Eczema And Body Image: How To Get By

The majority of people are conscious of their body image. 66% of people under 18 and 61% of people over 18 are unhappy with how their body looks.  Visible eczema can be distressing and further damage body image. If you’re already dissatisfied with your body image, the appearance of eczema could exacerbate the situation.

  

Some don’t feel self-conscious about their appearance, so visible eczema might bother them less. However, the symptoms still need to be dealt with; otherwise, you could suffer a secondary infection, with things getting a lot worse. Secondary infections often include discharge, pus, and scabby skin. 

Be Careful Covering Up Your Eczema 

Covering eczema is a logical way to feel better about your body image, especially if you have perioral dermatitis. If you know others can’t see the flare-up, you might feel better about it. Eliminating the worry about how others see you is important, but you can’t forget about dealing with the symptoms.

If you cover eczema up and pretend like it doesn’t exist, it could get worse. It would help if you focused on dealing with the symptoms. Make sure you get into an excellent moisturizing regimen and speak to your dermatologist. Remember, eczema isn’t curable, and flare-ups can re-occur. You can combat flare-ups over time by finding a safe cream to use long-term as a preventative measure. 

Hiding your eczema can worsen the situation because your clothes might irritate the rash. Rough or abrasive material can have the same effect as scratching. In addition, you could end up damaging the skin even further, leaving the eczema open to secondary infections. If you’re going to cover the rash, use a bandage first. If you don’t like bandages, use softer materials that won’t be as hard on the skin.

You might try a long-sleeved shirt to cover your arms or a hat to cover your head. Depending on where you live, a scarf can cover a neck rash too. Again, don’t forget to deal with the symptoms if you decide to cover up your eczema. 

 

Focus On Your Self Worth

The chronic nature of eczema is maddening, and you might find yourself nervous about going public with a visible rash. But, don’t worry, you’re far from alone. How many people suffer from eczema? National Eczema believes over 10% of people suffer from Atopic Dermatitis in the United States. There are many other dermatological problems that people suffer from and have to deal with, leading to visible rashes or sores. According to Dr. Steven Harlan, 30% of Americans suffer from some sort of chronic, recurring dermatitis. It’s more common than you think.

Most people aren’t going to notice the rash you’re so worried about, and if they do, they won’t care. They might have their own skin problem they’re concerned about and they’ll likely know someone who has suffered from a skin problem too. They’ll empathize. 

It can be challenging if your eczema is prevalent and particularly nasty. Try focusing on coming up with a plan to tackle the symptoms instead of worrying about what others think.

If you already have difficulties with anxiety or another mental health problem, eczema is bound to make things even worse. Start by speaking to friends and family. Talk about the issues you have in general and about the struggles the eczema flare-up has caused. They might give you the confidence you need to visit a dermatologist or to start applying an eczema cream.

 

Tackle The Eczema Head On

No matter how much you care about your body image, only one thing will leave you feeling like you did before: clearing the flare-up. Tackle the eczema head-on as soon as you notice it. The earlier you start using eczema cream, the sooner you can relax. Covering it up might help you feel more confident when you step outside, but it won’t get rid of the flare-up.

You need to find the best eczema cream to manage the condition over time. Many over-the-counter and prescription creams work well short-term, but they aren’t safe long term due to the high corticosteroid percentage. If used for too long, they can cause problems like steroid acne or TSW (topical steroid withdrawal).

Get into a solid application routine once you’ve found a safe cream to use long-term. Moisturize twice a day and avoid anything which might irritate the eczema further, such as continuing to scratch. 

Once the symptoms start to clear up, think about how to prevent future flare-ups. Maybe your eczema comes about at certain times of the year when the weather changes. Apply the best eczema cream in the run-up to seasonal bad weather to limit the chances of a flare-up taking hold. 

Eczema Cream Working? Focus On Body Image

When you start applying your chosen eczema cream, you might be surprised at how quickly the flare-up can disappear. However, it won’t die down right away. You can help yourself feel better about your low body image perception in the meantime by focusing on yourself.

While the eczema cream works on the symptoms, you can work on yourself. Perhaps you want to start working out or just trying to eat a little healthier. You can help yourself feel better in other areas while the eczema cream starts to work on the rash. 

Here are Medical News Today’s top tips which can help with your body image in general:

• Spend time with people who have a positive outlook.

• Practice positive self-talk. Say, “My arms are strong” rather than, “My arms are flabby.”

• Wear comfortable clothes that look good on you.

• Avoid comparing yourself with other people.

• Remember that beauty is not just about appearance.

• Appreciate what your body can do, such as laughing, dancing, and creating.

• Be actively critical of media messages and images that make you feel as if you should be different.

• Make a list of 10 things you like about yourself.

• See yourself as a whole person, not an imperfect body part.

• Do something nice for your body, such as getting a massage or a haircut.

• Instead of spending time thinking about your body, start a hobby, become a volunteer, or do something else that makes you feel good about yourself.

• Aim for a healthful lifestyle, including eating a varied and nutritious diet.

 

The flare-up might have died down by the time you’ve picked up some great new body image habits. You just need to make sure you apply the eczema cream as per the instructions and not miss out on any applications. Always use an eczema cream with your dermatologist's supervision. If it doesn’t work and it’s starting to look worse, you should tell them as soon as possible. You may have picked up a secondary infection and might need antibiotics or other medications to treat it properly.

Mental Health Is Important

Worrying isn’t healthy. Neither is an entirely negative outlook on your body image. Sure, the symptoms of eczema lead many to live miserable lives. However, if you are suffering so much that it affects your mental health, you should make speaking to someone a priority. Maybe you can find someone else with eczema who knows what it's like to live with the condition. On the other hand, if your mental health woes go far beyond body image, perhaps it’s time to speak to a professional.

Eczema can flare up pretty fast, and you’ll need a surefire solution to get the skin back to normal. If you’re severely depressed, clearing up your skin might give you a whole new outlook on life. However, severe depression is only usually treated by specific medication, so be sure to speak to your doctor if you think it isn’t getting any better. 

Further Eczema Cream Advice

Visit our blog to learn more about eczema and how to manage it. The skin care guide can help give age-relevant advice, and the article about fixing TSW (Topical Steroid Withdrawal) can help put your worries to rest. If you still have unanswered questions regarding safe eczema cream and its application, please feel free to use the contact form.