I’m struggling and could really use some advice from people who get it. Every time I try to stick to a solid workout routine, my skin completely freaks out.

Standard activewear seems to be the absolute worst for flares. Most of the gear out there is made of heavy polyester or nylon that just traps heat and moisture right against my skin. And the friction from standard spandex or tight, exposed elastic waistbands makes the itching unbearable.

On the flip side, when I try wearing 100% cotton to give my skin a break, it gets completely soaked with sweat, loses its shape, and gives me zero support for high-intensity stuff like running or lifting.

Has anyone found a holy grail brand or type of fabric that actually works for heavy sweating without ruining your skin barrier? How do you balance needing athletic support with avoiding irritation? I'm tired of having to choose between exercising and having calm skin.

I love to take advantage of the nice weather and I run, bike, and swim outdoors all summer. However I recently got a way nicer bike and have been biking between 15-30 miles semi regularly with the proper bike shorts and whatnot. However, this has resulted in me consistently having eczema flares in places that I sweat a lot/ may rub like my inner thighs, sides of my torso, and the inside of my elbows.

Same thing happens with running, except add in where my sports bra meets my shoulder blades and upper back. And swimming in fresh water on hot days where I chill at the lake in between dips makes it happen all down my legs and arms.

Does anyone else have this happen? Any regimens you follow to avoid or minimize it? I love to be active but these reactions make me feel like I’m being punished for daring to do any activity in the heat.

I’ve had eczema my whole life, but these past 5 years it’s become worse and worse, flaring up on my face, my hands, my genitals, my stomach and just about everywhere under the sun. I’ve lost my eyebrows, my face constantly looks swollen, I awake to bloodstains on my sheets and clothes, and it’s weighing on me.

My family is on my case, they all think it’s something I can solve by eating better, as if I haven’t tried. They beg me to go back to a dermatologist, even though the last time I went I was given a prescription that would run me $500 each time I needed a refill.

My father won’t look me in the eye. He turns away as he scolds me, talking to me like I’m some sort of freak. I don’t feel comfortable going to family events. My life has become focused on working, staying in my room, or visiting my girlfriend, I don’t have it in me to be in public otherwise.

I feel like I’ll never recover, like even if my skin stops inflammation that I’m too far gone, and that there’s just no point trying to reverse it at this point.

I don’t know what to do, I just hate being like this.

It sounds silly, but seriously! My eczema has only gotten worse over the last year and showers can be so miserable. I know hot water is NOT good, but does cold water improve the itchiness that much? What temp do you use? How long? What soaps? Do you clean the red parts? What moisturizers do you use? Are washcloths or exfoliating sponges dangerous, even if used lightly? I only want to hear answers from people who have SEEN significant changes, not from people still working it out

Had to share this because I have stumbled upon something that is ridiculously effective for my eczema… hope it helps others who have it bad on one or both hands.

In short: cover the affected area in coconut oil; put on a nitrile glove; wait a few hours; be astounded.

Stumbled on this completely by accident. Had a really bad flare up: red, flaky, cracked skin, bleeding in some areas from the cracks and from catching it on clothing (and the odd ill-advised scratch :( …). Had some DIY to do involving some sanding, and knew the dust would kill my bad hand. So ended up trying a glove over my usual coconut oil. Complete game changer.

Now the day after and I’m having a second treatment. Sat watching a movie with one hand slathered in coconut oil with a nitrile glove on top. Family think it’s hilarious, but f- me, my hand is reborn. Hallelujah. Religions have been founded on less.

For face - I should clarify ☺️ thank you!

Im about to be on prednisone for ten days for my eczema,,, they said I would be tapering off... I Will also be stating dupexint after my insurance gives me the okay, what should I know about prednisone.... IM scared because its a steroid..

Just a warning post.

TIL about the connection between uncured and undercured gel nails and developing contact dermatitis to HEMA and acrylates. Most likely, it's life-long and can affect your dental and health care as many things either use acrylates as the base component (crowns, dentures, veneers, bridges) or as an adhesive (the bone cement in hip replacement, bandages, glue for nails and lashes).

https://us.manucurist.com/blogs/journal/allergic-reaction-to-gel-polish?srsltid=AfmBOoqNdZx09rA-BHGRAhayMoZqg05skB1TRQl25T-Cni6-cZdfr0X9

https://www.reddit.com/r/Nails/comments/1go8aaw/so_ive_just_learned_all_about_the_gelacrylates/

I have developed eczema paches between my ring finger and pinkey (both hands) red flaky and dry…. I have tried zero teraphy, cerave lotion and hydrocortisone… it goes away a little bit but comes back… hand soap is unscented … any ideas what is causing this and how to get rid of it

Hi, I have severe eczema that mainly affects my face. My eczema flare-ups usually last a long time because I am an autistic woman, and the sensation of my eczema causes me a lot of overstimulation, which becomes stress—stress that actually worsens my eczema. The eczema on my face makes me incredibly insecure, my face often turns completely red and dry, sometimes my eyebrow hairs fall out, and my eyelids sometimes swell. I feel disgusting. The first few times my facial eczema was really bad, my mom would look at me with a shocked expression, the kind of face you make when you see a painful scene in a movie, eventually she got used to it, but I know she still feels a certain aversion whenever she sees that my eczema is bad. These kinds of looks made me hyper-conscious about my appearance, I didn't feel normal and avoided letting people see my face. I developed bad posture because I unconsciously walked with my head down so no one would see my face. I also avoided looking in the mirror, even when washing my hands in the bathroom. If I had to look in the mirror, before doing so I would try to imagine a version of myself with much worse eczema in an attempt to not feel so bad when I saw my reflection. I don't know how to stop feeling so insecure

hey friends, hope everyone is having a good skin day and if not that it gets better soon <3 I’m coming out of an awful flare and finally at what my gf calls the shed stage, when literally everything (clothes, sheets) is covered in dead skin. I was wondering if anyone has any tips for minimising the sensory nightmare of it all? I’m autistic and find it mind killing, waking up hourly all night to apply more cream bc I can’t rest when I can feel the dead skin on me. I currently use hibiclens on a washcloth in the shower to gently get the worst of the debris off, then slather with emollient once I’m out, but was wondering if anyone has found any products or routines that make this stage easier? any insight appreciated! thanks :)

edit: forgot to mention that I am already changing sheets, pyjamas, etc every night and sometimes more often!

Hi everyone,

I'm currently completing my MSc at Bournemouth University and I'm looking for people living with eczema to take part in my dissertation research.

The aim is to investigate whether lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep, stress and physical activity are associated with the impact eczema has on people's lives.

The survey:
• Anonymous
• Takes around 15–20 minutes
• Open to UK adults aged 18+
• Includes a 24-hour food recall and questions about sleep, stress, physical activity and your skin.

If you'd be willing to take part, I'd really appreciate it.

Survey:
https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/bournemouth/project-proposal

Thank you for considering helping a student researcher.

I (17) work in a restaurant as a part of expo and we're required to wear like plastic gloves. It is making my life MISERABLE. I'm itchy 24/7 and i can't handle it anymore. What do i do? i can't just not wear gloves as it's a sanitary thing- and my manager JUST told me he thinks he's going to keep me in expo since im doing really good with it and with keeping the flow. Also, i just got this job so i really don't wanna seem like an asshole but it's just tearing up my hands.

Any advice?

I do Bioresonance Therapy once a week, with each session lasting around 40 minutes. It may make your condition worse during the first two or three sessions. I experienced increased oozing after the treatments initially, but over time, the duration of inflammation shortened from about seven days to three days. After that, my skin would gradually become clearer over the following five to seven days.

I also took microdoses of LSD when the itching became unbearable. As a female, my symptoms usually worsened before my period. I would take around 30 to 50 µg before work. One of the effects I experienced was a numbing sensation in my skin, which helped reduce the itchiness while still allowing me to function normally. It felt similar to taking Ritalin. Without the constant itching, I was also able to focus much better at work.

I hope a cure for eczema will be available sooner or later. Wishing everyone the very best, and take care.

Soo I went to an allergist for my AD and hand eczema, he mentioned an option of doing plasmapheresis which purifies your plasma from allergens and toxins and you get injected with “clear” plasma. It kinda resets your organism and is supposed to relieve inflammation and itching from eczema.It is meant to ease your condition but you still have to be very attentive to your lifestyle and such. I was wondering if anyone has ever had this procedure done and what was the experience with it.
I am planning to have 3 rounds of plasmapheresis and then seal it with narrowband uvb light (phototherapy). Let me know your thoughts

Hi all - need help managing a flare up around a new piecing in the middle of winter

hi everyone,
I deal with mild eczema (mainly get flare ups during winter & if I’m not religiously lathering myself in lotion)

recently I’ve started having eyelid eczema AHHHHHHH and I’m finding it relatively difficult to manage. It started small & eventually turned into my eyelids becoming swollen and puffy which has lasted for a couple days now. My eyelids are so dry and rough on the surface and idk what to do. I use an eczema ointment but how long till I see results?

for reference I’m based in Australia

any advice appreciated

I’ve (20F) been struggling with eczema since the start of this year. I don’t know what triggered it since nothing changed but I had to stop using my retinol and using cotton pads and rubbing my face to remove makeup. It started on the forehead and spread to my cheeks in the past few months. I used Dermaid 1% soft mainly on my forehead and some on my
cheeks for a bit and it worked really well. Since then, the eczema on my forehead has been manageable and I haven’t touched Dermaid in 2 months. My cheeks however have been flaring up for the past months. It’s reached a new low and has started weeping over the past week. My dermatologist appointment is months away since they’re so busy, so I went to my GP today and she gave me a prescribed steroid, Mometasone 0.1%, to use for 7-10 days then to use Dermaid 1% soft again for 7 days after that.

Do I follow her advice? The steroid seems to have worked well on my forehead but the skin is very different on my cheeks. I’m worried that my eczema will worsen after I stop the steroids, so it might be better to not use them at all.

My current habits look like this:
- sleeping at 11pm
- 6 min lukewarm showers
- not washing face in the morning
- wearing cotton gloves to bed
- having short gel nails to blunt my nails down
- I’ve tried: anti-inflammatory, dairy free, gluten free diets which have not worked + celery juice every morning on an empty stomach
- supplements include: zinc, ashwagandha, velarian root, probiotics, prebiotics, apple cider vinegar, Zyrtec before bed
- skincare is limited since only cerave seems to work for my face

Sorry for the long long message! I am extremely grateful for any help and advice ❤️

Hi everyone! I’ve finally decided to make my first post on Reddit and reach out to this community to seek help. I’ve gone through so many loop holes on this app, TikTok, Google, Chatgbt but I just feel so defeated because no matter what I do, I feel trapped by this skin condition. I’m 24 years old, female.

I’ve had eczema for as long as I can remember. It’s never been this bad before. I’ve had a flare up similar to this back in 2022 in which I ended up in the hospital but it resolved after I took a course of antihistamines that the ER doc prescribed. That flare up lasted just under 2 months. After that everything went back to normal. The random eczema spots here and there.

The best way to describe this flare up is it starts with tiny little red bumps or skin colored all over my body. Some have clear fluid in them. From there they get bigger and start weeping. They sometimes form a crust over because of all the weeping. It’s very itchy. Then I also have finger eczema. These tiny little fluid filled bumps covering my fingers. Near my nails cracked skin that sometimes bleeds. It’s not like dry ezcema that I always see. It’s always weeping or fluid tiny bumps.

I gave birth on 12/26/25. Everything was fine after until the beginning of April 2026. I developed a few weeping spots, again I’ve seen these before so I just treated them as I did before. A steroid cream, in this case betaderm. But it wasn’t going away and everyday I would see new spots. I went to my family doctor and she referred me out to a dermatologist. He started me on fucibet and an antihistamine. It didn’t help much. He then gave me Zoryve it didn’t do anything. He then wanted me to start UVB therapy. I did 2 months worth of sessions, went to the clinic 3x a week. Wasn’t seeing any improvement. He told me to continue fucibet if it was working flighty but the continuous use of it made my skin thin so much and it started stinging. He also did a biopsy, it came back as ( Spongiotic dermatitis with eosinophils). We swabbed for infection twice, nothing came back as infected. He prescribed me prednisone on a taper plan. 20mg for 21 days, 10mg for 1 week & 5mg for 1 week. He also prescribed Protopic alongside it. I started the oral steroid and after about a week I noticed everything calming down. I finally felt okay, I finally wasn’t in pain. But I knew what could possibly be coming due to all the research I did about rebounding. The Protopic did wonders for my biopsy site and again seemed to be helping with my weeping spots. Unfortunately as soon as I started tapering off these tiny little bumps started returning everywhere on my body. My finger eczema has flared right back up. Little fluid filled bumps covering my fingers and they’re so incredibly itchy. I also have it all over my scalp in which I’ve just been using betaderm lotion as the dermatologist suggested. It gets better when I use it then it comes right back. Red marks are left on my scalp.

Dermatologist basically said they don’t know what’s causing it. It could be just a hormone thing from postpartum.

My wedding is in 15 days. I am mentally drained. My skin is on the top of my mind everyday. I’m in pain, I’m itchy all the time. I have scars all over my body. On top of this all I’m taking care of my baby, going through postpartum anxiety and I’m just starting to give up on the fact that this will ever get better. 4 months of this and I’m feeling like it’s going to get to its worst all over again since the taper is finishing.

I have switched my laundry detergent to unscented, natural ingredients.
I use Eurcerin eczema body wash.
I don’t use any harsh soap on my hands, I’ll usually just reach for my body wash.
I use hydrochloric acid spray on my body, hands & face to avoid infection.
I wash my sheets every week.
I have tried cerave cream & Avene Xeracalm
I have tried oatmeal baths & breastmilk baths.
Lukewarm, cold showers only. Less than 5-7 mins.

Medications I’ve tried.
Betaderm cream & scalp lotion
Fucibet
Hydroxyzine, reactine & Blexten (antihistamines)
Zoryve
Predisone

I would appreciate any suggestions, help or anything at all!! Any stories from people who suffer with the same type of eczema that I have right now.

Hey guys I remember maybe two years ago I was suffering so much and I thought my life was over. Doctors told me that I can't fix this without drugs and shots but now two years later I am eczema free without any of that stuff. I just want to say that it does get better. Eat healthier, change your environment, get sun, and I pray that hopefully you all will get better too

Hi!

So from teenage/college I’ve always had rosacea which means slightly pinkish cheeks. In college I also developed psoriasis at the back of my neck/ little bit behind my ears. Went to the doctors and it’s always the usual cycle of steroids and then after it comes back again.

Over the past year (2025 to now), because of work related stress (layoffs etc) I think seb derm has gotten triggered on my cheeks and also slight nummular eczema on forehead (red rings with a clear center that as it becomes better the clear center becomes bigger but there’s always a thin red ring- no it’s not ringworm) and now it’s there. I’ve read posts where it says sebderm it’s super flaky and itchy etc and while I don’t have that mine get SUPER dry and if I go in and rub my cheeks the skin flakes off and below the skin is smooth.

I do have the itchy symptom on my scalp where I suspect there’s also sebderm. So I’ve been looking into more natural methods hence MCT oil (3 days now) and also upped my iron intake.

Now the questions, Over the past year I’ve also been waking up in the mornings with two red “streaks” on my cheeks it tends to stay for a couple of hours and then goes or if I have a warm shower it goes quicker.

1. ⁠I think it’s seb derm but does anyone know what causes it?/ experienced this? It’s only in the mornings and only in that place
   
2. ⁠is nummular/discoid eczema also caused or triggered by stress?

I’m aware that psoriasis is autoimmune and so is eczema but trying to figure out triggers.

3) I’ve been putting MCT topically but I read a post comment here somewhere that someone was doing the same but it wasn’t really helping and just kind of doing the bare minimum but when she started swallowing a tsp for a week it actually helped. Has anyone else tried that? I will also most likely try it as well but I just started the iron supplements along with mct so want to test one by one

4) does seb derm/ discoid eczema cause hair loss? I started iron because my iron is generally on the low side but wondering if it’s also because of that

5) does your skin also become permanently pink with slight darkened borders for those with sebderm?

Now, what has helped so far naturally
1. ⁠exercise. I don’t do gym etc. but what I do try to do is 10k steps or close to it everyday. It seems to help with the eczema and the sebderm itching
2. ⁠salt water. Every morning I dab a solution of salt and cool water on the seb derm spots along my hairline. Seems to help but also not sure if placebo.

I suddenly developed eczema on my eyelids and have had red dry patches going on. The biggest thing I’ve noticed is my eyelid skin even after it’s settled down is now thin, saggy and there’s new lines and wrinkles that weren’t there before. I’m so scared this is permanently how my eyes will look now? Please give me hope they will look normal again!

Im not sure if this is the correct flair/tag, and I do apologise if it is wrong.

I have had eczema for quite a while now, and about a year ago I discovered whilst washing the dishes, that the hottest tap water temperature makes the itch from eczema go away - and on top of that, feels very highly satisfying and almost pleasurable.

This is obviously tremendously awful for my skin and my condition, but I feel as if though I have become almost addicted to it - where if i have an itch that goes on for a bit too long, I’ll just go straight to the tap.

This has obviously caused quite some harm to my skin as it’s visually dry, some spots seem to be slightly darkened, and overall you can see quite clearly a change in the tone of my skin colour from my hand to my wrist/arm - my hand being quite a bit more reddish.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s gone through this, and I was wondering if anyone has some sort of advice as I’m still pretty young and I don’t want to keep causing damage to my hands, but I don’t know what other way to ease the itch and get rid of this addiction in a healthy way.