Everyone’s skin is different and results vary. This is not medical advice. Please talk with your doctor about your own care.
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