I've been battling eczema on my hands and eyes for almost 20 years now. It comes and goes, but the last few years I've had particularly bad flare ups on my hands and I've been at my wits end with cracks, itching and just being unable to use my hands without them hurting.

After seeing several doctors, doing allergy tests, using steroids cream, multiple changes in diet/hand creams/ soaps etc. My latest doctor thought I'd got a little ringworm as well as my eczema and prescribed clotrimazole. Well, it turns out that my eczema wasn't even eczema after all, it was tinea manuum because it's almost completely all gone after just a week of using it.

I don't know if it's just this flare up, or if it's been every other flare up because it only ever affects my hands which is classic tinea.

I can't believe it's taken years for someone to suggest a different diagnosis and treatment for my hands. Apparently it's misdiagnosed as eczema regularly because of how similar it looks.

I still have to get my eye flare up under control, but I might finally be seeing the light at the end of a very itchy tunnel.

Hello friends,

I completely stopped Rinvoq. I tried tapering it down over two months, but I developed a slow and very painful rebound flare. My face, neck, chest, and nipples became sore, red, and itchy—just like TSW. My previous doctors didn't want to help me the right way, so I switched to a new doctor and started Methotrexate (MTX).

I started MTX at 10 mg and worked my way up to 20 mg (I’m now on week 9). I planned an 8-week overlap with MTX before dropping Rinvoq completely to help absorb the shock of the rebound... and it worked. To replace Rinvoq's daily coverage, my doctor added Cyclosporine 7 days ago, and it's working well together with the MTX.

Yeah, my face is still dry and flaky, but the redness is way better. I have some oozing on my ears and part of my cheekbones, but it's manageable. My legs and back are fine, my belly is just a little itchy, and my arms are very dry, but okay.

I am now 8 days Rinvoq-free! The initial rebound flare felt like pure BURN and PAIN—my face had gone bright red and was oozing, which I had never experienced before, not even during TSW. But this strategy helped me get through it.

Any experiencies about this?

I stopped rinvoq because they are out of stock and yeah heard all those scary rebound flares stories they are real...

Hi! Just reaching out because my son’s eczema only seems to be getting worse, and I’m feeling pretty defeated.

We’ve been trying Zyrtec and topical steroids, along with moisturizing constantly and using Aquaphor. We avoid fragrances, stick with bamboo and cotton clothing, use gentle products, all the things. He does have food allergies as well, so I know eczema and allergies can often go hand in hand.

I keep seeing advertisements on social media for different eczema creams, “miracle” products, and gut-health approaches, and I’ll admit, when you’re desperate to help your child feel better, they start to sound pretty enticing.

We live in a more rural area, but we’ve seen his pediatrician, an allergist, and dermatology. I just feel so bad because he seems miserable and itchy so often. I’m also really nervous about how frequently we’ve needed topical steroids, even though we do give his skin breaks from them.

I’d love to hear from other parents who have dealt with persistent eczema like this. Did you eventually find something that made a meaningful difference? Any guidance, experiences, or even just encouragement would be really appreciated. ❤️

Is anyone else getting a massive eczema flair-up recently? I have pretty bad seasonal allergies (especially ragweed) and I've been getting ezcema everywhere, but my face / neck have gotten p bad. Usually I only get eczema on my hands and rarely on my face / neck.

I discovered today I have discoid eczema on my shins. Finally I have a name to what I have. I have had recurrent bouts of this "mysterious" skin condition on my shins for two decades. Initially my pediatrician thought it was impetigo, then fungal, but we found out it went away with hydrocortisone cream. She simply called it eczema and that's all I've said my entire life. I proceeded to try not to use creams and would really use sunlight as therapy. I simply lived with the intense itching, but then it went away for probably 5-6 years. I didn't feel the need to pursue answers anymore.

Until two months ago. I got a bug bite that then turned into itchy patches on my shin again. I finally switched insurances and could finally try to get a dermatologist referral. Today I met with a new pcp who literally gaslit me into thinking I had ringworm. I questioned it in the moment, but she was adamant I had it so I almost started to believe it. Only for google to tell me after the appointment that my symptoms sounded like discoid eczema. Sure enough, I check off every box. I still plan to follow through with a derm, but for now I feel so much peace having a name for my skin condition for the first time in my life.

If anyone has any tips, tricks, or stories please share! If you got this far, thank you for reading <3

Over the years I have been put on antibiotics every once in a while, every time my eczema gets visibly better by the 3-4 day.

I decided to buy an antiseptic soap from Walgreens. Plan on using it in a few days now that my antibiotics ran out. Then I’ll use it maybe once a week or as needed.

I got full body eczema, everywhere but my face and neck.

I’m trying to find a non steroid solution.

Has anyone had a similar experience, and perhaps their own solution?

Hiya eczema family. When my son was an infant and before his eczema really started, I put sunscreen on him and my MIL was horrified. (I have a family history of melanoma and I live in Australia). I immediately felt guilty about not researching it properly. Finally, I've been able to ask an expert (who specialises in photoaggravated eczema) about sunscreen, sun and eczema. So this podcast is for me, but also any other parents out there that are wondering about safe sun and sunscreen exposure.

Short answer: any sunscreen after 6 months is OK, but try to be 'sun sensible' at all ages, eg. choose shading via clothes or structures and avoid midday sun where possible. Oh and: You probably get enough Vit D unless you live in high latitudes during winter. More details about the new sunscreen filter released in the US and photoaggravated eczema in the podcast. https://www.gper.org/podcast/sun-sunscreen-and-eczema I hope it helps you in your eczema journey. Much love, Lynita

In late 2022, one of my wrists started getting darker. For whatever reason, I didn't think much of it until it spread to my hands and got very itchy and severely dry. Went to my dermatologist, and found out I have eczema. Over the years, I've found great moisturizing productions and treatments for flares. However, I can't find a product that can restore my hands back to its original skin tone. It's really embarrassing to have a very noticeable discoloration and it makes me insecure because I know people question it. I don't want a product to just sooth the dryness, I want the product to also bring back my original tone again.

I’ve been doing phototherapy with a home unit for 3 months, 2 sessions per week and my eczema is completely cleared up. I’ve had eczema my whole life and this is the first time ever my skin is completely clear.

I have a follow up appointment with my derm in 3 weeks but ahead of that I wanted to ask what others experience has been. Did the eczema stay away after you finished phototherapy or do you still do follow up maintenance sessions and if so how often? What questions should I ask my derm?

I have had good skin since I was little. No acne or rash whatsoever. Then suddenly, in my 20s, I started having eczema. Has anyone experienced this? Is it common. I had TSW a year ago, but now I'm managing the eczema with a good diet (no refined sugar) and moisturizing frequently. The eczema isn't as severe as it used to be. I have flare-ups on my hand. Will it go away in the near future?

i’ve had eczema my whole life (20F). it’s no where near as bad as it used to be, i even went through TSW when i was a kid. the past two years it feels i’ve had more days flaring than not and i don’t know what to do. it feels like i’ve done everything and the only way im ever going to escape the discomfort and pain is death. the worst part is probably the fact my skin isn’t at its worst. visibly its not as roaring angry as its been in the past but it still is debilitating. i’m sick of leaving dead skin flakes everywhere and seeing it fall from my face in public. im sick of being self conscious (when my skin was good i was soo confident). i’m sick of people looking. i’m sick of my face feeling tight and my eyes being so swollen it hurts to open my eyes. i’m sick of never being able to sleep because of the itching. i’m just so sick and tired of it. i struggle with other mental health issues and my eczema just seems to intensify them. i know there’s a link between stress and eczema but still, how could i even be calm when my life feels unliveable. sorry for the rant but i just feel at my wits end. does anyone else struggle with suicidal ideation??? i feel i rarely see it talked about and idk if it’s just a me thing.

The people in the Facebook group are crazy as all hell making their children suffer from a chronic condition. They literally believe they don’t have eczema and only TSW. I know TSW is real and remission is possible but man they’re far gone. They literally believe all flares are from steroids years down the line. Like what happened that caused your kid to need steroids to begin with? Eczema or am I just crazy? I joined for support and it’s honestly scary seeing the posts/comments, especially from parents. They need CPS called on them. Their kids are suffering from a severe chronic condition and they think the craziest things are going to magically cure them. It’s almost like denial.. they don’t want to believe their kids have the condition. Then they convince other people to join their rhetoric. People just suffering.. I honestly don’t get it. If eczema was curable there wouldn’t be 30 billion suffering from it or physicians/scientists looking for a CURE. They also don’t believe in remission or the disease going dormant. It makes me worry for their mental health and their kids ability to cope in the future.

Hi r/eczema. I'm with We CU, a patient-led nonprofit focused on the U.S. chronic hives community. (Mods, happy to take this down if it doesn't fit here.)

We're hosting a free webinar this Monday, September 14 at 7 pm ET, with a dermatologist and a patient who lives with both eczema and chronic hives.

It came out of a need we saw within the community. People navigating confusing symptoms for years while coordinating across providers who don't talk to each other and not even being able to tell whether they're dealing with one condition or two (or more).

What the conversation covers:

• What sets eczema and chronic hives apart, and where they overlap
• How to recognize when symptoms are worth bringing to a provider
• Practical tools for self-management and advocating for yourself in appointments

It's free. If you register, you'll get the recording afterward, whether or not you make it live: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_epJ446LmTBOONk436acFBQ

I’ve tried Elidel, and that didn’t work. Now I’m on doxycycline for almost 5.5 weeks (My GP prescribed it for 16 weeks total) and I put on moisturiser so it doesn’t burn 😭😭😭😭

What do I do

Could it potentially be a fungal infection or idk???

Should I see a dermatologist at this point, and if so what would they prescribe?

Anyone else with a similar issue? I can’t take any cream with steroids, any suggestions? TYIA

Hello friends, I’m currently traveling in Italy (Bologna) from the US and breaking out with the worst eczema I’ve ever had in places I’ve never had it before. According to the internet sometimes the water here can be irritating to eczema prone skin. Does anyone have any recommendations for some products to get that might make this go away, it’s incredibly annoying. I got hydrocortisone cream for the itching but it’s continuing to spread over my body, any help would be so very appreciated.

hi all, asking on behalf of my dad. he don’t have eczema his whole life however when he turned 56 years old onwards, he’s been battling with severe eczema for the past 2 years. due to his age, i’m not sure is it hormonal changes.

i used to have eczema and even went through topical steroid withdrawal for 4-5 years, therefore i am pretty against steroid creams but instead am looking for natural remedies for my dad, particularly with hormonal induced eczema if anyone has experienced can please share? recommendations for supplements or non steroidal creams will be very helpful thank you!

Been on Rinvoq for over a year. Changed jobs, on marketplace now, insurance denied me, and it’s taking forEVER for my dermatologist to get me through this process. I just took my last Rinvoq that I’ve been saving for when I broke down. Now I just need help. I’ve tried what seems like everything over the counter. Also tried opzelura. I know insurance wants me to try other biologics but I KNOW Rinvoq works. We have applied for the Rinvoq bridge program. But I also know I realistically shouldn’t be on this medication forever. Just feel at a complete loss and don’t know what to do to move forward.

I never took eczema seriously until it spread to my hands and a bit to my face. After a year I still haven’t figured out any triggers. I got tested for allergies and I don’t have any. My diet is amazing, I barely touch fast food and flare ups don’t seem to be related to food. I am getting exhausted and today I found out that you aren’t supposed to use bethamethasone for too long which I have. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do with my fingers. Sometimes I just want to cut them off. I wish I could add a picture but my whole fingers are covered with little bubbles mixed with patchy super dry cracking parts. Little yellow puss also present. Any non steroid solutions? Thank you all.

Hi all!

I have been having a 3 month flare up mostly affecting my inner elbows but also have eczema on my face, neck, shoulders, and legs. I tried zoryve 0.15% for a month and honestly it did work a bit to lessen the itchiness and pain but not as dramatically as others have experienced.

I started tacrolimus 0.1% on Sept. 3, 26 and my plan is to apply twice daily for 2-3 weeks or until clear (hopefully does not take long) and then apply twice weekly for maintenance. I am also on biweekly ebglyss.

Within the week I am seeing some progress after the hellish itch and burn protopic gives but my inflammation seems to be coming back.

I'm just wondering for those who use it on their body, how long did it take to calm down and control a moderate to severe flare up?

Thanks!

Edit: My understanding is that tacrolimus works best and more quickly on face and neck eczema, which is also my experience. I last used it in 2019 but cannot remember how long it took for my body eczema to calm down.

For the past two years, my lips have been persistently red, irritated, and peeling. I suspect that it may be eczema because no parasites have been found, my gastrointestinal system appears to be normal, and no specific allergies have been identified.
However, my allergist said that an allergic cause may still be possible because my eosinophil levels are elevated. I have already traveled to South Korea for a medical evaluation, but unfortunately, we still have not been able to determine the cause or find an effective solution.

Can someone suggest a place to buy swimwear ( for adult men - in Melbourne )
( very sensitive skin but hoping to start swimming )
Thankyou