Eczema on the face

[LheaJLove]

I haven't read The Eczema Solution... I definitely want to check it out. I have read Eczema-Free for Life and I would highly recommend it.

Yes, protopic works wonders for my face. I'd agree with everyone who recommended it.

And an antibiotic may help (temporarily) as well... Cephalexin works for me. It definitely reduces the swollen puffiness around my eyes when my face or body breaks out.

[lainie]

I have been suffering with eczema on my face for the past 5 or 6 years. I have suffered with eczema all my life on my body- but too be honest it is so controlled you wouldnt know I had it- My face however, is a completely different matter! It seems I have tried soooo many different cream and lotions for it but NOTHING seems to work at all. I feel like some kind of freak and its really affecting my life. I have days when it is okay- but days like today I find it unbearable and hard to go on. It looks red and blotchy and it is so dry- Doctors just dont seem to get it at all- and it gets to a point where you are hesitant to try new things incase the by just make it worse.
I think the hardest thing is people around you- everywhere you go people just seem to look so normal and take their skin for granted. Few people seem to understand what it does to you psychologically and how it controls your life.
I have spent the past few days researching on the web any creams that may help me- and wondered if there was anyone out there that may be able to suggest what works for them?

[njmclean]

Lainie,
I saw your post and just thought I would let you know that I totally understand what you are saying and going through. My 1 year old son has eczema only on his face and it is one of the hardest things that I have ever had to deal with in my life. He suffers so badly and I feel hopless at times because I can do nothing that really works for him for any extended period of time. I will let you know that we have had seen the most results with using Elidel, however since he is young, it is not recommended for constant use for children under two, so we can only use it when is Flare-ups are REALLY severe. Have you ever tried it? We also went to an allergist and discovered he is allergic to all sorts of food, so since removing many things from his diet, his skin has improved somewhat.

I will tell you also that I have had more luck going out on my own and researching different lotions and creams online then any help I have received from his doctors. I actally had his pediatric dermatologist suggest to me that I just keep applying vaseline to his face several times a day and it should clear up soon! Can you imagine?! Just keep searching the web and designated eczema websites for treatments/ointments that others can recommend.

I know it's really hard sometimes, so keep your chin up! Me and my little one will be thinking of you!

[AnnaB]

njmclean

I understand your pain you feel for your baby, my 4 year old has suffered since he was 10 days old and his sister also from 2 weeks old. Caring for a helpless baby and toddler is heart renching. The long hours sitting and just holding their hands and feet to stop scratching and let them sleep. I was recently asked if my son had paint on his face!! At bad times he wears gloves 24/7, i'll go for anyone who makes any negative comments about that!! I never know what to do or say when I see people looking or making comments

My son had blood tests a couple of weeks ago and we are waiting the results.

Over the summer he had two rounds of patch testing to see if he had become allergic to any creams we use or even to sun light. Nothing showed allergy, only sensitivity, so nothing to go with from there. He's just now scared of plasters as a result!!

Anna

[rooq]

i know exactly what you are going through.

i have had facial eczema for around 18 years (i'm 34 now), and seem to go through cycles of having it under control or really bad flare ups which make me just want to stay indoors.

unfortunately one of the only treatments which seem to have an affect are steroid creams which you shouldn't really use on your face due to thinning.

after much internet research i've decided to try a new three pronged attack on the eczema by taking 1300g primrose oil supplements twice a day, drinking a glass of water with a couple of teaspoons of apple cyder vinegar three times a day and drinking 2 or 3 cups of red bush tea a day.

i've also changed the electric shaver i'd been using for the last 6 years as my face feels more sore after shaving. i've got a new phillips one with built in moisturiser now which is far easier on the face.

today us day 1 of the new regime so i'll let you know if it works!

[AnnaB]

Good luck!

[mj25855]

All sounds very familiar. I don't know if you live in the UK - but if you do and you haven't already tried it, I find Boots Expert Skin Lotion (it used to be called Boots Skin Therapy Lotion) is best for my face. Its light but it is fantastic at soaking in and it is the best at stopping your skin feeling taught and dry, which I find is felt worst on my face.

Hope that helps...

[Helen]

hi i know exactly how you feel i suffer with it on my face very bad, i use a miosteriser called cetrabean which is good, otherwise i et orl steriods which clear it up you can get a short course form gp, aswell as by my consultant at hospital she gives me dermovate cream 10% it is a steriod cream but as it is only 10% steriod you can use it on your face but only twice a day for 2 weeks whe you have a flare up but it really does work, it very thick andfeels like ur putting wax on ya face but once it had soaked in it feels nice and dont sting ( which is a bonus) im sure if yo consult ur gp and tell him you heard about this and stress ur feel very bad im sure they will give it to,


I hope this little bit of info helps you

Take care

Regards

Helen

[Jack]

Hello everyone,

I'm a new member to your forum. I can't begin to tell you how much I can relate to all of your stories, concerns and frustration you are experiencing with your eczema. I just turned 40 last year and out of the blue I began to develop, what my dermatologist called, seborrheic dermatitis around my hairline. Before long, it moved down onto my face, and then to my arms, back of my hands, chest... and other areas I'd rather not go into here.

Compared to many of you who have been suffering from this awful disorder for years, I am a newbie. But I share your heartfelt frustration and agony. I have spent thousands of dollars going to dermatologists, doctors, naturopaths, and spending an obscene amount of money and time testing every different so-called remedy and cure-all. Nothing has worked outside of temporary relief from steroid cremes and shampoos.

Lucky for me, I have an older sister who's this obsessed advocate for hypothyroidism. She too, was experiencing some strange symptoms unrelated to eczema, after she turned 40. As many of you may know, once you hit 40, your body begins to take on strange new twists and turns. It's humbling and it sucks. You suddenly realize, you're not a young kid anymore - and you're beginning to sound like your parents with all their aches and pains.

Anyway, my sister found a wonderful naturopathic doctor just outside of town who happened to be an expert when it came to the thyroid. He tested her blood and determined from the results that her numbers were way outside the optimal scale and put her on a month supply of Armor thyroid pills. It typically takes this long for the medication to start taking affect. After several tweaks here and there in the doses, she began to see a remarkable turn-around. Nearly all of her symptoms went away! Again, eczema was not one of these symptoms, but it did get her to start doing more research on hypothyroidism because she's a research nut. What she came to discover was, eczema was one of the many symptoms related to hypothyroid. I think hyperthyroid as well - but she was mainly focused on the one she had (hypo).

Before long, my brother came down with what the doctors said was rheumatoid arthritis. They wanted to put him on all this medication that could wind up screwing up his liver,kidneys,etc. My sister told him to get tested for hypothyroidism, as joint pains is yet another precursor to thyroid problems. He went to a naturopath doc, went on Armor thyroid and what do you know - all his joint pain went away. What we discovered was we had a family history of thyroid disorder on my dad's side of the family.

And before long, my two other sisters were found to have hypothyroid as well. Yet, according to their primary medical doctors, they were fine. This is why it's so important to seek the advice of a naturopathic doctor.

I have scheduled an appt to see my sister's naturopath doctor next month, after the holidays, to get tested and probably be put on a month supply of Armor myself. I will let you all know how it goes. If the eczema magically goes away after a month or so, then I can say with a certainty, that was the culprit. I pray that's what it is.

Not everyone is going to be hypo/hyperthyroid. But it's worth checking out. And if possible, do it through a naturopathic doctor. From everything my sister, brother and myself went through with our standard doctors, they don't know crap about thyroid. To them, every test will come back negative. That's because their standards are so out-dated (50+ years old) and don't take into account how many more toxins, heavy metals, mercury is in our daily lives via food, water, and the air we breath. Your thyroid is directly affected by these contaminants and can and will cause other adverse reactions throughout your body such as eczema.

Your medical doctor will test you for TSH only - and chances are it will come back okay - according to their standards. A naturopathic doctor will go beyond TSH and test your FREE T3 and FREE T4 (two VERY important tests) as well as your cortisol levels. If they do decide to put you on thyroid medication, insist on Armor thyroid, which is not only natural, it's also cheaper than the synthetic man-made variety which doesn't always work all that well and can cause adverse reactions. Remember - anything man-made, whether it be processed foods or medications, beware!

I refuse to believe that eczema is forever. It's merely a red flag that something is off in your body. Medical doctor's and dermatologists have no interest in looking beyond the skin to find out what the real problem is. They'd rather throw corticosteroid medications at you which only create new and potentially dangerous side-effects. It's time WE the suffers stand up and take matters into our own hands and think outside the standard medical practice, and find the answers for ourselves. Remember, if they found a cure for eczema, the pharmaceutical companies have everything to lose. Keep that mind. Keep fighting. The answers are out there.

[Corbu_pattern]

I can relate to this as I have recently had an outbreak of eczema on my face. It is mostly on my forehead, cheeks and small patches on my neck. Sometimes I think small patches are worse because they really show up next to the healthy skin. Like you, I also find this embarrassing and I wish I could just cover my face sometimes. Its strange though because this is the first time that I have ever had eczema on my face. It used to only be restricted to my elbows and arms. I have no idea what is causing it either, apart from stress and change in weather (winter).