The History of My Eczema My Eczema Now What I Do Now About My Eczema The Latest Treatments

The History of My Eczema

I don't remember well when and how it started, but since my adulthood I've been suffering from eczema on and off.

One day when I was 26, there was a breakout around my wrists and I applied topical steroid cortisone to suppress it.
A while after that, I had a flare on my face. I was prescribed with topical steroid (what they call "weak one") and had been applying it on my face and neck twice a day, and often on my body (strong one), too, for three years.
I had been able to control my eczema with the medication and been leading a normal life without so much trouble.

Since I changed the dermatologist to the one near where I was living, he suggested me to reduce the use of steroids little by little, which led flare-ups of my facial skin. I could not take it any longer, and as I moved at the time, I went to another dermatologist for help.

Then I was unexpectedly recommended to stop using steroids by the doctor.
He told me that because of the too much (too long) use of steroid, my skin was beginning to show the signs of adverse effects. I could not believe it because I'd been told by the former doctors that "there's noting to worry about applying steroids as long as we dermatologists prescribe them."

I had no idea what my skin would be like if I went off steroids, but I decided to believe what the doctor said to me---my skin would go back to normal soon.
I didn't want my eczema to be worst, but the doctor insisted that weaning away from steroids would hardly succeed, so I went cold turkey!

I was hospitalized for a month and got PUVA treatment that was said to relieve the rebound.
It worked wonderful on my body skin within a few months and I couldn't believe it became so fine!
However, my face and neck have been taking a lot more time than I expected.
There's a time when I was so devastated that I thought of going back to steroid so that I was no longer annoyed by my appearance.
But I've been feeling my skin is improving little by little, only very slowly, but for sure.


My Eczema Now

Now my facial skin tends to get very dry, and flakes out a bit, but seldom have flare-ups any more. Sometimes it is itchy and red a little.
The pigmentation of my face and neck due to eczema is what I really want to get rid of at the moment.

Going off the steroids was (and still is, actually) very hard---mostly mentally in my case, as my eczema is on the visible parts.
But I was lucky enough to get to know a good dermatologist through the net last year, and he's been supporting me and has been a big help.

(I'll continue writing how I'm doing at the diary page.)


What I Do Now About My Eczema (99/06/24)

Sterilizing my skin with Isojin (10% povidone-iodine).
I tend to have Staphylococcus aureus on my lesion. Staph is considered to worsen eczema by its toxin. They increase enormously on wounded area.
Isojin works well on killing fungi.
I apply Isojin with cotton and wash it off after a few minutes.

Cutting off emollients
I've read some doctors insist that even emollients can do more harm than good. I can't tell if it's true. I think it depends on the type of eczema.
I often feel my facial skin irritated when I put on something. So I've been trying to go off moisturizers as much as possible.
I spray Avene Water and put on the minimum amount of Propeto (refined white petrolatum) when I need it.

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99/06/24