Tips for Adjusting to your New Eczema Routine

If you’re struggling with eczema and you’ve been trying to figure out how to help it – it’s not always easy, but there’s hope. Starting a new eczema routine may involve a complete new lifestyle adjustment, which may affect you and your family. But don’t give up – there’s hope at the end of the tunnel.

Today I want to share with you some tips from Jennifer, aka. The Allergista. She’s gone through her own struggles of starting a new eczema routine – and she’s here to share ideas on how you can cope with it. They’re good tips – so stay tuned and read below!

Abby gave me the awesome opportunity to talk to you guys, so I thought I’d introduce myself and give you some tips on adjusting to your new eczema routine. For some people, they are born with eczema and it either sticks around or the problem ceases to exist entirely.

For others like myself, we developed it later in life. We’re also less likely to have our eczema disappear for good. Eczema is hard to deal with any way you slice it. Whether you’re 10 years old or 65 years old, adjusting to this skin condition can be completely frustrating, stressful and therefore… exhausting.

Back in 2009 at the age of 26, my chronic eczema and allergies began… the doctors and I didn’t know it was eczema and allergies for a little while… everybody was stumped! After many doctor appointments here in the Chicagoland area, a bunch of prescriptions and a few biopsies of my skin… it was deduced that I had allergies and eczema.

After a specialist tested me by way of patch testing, we found out what my exact allergens were… and there were a lot. You can read the complete list here – it includes a wide range of items from food to hair products and muuuch more.

The process of adjusting to this new life was… a long and interesting one. For months, I slept wearing gloves… couldn’t touch our living room furniture… or the cat… and then I had to throw most of my clothing and all of my body/hair/makeup products. All of a sudden, I had the task of creating a new environment for myself.

My eczema was bad:

As you can see, I had a lot of motivation to avoid all of my allergens. The other option was oral steroids (I tried Prednisone) and they are so severe in their side effects that I just don’t want that as my permanent solution.

Many days, I came home frustrated, defeated and just plain angry. I literally couldn’t walk a handful of feet without thinking about what I was about to touch and whether or not I COULD touch it… and I was SO. FREAKING. ITCHY. The itch and pain from the eczema alone was enough to make me lose my mind.

With all of this experience, I’d like to pass some tips to all of you:

Plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead. Whether it’s a concert you’re going to, a friend’s house you’re staying at overnight, or a vacation you’re going on, give yourself ample time to plan everything. Write lists to help yourself pack / think about what’s coming next on your agenda.

Educate your friends and family about your eczema. Chances are, your friend (if they’re a real friend) will be more concerned about you enjoying yourself and will go to lengths to accommodate you. Don’t feel guilty!

Meditate. When I was going through my adjustments in the beginning, I meditated for 5 minutes every morning before my shower. Teaching yourself how to calm down is a priceless tool. It takes time, but it’s worth it. And, seriously… who wouldn’t like an excuse to have a quiet 5 minutes to themselves every day? It’s 5 minutes. You can find time, I promise.

Carry a kit with you. I have a little zipper bag that I keep in my purse. It holds my prescription antibiotic ointment (muprocin), lip products, and steroid ointment. I also have a bar of soap in a travel container in my purse.

Know when to moisturize and when not to moisturize. Applying body cream is stressed when it comes to eczema – it keeps the skin calm, improves elasticity and creates a barrier between your skin and the world… this makes moisturizing an important part of your routine. However, if your skin is oozy and red and inflamed… this is not this time for moisturizer. You should focus on keeping the area clean, dry, free of irritants and remember to only use cool or room temperature water on your skin – warm or hot water will worsen inflammation and the itch.

Make your work area safe and comfortable for you. My desk is covered in glass to prevent my eczema (allergic contact dermatitis) from flaring up. I also have these items in my cubicle: lotion, Zyrtec, carmex, cotton gloves, nitrile gloves.

Take time for yourself. In the beginning, I spent a lot of time hanging out in my bed because it was the cat-free zone and we were still waiting to get new living room furniture that I could actually touch. The la-z-boys we had were so old, synthetic and full of cat hair that I felt uncomfortable sitting on them even with a blanket covering the surface. Instead, I’d have “me time” upstairs. I made it super comfy in our bed and would put on a movie and entertain myself with my laptop or whatnot. It actually felt nice to “indulge” in that much comfy-time.

Light exercise. Excessive exercising can irritate the skin because of the heat, sweat and possible chafing. However, exercise helps release stress and I know you’re needing that after all these life adjustments. I sure did. Even if it’s just push-ups and jumping jacks, that’s enough. Yoga is also great for exercise and relaxation.

Be creative. Coming up with solutions and modification for your new daily routine can require a little bit of thought. If you’re looking for a certain type of product and can’t find it… think about making it yourself! Or check out Etsy. A lot of shop owners will work with you on custom creations. The internet is a great tool for finding solutions to your eczema problems.

Scream into your pillow. Sometimes you’ve just gotta let it out.

Remember that you WILL adjust. Humans have proven over and over how much we rock at adapting. After a number of years of dealing with my eczema, I’m completely used to opening doors with bandannas and I don’t get scared when my eczema flares up because I have a lot of experience in controlling it.

Let go. Let go of the way you used to live your old life and embrace the fact that you get to re-invent yourself a little bit. This is much easier said than done, but letting go of how you want everything to be exactly will absolutely benefit you, your mind, and those around you.