Skin is everything! No one will argue that having eczema is in no way near as wrong as having cancer. The latter is clearly life-threatening and is one of the worst pieces of news you can be given. I have various friends who suffer from terrible eczema.
However, eczema makes people feel self-conscious about their appearance and how others might perceive them because of their skin condition. It’s clear for everyone to see: you have red, dry, and often bloody skin due to scratching. It makes people think that it can spread to them even though it cannot.
It can also make it seem as if you are unhygienic when this is not right either. If you have widespread eczema and are in a dire state of irritation, you are probably showering or bathing too much. Water saps your skin of natural oils, which means your skin becomes even drier. So how do you cope with eczema and take care of your body image in public?
Loose and soft
Firstly, cover up until you have a lid on the scratching. You don’t want to expose dry skin to the sun or air because the moisture will eventually be sapped away, causing your skin to crack, causing it to become irritated.
Wear loose-fitting clothes, so there’s no chafing of your skin and rubbing together. Also, wear something soft, so there’s less chance of your skin being grazed and cut open easily.
Avoid wearing jeans even if they are baggy, as denim is a coarse material and will often be uncomfortable to tender, raw, or bleeding skin. Jeans also tend to spread your moisturiser around because denim isn’t very absorbent compared to cotton.
Similarly, avoid wearing pure cotton or pure wool due to their high porosity, which can deplete your natural oils. Find something made out of nylon or acrylic to wear.
Express your anxiety.
It’s a good idea to write a blog about your daily life with eczema if you are pretty self-conscious of how you look in public.
However, you might find that joining an Inspire Psoriasis support group will help you more as you talk to other people with a similar skin condition. You’ll find new ways to cope and different tips and tricks to make your skin less irritable with clothes. Bathing techniques are also discussed, which is helpful for people with psoriasis on their private parts and struggling to find a way to clean this area without drying it up and making it hurt.
Talk about your social anxiety due to eczema and how you can avoid feeling wrong about your body image. Many people in your position and others have climbed out of that negative space.
Any visible skin condition that looks abnormal makes us feel quite self-conscious in front of other people. We tend to cover up but not in the right kinds of clothes. Avoid denim if you can, and stick to soft and loose clothing until your irritation is under control.
