Severe eczema on face.

[Sharl20]

Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice as to eczema, I had it when I was a child and have had no problems until this Summer when it came back with a vengeance on my face!
It is so bad its keep me awake at night and I can spend hours crying in pain as my face constantly stings, its like nothing I've had previously. I've had to visit a&e its been so bad! My skin is completely open and even showering is painful as I feel like someone has cut my face 10000 times with tiny razors.

I feel so awkward going out as I cannot wear a mask and not wearing a mask judgment is real. (If I could I would wear one).

I am currently seeing a dermatologist and he prescribed a course of steroids initially they worked and I thought they'd done the trick however every time I reduced the dose my face got worse. I'm now off the tablets and back to square one.
I was given some tracolimus cream however I reacted badly to it.

Has anyone been through anything similar? Is there anything they have found helps? (I've stopped consuming dairy).

I've seen reviews for Cerave and wondering whether to buy it.

I'm at my wits end, I've no confidence and feel rubbish.

 

[BettyCrocker]

Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice as to eczema, I had it when I was a child and have had no problems until this Summer when it came back with a vengeance on my face!
It is so bad its keep me awake at night and I can spend hours crying in pain as my face constantly stings, its like nothing I've had previously. I've had to visit a&e its been so bad! My skin is completely open and even showering is painful as I feel like someone has cut my face 10000 times with tiny razors.

I feel so awkward going out as I cannot wear a mask and not wearing a mask judgment is real. (If I could I would wear one).

I am currently seeing a dermatologist and he prescribed a course of steroids initially they worked and I thought they'd done the trick however every time I reduced the dose my face got worse. I'm now off the tablets and back to square one.
I was given some tracolimus cream however I reacted badly to it.

Has anyone been through anything similar? Is there anything they have found helps? (I've stopped consuming dairy).

I've seen reviews for Cerave and wondering whether to buy it.

I'm at my wits end, I've no confidence and feel rubbish.

why did they take you off the steroids??

 

[Sharl20]

why did they take you off the steroids??

It was a 6 week dose after my first appointment to see if it would clear up ny skin before they start further investigation.

 

[orange club biscuit]

Argh, I really feel for you - eczema can be truly debilitating

I hate to echo what your doc has probably told you but there are so many factors which might cause it - some of which feel so out of control (eg stress). Has anything changed in your life/environment which might have triggered it?

everyone is so different and obv your derm probably knows best but IMO I don’t think there is a ‘miracle’ cure like cerave. What has worked for me is keeping my skin moisturised at all times (I use pawpaw ointment on my face and antihistamines when it’s v bad).

Have you used steroid cream in addition to the tablets? There are so many different ones out there so it may be a case of finding which one works for you best?

I hope you get it solved soon x

 

[Sweetsunrise]

Follow a girl on Instagram called “_keepingupwithsteph” she’s amazing and she tried to withdraw from steroids. She shows the progress in her highlights and it’s incredible how much her skin as improved.

Steroids thin your skin and make it worse over time, so it’s no wonder they worked first and then the effectiveness wore off. I also have eczema, not on my face, more on my arms. I bought cerave because my face is dry sometimes. I bought the one in this picture, I’d say it’s pretty good, it’s very lightweight, doesn’t feel like it’s on your skin at all, but it seeps in very quickly, it’s not a thick moisturiser at all!

Have you tried aveeno or childs farm? They are more natural.

 

[Sharl20]

Argh, I really feel for you - eczema can be truly debilitating

I hate to echo what your doc has probably told you but there are so many factors which might cause it - some of which feel so out of control (eg stress). Has anything changed in your life/environment which might have triggered it?

everyone is so different and obv your derm probably knows best but IMO I don’t think there is a ‘miracle’ cure like cerave. What has worked for me is keeping my skin moisturised at all times (I use pawpaw ointment on my face and antihistamines when it’s v bad).

Have you used steroid cream in addition to the tablets? There are so many different ones out there so it may be a case of finding which one works for you best?

I hope you get it solved soon x

I think there are lots of factors that have affected me, I was bullied at a previous job which I left in December and then I went into a new job which was just awful in different ways. I'm now in a job I absolutely love. I know this hasn't helped my skin and its probably been building up and resulted in the eczema developing in July.

Unfortunately I know there isn't a miracle cure but I can't keep my face moisturised enough. I've had reactions to everything the doctor has given and currently using child's farm but it isn't enough and was wondering if cerave may help me more.

I've never heard pawpaw ointment what is that?

I have used a steroid cream it worked for a day or two but then stopped. When I have my next appointment hopefully they give me something else.

Thankyou, I hope I do too! X

Follow a girl on Instagram called “_keepingupwithsteph” she’s amazing and she tried to withdraw from steroids. She shows the progress in her highlights and it’s incredible how much her skin as improved.

Steroids thin your skin and make it worse over time, so it’s no wonder they worked first and then the effectiveness wore off. I also have eczema, not on my face, more on my arms. I bought cerave because my face is dry sometimes. I bought the one in this picture, I’d say it’s pretty good, it’s very lightweight, doesn’t feel like it’s on your skin at all, but it seeps in very quickly, it’s not a thick moisturiser at all!

Have you tried aveeno or childs farm? They are more natural.

Thanks, I am going to go and look now! I'll take a look at the cerave you've suggested too!

Currently childs farm is the only thing I can use but my skin is so dry and cracked it just isn't effective enough.

 

[orange club biscuit]

I think there are lots of factors that have affected me, I was bullied at a previous job which I left in December and then I went into a new job which was just awful in different ways. I'm now in a job I absolutely love. I know this hasn't helped my skin and its probably been building up and resulted in the eczema developing in July.

Unfortunately I know there isn't a miracle cure but I can't keep my face moisturised enough. I've had reactions to everything the doctor has given and currently using child's farm but it isn't enough and was wondering if cerave may help me more.

I've never heard pawpaw ointment what is that?

I have used a steroid cream it worked for a day or two but then stopped. When I have my next appointment hopefully they give me something else.

Thankyou, I hope I do too! X

Sorry to hear about your job but glad to hear things are improving now. It’s so difficult really, this year has been so hard on everyone am sure the ‘background’ stress of lockdown and everything has had such an impact!

The papaw stuff I use isn’t ‘active’ medication as such but really helps to keep my skin from getting dry (breaking the itch-scratch cycle as I have heard it described!). This is similar the one I use https://www.feelunique.com/p/Dr-Paw-Paw-Original-Multipurpose-Balm-25ml - I have a massive pot a friend brought me from Aus, it’s almost like Vaseline but thicker? When my skin is bad I put it on every few hours. I have also heard people recommending Balmonds - a really thick moisturising balm which does a similar thing. And aveeno is good as someone else has suggested too (I would put aveeno on first and then pawpaw over the top to stop it drying out!). You don’t want stuff that soaks into your skin too quickly otherwise it gets so dry x

 

[Clickbait]

Sending you best wishes @Sharl20 because I’ve had horrendous eczema before and I know how debilitating it can be. I would echo the sentiments about the use of steroid cream, particularly on your face.

Have you been told to do any overnight wraps? Slightly trickier on your face but not impossible. Essentially you put cotton bandage strips over any products that you’ve applied to keep the product on your skin and not all over your bed/pillow. I’ve found clingfilm also works in place of the bandage with clothing on top although that is definitely not practical for your face! You can either wrap the bandages or use medical tape to secure. Alternatively you can buy a cheap tissue face mask and let it dry out, then use this over the cream.

It will look a bit mad and it’s awful feeling all bandaged up and greasy, but keeping the skin hydrated and moist, really helps to heal the cracking. If you haven’t already checked them out the Eczema Society have lots of information that may be of help.

 

[Sharl20]

Sorry to hear about your job but glad to hear things are improving now. It’s so difficult really, this year has been so hard on everyone am sure the ‘background’ stress of lockdown and everything has had such an impact!

The papaw stuff I use isn’t ‘active’ medication as such but really helps to keep my skin from getting dry (breaking the itch-scratch cycle as I have heard it described!). This is similar the one I use https://www.feelunique.com/p/Dr-Paw-Paw-Original-Multipurpose-Balm-25ml - I have a massive pot a friend brought me from Aus, it’s almost like Vaseline but thicker? When my skin is bad I put it on every few hours. I have also heard people recommending Balmonds - a really thick moisturising balm which does a similar thing. And aveeno is good as someone else has suggested too (I would put aveeno on first and then pawpaw over the top to stop it drying out!). You don’t want stuff that soaks into your skin too quickly otherwise it gets so dry x

Thanks for all your advice, I will look at those creams you have suggested. Unfortunately I can't use aveeno, I used to be able to and it was great these days my skin reacts badly to it. My face just isn't my friend at the moment. I'm wary of trying new creams but at the same time, I can't get much worse.
The itching cycle is just the worst. I have days were it just doesn't stop and it drives me crazy!

Sending you best wishes @Sharl20 because I’ve had horrendous eczema before and I know how debilitating it can be. I would echo the sentiments about the use of steroid cream, particularly on your face.

Have you been told to do any overnight wraps? Slightly trickier on your face but not impossible. Essentially you put cotton bandage strips over any products that you’ve applied to keep the product on your skin and not all over your bed/pillow. I’ve found clingfilm also works in place of the bandage with clothing on top although that is definitely not practical for your face! You can either wrap the bandages or use medical tape to secure. Alternatively you can buy a cheap tissue face mask and let it dry out, then use this over the cream.

It will look a bit mad and it’s awful feeling all bandaged up and greasy, but keeping the skin hydrated and moist, really helps to heal the cracking. If you haven’t already checked them out the Eczema Society have lots of information that may be of help.

I haven't been told to do any wraps but remember as a child I was in them every night and one of the creams smelled like tar!

Thankyou so much for your advice I will look into wraps and the eczema society too!

 

[TruffleTrifle]

Hi, I went through something similar about 8 years ago and it flares up intermittently ever since. Not sure what initially caused it but I think it was a stress reaction to the awful relationship I was in at the time. I too have tried the tacrolimus cream but I hated it. Now, managing my skin since has been a full time job. Every time I flare up it’s a trial and error to see what will fix it this time.


Anyway here’s what works for me:
Complete skin reset. I use only Doublebase on my face (you can get it off amazon, it moisturises and provides a protective barrier while it heals underneath).

Don’t let get your face under hot water and wash your hands before applying moisturiser.

No makeup, perfumed products, hairsprays! (I use the Elnett unfragranced now)

For a cleanser use the least chemical thing you can, possibly Cerave can help you with this.

Take anti histamines to calm your skin down.

Avoid any products with Methylisothiazolinone (shampoos mostly)

You’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll heal without needing steroids but it might need anti biotics? It’s definitely worth a try I think. This will sound gross but when my eczema flares up nowadays I sometimes find a dab of athletes foot cream works faster than steroids I’ve also found adding a few drops of tea tree oil to my bodywash once or twice a week helps keep flare ups at bay

I find diet wise my triggers are dairy and gluten. I don’t cut them out completely but I do cut back.

hope all this helps. Please feel free to PM me if I can be of any further help. I know how horrible it is to go through x

 

[mcfeez]

I feel your pain. A couple of years ago I got terrible dermatitis around my eyes - it was so painful. Steriod cream and good nourishing moisturiser helped but the main thing was identifying the cause. One of my favourites for the face is La Roche Posay (super gentle) and then kiehls avocado cream for around the eyes.

Mine actually turned out to be caused by chemical SPF, even products that weren't just spf but had spf in them. Every time I'd use it on my face, the eyes would puff up and go all red and flaky. I have to use no products with spf now and when I'm using spf have to stick to only mineral ones.

 

[Sharl20]

Hi, I went through something similar about 8 years ago and it flares up intermittently ever since. Not sure what initially caused it but I think it was a stress reaction to the awful relationship I was in at the time. I too have tried the tacrolimus cream but I hated it. Now, managing my skin since has been a full time job. Every time I flare up it’s a trial and error to see what will fix it this time.


Anyway here’s what works for me:
Complete skin reset. I use only Doublebase on my face (you can get it off amazon, it moisturises and provides a protective barrier while it heals underneath).

Don’t let get your face under hot water and wash your hands before applying moisturiser.

No makeup, perfumed products, hairsprays! (I use the Elnett unfragranced now)

For a cleanser use the least chemical thing you can, possibly Cerave can help you with this.

Take anti histamines to calm your skin down.

Avoid any products with Methylisothiazolinone (shampoos mostly)

You’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll heal without needing steroids but it might need anti biotics? It’s definitely worth a try I think. This will sound gross but when my eczema flares up nowadays I sometimes find a dab of athletes foot cream works faster than steroids I’ve also found adding a few drops of tea tree oil to my bodywash once or twice a week helps keep flare ups at bay

I find diet wise my triggers are dairy and gluten. I don’t cut them out completely but I do cut back.

hope all this helps. Please feel free to PM me if I can be of any further help. I know how horrible it is to go through x

Thankyou so much for you helpful response. I had almost one month of antibiotics before the steroids and nothing seems to be helping! I just feel like I can't win!

I am going to look at double base as I havent used it in years! I am going to look at athletes foot cream i have read that somewhere else too! Do you just use normal bodywash or something for sensitive skin?

It's really an awful thing to go through! I had to start my new job at the same time it was extremely bad so much so my eyes were almost swollen shut, red raw and flaking everywhere I was absolutely mortified but everyone has been so supportive and not judged me. X

I feel your pain. A couple of years ago I got terrible dermatitis around my eyes - it was so painful. Steriod cream and good nourishing moisturiser helped but the main thing was identifying the cause. One of my favourites for the face is La Roche Posay (super gentle) and then kiehls avocado cream for around the eyes.

Mine actually turned out to be caused by chemical SPF, even products that weren't just spf but had spf in them. Every time I'd use it on my face, the eyes would puff up and go all red and flaky. I have to use no products with spf now and when I'm using spf have to stick to only mineral ones.

I am thinking mine is allergy/stress related but trying to find the cause of the allergen is the hard bit. Hopefully the dermatologist will be able to find the cause whatever it is!

Glad you found what was causing your eyes to flare up, it must of felt good knowing you knew what the issue was and how to rectify it!

 

[orange club biscuit]

I feel your pain. A couple of years ago I got terrible dermatitis around my eyes - it was so painful. Steriod cream and good nourishing moisturiser helped but the main thing was identifying the cause. One of my favourites for the face is La Roche Posay (super gentle) and then kiehls avocado cream for around the eyes.

Mine actually turned out to be caused by chemical SPF, even products that weren't just spf but had spf in them. Every time I'd use it on my face, the eyes would puff up and go all red and flaky. I have to use no products with spf now and when I'm using spf have to stick to only mineral ones.

Ah this is so interesting - which spf do you use now? To be honest when my face eczema is bad using SPF on a daily basis (other than when it’s actually sunny - bad I know) is the last thing on my mind - I would rather have sun damage than suffer terrible eczema for my whole life!

I have tried the la Roche Posay anthelios one but it felt so heavy and thick.

I also loove the Kiehls Avo eye cream - it’s so great and doesn’t make my skin sting

 

[Coco1]

I had terrible eczema on my face for 2 years, it just appeared one day. My doctor gave me steroids and similarly to you, as soon as I stopped taking it, the eczema got worse.

I religiously used aveeno emollient cream on my face and didn’t put anything on it. I couldn’t even use simple face wash at the time. I also used to put sudocrem on the parts that were the worst and sleep with it on. I definitely recommend the emollient cream and not putting anything else on your skin that irritates it.

Luckily for me, the eczema did just resolve itself and it’s been gone for almost 2 years. I’ve never felt as low, self esteem wise, than when I had it, especially as the face is hard to hide but you get used to it & you will find something that works for you. Wishing you all the best.

 

[Roses882]

I use cerave and eucerin face lotion and it has prevented my face eczema from getting worse, hasn’t gotten rid of it just yet! I apply it very generously and very consistently as I’ve been able to do this in lockdown

 

[TruffleTrifle]

Thankyou so much for you helpful response. I had almost one month of antibiotics before the steroids and nothing seems to be helping! I just feel like I can't win!

I am going to look at double base as I havent used it in years! I am going to look at athletes foot cream i have read that somewhere else too! Do you just use normal bodywash or something for sensitive skin?

It's really an awful thing to go through! I had to start my new job at the same time it was extremely bad so much so my eyes were almost swollen shut, red raw and flaking everywhere I was absolutely mortified but everyone has been so supportive and not judged me. X

I use doublebase in the shower as well sorry should’ve mentioned that! I use that on my body as it stops it being dried out then I use Simple bar soap for underarms etc

 

[Platypusfattypus]

Following as I'm starting to suffer. I very rarely get it on my face apart from a patch on my forehead but lately it's spread to my nose and round my mouth. It just looks like red patches but I'm having to wear makeup to cover it which doesn't help. I think stress from work is causing my flair up and having to wear a mask constantly at work.

 

[Sharl20]

I've just been on the phone to the doctor and mentioned my skin was so dry and he's prescribed me diprobase so I'm going to give that a go however he recommended neutrogena hand cream. He said that's the best thing to use, I've never seen that suggested before!

Thankyou everyone for your replies, it means alot and knowing people have been in similar circumstances and they've found Solutions makes me feel better.

 

[mcfeez]

Ah this is so interesting - which spf do you use now? To be honest when my face eczema is bad using SPF on a daily basis (other than when it’s actually sunny - bad I know) is the last thing on my mind - I would rather have sun damage than suffer terrible eczema for my whole life!

I have tried the la Roche Posay anthelios one but it felt so heavy and thick.

I also loove the Kiehls Avo eye cream - it’s so great and doesn’t make my skin sting

At the moment I like Ren or Avene's mineral spf. They are quite heavy but good.

La Roche I don't use anthelios which I think is their sun range. I like their 'toleraine' range - for sensitive skin. They have a couple of moisturisers which are very nice.

 

[Sweetsunrise]

Also have you tried Egyptian magic cream? They sell it at boots, I really like it for body eczema, it’s like Vaseline but has some healing ingredients and is 100% natural. I’ve never tried it on my face though