I am so thrilled to have been involved with this brilliant initiative to raise awareness of atopic dermatitis, what it’s like living with AD, and our life hacks for coping.
This photo was actually taken in October 2018, nearly two years ago…
It’s a lovely memory of the day I met four lovely ladies who I have remained friends with to this day and I am so proud to call them that. We’ve met up since at various at TSW meetups and keep connected on social media.
Eczema and atopic dermatitis are life limiting conditions and all five of us have been through a lot with our skin journeys.
- Aramide is still going through topical steroid withdrawal but is definitely through the worst. She is looking amazing and working on healing her skin from the inside with healthy food and supplements. She still gets mild flares and flakeoffs but is pleased with her progress. I really connected with Ram and we chat regularly, she is my #TSWWIFE
- Steph is now doing really well after going through Topical Steroid Withdrawal. She is also now taking Methotrexate and this is working well for her.
- Zainab has also gone through topical steroid withdrawal and whilst she’s not completely healed, her quality of life his so much better.
- Amara has healed almost completely from her eczema after starting to take Methotrexate this year. She hopes to stay on the drug for a year or two and then taper off use with the view to being drug free.
- Me? I’m doing OK. In the photo above, I was using topical steroids and protopic on my face. I’m now one year and five months topical steroid free and most of my body is now completely healed. I hardly need to moisturise my back, torso, chest, legs or arms. I have some problem areas; my face, neck, the elbow crease on my arms and the backs of my knees but it’s all healing every day.
What’s most important to me, reading back over our progress above and watching the videos from the day we all met to chat all things AD, is that none of us are using topical steroids now. This is amazing and I’m so proud of all our bravery and progress.
Here are our life hacks
During the focus group we talked about how living with eczema affected out lives. It was an emotional session and really great to spend time with people who really GOT it. Each of us shared our life hacks…
Amara Howe
Aramide AKA My Atopic Skin
Steph AKA TSWsteph
Ruth Holroyd – ME!
My own life hack! and with a bit of hair sticking out at the back #standard
Zainab AKA tsw_beezeebuzz
Having AD, eczema and really any life limiting skin condition can have serious and long lasting effects on quality of life, emotional stability, mental health, self esteem, shame, guilt, you name it… Let’s talk about it. Let’s break down that stigma over skin conditions.
Please also watch the video at the bottom of the #changeAD page (link below), it really hits home how much eczema affects those who have it. And we have only really started to scratch beneath the surface… it goes so deep, bone deep. Deep into our hearts and our souls. The shame we all carry with us. But now, for me, there is also hope that one day I will live without pain and the constraints of this terrible skin condition.
The campaign seeks to change how AD is viewed, hence the hashtag #ChangeAD
You can read the full article and watch a very poignant video where a number of women discuss how living with eczema has affected their lives here: Living with atopic dermatitis
If you have eczema, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis or are going through topical steroid withdrawal I would love to hear from you. How are you getting on? What are you AD life hacks?
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