It’s been 5 years since I wrote my first blog about my
skin. I probably should have been more frequent with my updates, as now I’ve
got a few years worth to catch up on. Consistency is not my forte.
2013
After my last blog, I thought I had discovered the
root causes of my eczema and how to handle it. Back then, I found that I’m allergic
to perfume (and all products with any kind of synthetic fragrance) and nail
varnish, so stopping using these products worked for a while, but not in the
long term. It’s a pretty shit
feeling when you think you’re doing everything right and yet still suffer the
same symptoms.
During 2013/2014 I
went through another course of skin patch testing through the NHS, and they
found nothing more than what they had the previous time. Anyone who has had
patch testing done will know how delightful the process is, but I know people
go through worse so I’ll just leave you with this photo of my back after
the patches were removed. I also had to have the patches on my upper arms and
my stomach.
2014
In 2014, my mum read
an article in the newspaper, about a top London Dermatologist who specialised
in skin issues such as mine, but her approach was plant based rather than the
harsh steroid medication most doctors and specialists prescribe. At this point,
I had been through the mill with the NHS, and they didn’t seem to have any
answers other than the standard steroid treatment. For anyone that doesn’t know
about steroids for skin and thinks they need to use them, please do your
research. Topical steroids thin the skin - I would recommend avoiding them at
all costs and trying out alternative options. However I know from experience,
sometimes flare ups are so bad that using them for a few days to get your skin
back on track is what’s needed. In my experience, I’ve used steroids and it’s
like a miracle cure… however, quickly after stopping using them my skin
returned to how it was. Surely this goes to show it’s never a long-term
solution, yet the doctors/specialists and NHS dermatologists haven’t offered
much in the way of an alternative.
So I booked a
consultation. With a Harley Street Dermatologist. At £180 per appointment. I
had a lot of doubts about openly sharing fees/prices regarding this Harley Street
Dermatologist, but to be honest when it comes to my health, I personally would
be willing to pay pretty much anything I could afford if it was going to help
me.
They carried out
various tests and took blood samples, looking at everything from liver function
to cholesterol and body fat percentage. I found out I was very anaemic and this wasn’t
helping the situation. They also did blood tests to find out what foods I was
allergic to, and I was prescribed a couple of internals and a couple of
externals:
Externals:
Shampoo 1
Shampoo 2
Body wash
Body oil
Cleanser
Toner
Moisturiser
Internals:
Iron
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Amino acids
Herbal Tincture
Just a few.
2015
Skip forward a month
or two after that first appointment, and I’m looking and feeling great – the
best I’ve felt in a long time actually. The problem was, every few months I
would go back for a checkup and usually a week before my appointment they would
call me to rearrange it, as the Doctor was out of the country, at a conference
(insert any other excuse here). When it happens once, it’s fine, you deal with
it and rearrange. But when it happens for three appointments in a row, you
wonder why you’re giving your money to someone who can’t seem to keep to their
schedule.
And all this got me
questioning where my money was going to. Those internals and externals I listed
above were not cheap. The herbal tincture alone was £100 and it lasted a month.
And the thing is, it didn’t have a list of ingredients, so I had no idea what I
was actually ingesting. All I knew was it tasted pretty gross. I wanted to see
how my skin would hold up without these supplements, so my dermo agreed that I
could stop taking the internals.
2016
Here’s me thinking
I’ve been cured and I can crack on with my eczema-free life! But as the pattern
in the last few years has gone, my skin slowly started to get worse. This
coincided with a very stressful time in my life; a long term relationship
ending, work stress and moving house all happening at the same time. Regardless,
I forced myself out of the house everyday, red puffy eyes and all, and tried to
get on with life as best as I could. I know eczema is pretty low down on the
serious health issue scale, but I was so unhappy in my appearance during my
worse skin times. Your face is the first thing people see and no matter what
people say to you, for example, “nobody notices/cares” etc, it’s still not fun
being self-conscious about your appearance when you know what you used to look
like. With that comes the discomfort. Constant itching, breaking the skin when
you give into the itch, and infected eczema that hurts when you shower/wash.
For those of you out there who have beautiful, clear skin that is itch-free,
please be grateful for that.
In the Summer of
2016, I went on a yoga retreat in Majorca and had a consultation whilst I was
there, with a woman who practices Ayurvedic medicine – an ancient Indian system
which is focuses on the natural healing powers of food and plants. This
introduced me to healing myself from within with food, rather than topical
treatments and tinctures that you need to take a mortgage out for.
2017
Then in the Spring
of 2017, a friend suggested I try goat’s milk kefir. I did a lot of research and
read all the reviews on the website and had so much hope for it. And I’m glad I
did – it was life-changing. Kefir is a probiotic which replenishes the good
bacteria in your gut. I’m a firm believer that skin conditions are not just ‘skin
conditions’ that can be treated topically. Especially in my case and
experience, I do believe that healing your immune system is going to have such
a positive effect on eczema and a ton of other conditions. I won’t
go into this too deep now, I could talk for a while on this subject, but I’ll share
more on this in another blog – hopefully not in another 5 years, more
like 5 weeks let’s hope!
After a 9-week
course of the kefir, my skin was entirely different and so clear. I carried on
for a few months, and finally stopped taking it in December, but the effects
have stayed. I’m still trying (but not always succeeding) to avoid sugar, cow
dairy and wheat, as I know these really do have a big negative effect on my
skin. It’s a constant journey that I’ll likely be on for my entire life, but I
feel I’ve got good control over my skin right now and I’ll always strive for
better.
I feel I need to get my story out there, so other
people suffering similar conditions can first of all know they’re not alone –
it’s more common than you think. And secondly, to show that there is another
way that isn’t steroids or expensive dermatologists, and a much more natural
approach to your health. If just one person reads this, and can take something
away that helps them with any skin issues, that would make me happy.
Thanks for reading
x
