I was born with eczema, and the condition of my skin has fluctuated for as long as I can remember. Over the years, eczema hasn’t just challenged my physical health—it has taken a heavy toll on my mental well-being, too.
Below, I break down my battles with my skin through each key phase of my life. (Please note: all product references are based on memory, and formulations may have changed over time.)
Childhood
I was born in Singapore on April 4, 1991. Just before turning three, I moved to Scotland, where my father is from. I had skin complications right from birth, with eczema being the primary diagnosis. I was also diagnosed with G6PD deficiency, an enzyme condition often managed alongside other sensitivities. Both of my brothers also live with eczema, though each of us deals with a completely unique case. Looking back at early photos, my skin was actually relatively mild when I was very young.
Things began to deteriorate once I started primary school. My diet and activity levels hadn’t changed much, but we did welcome a family dog named Jambo. In hindsight, pet dander was a major trigger. The itching intensified, and I lost control of the urge to scratch. Anyone with eczema knows that scratching feels like the ultimate relief in the moment—it was an instinctive comfort I couldn’t resist.
Soon, my skin turned rough, dry, and severely inflamed. At its worst, I looked like a burn victim, which was deeply distressing for my parents. At one point, I had to wear protective bandages to school just to keep the topical ointments in place. The flare-ups covered roughly 20% of my body, hitting the skin folds around my joints and my legs the hardest.
I cycled through numerous creams back then, but the ones that stand out in memory are:
- E45 Moisturizing Lotion
- Aqueous Cream
- Oilatum Bath Oil (which left my skin notably soft)
- Hydrocortisone Ointment
Teenage Years
As a teenager, I became far more active. My joints—especially the backs of my knees and legs—remained target zones. Scratching my legs was still my main reflex for immediate relief. However, my condition slowly became more manageable as I learned how to care for my skin barrier more deliberately.
Most of my treatments were prescribed through the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). While my mother would occasionally bring home over-the-counter options to try, the core of my regimen remained medical prescriptions. Back then, my application technique was flawed: I assumed slathering on thick layers would speed up recovery. Instead, I just burned through tubes at an unsustainable rate without seeing better results.
During this era, I transitioned primarily to Diprobase and began experimenting with Aveeno. My mother also suggested coconut oil baths for extra hydration. Unfortunately, that experiment didn’t deliver visible improvements—it just left me smelling heavily of coconut and left a greasy ring around the bathtub.
Adulthood
Adulthood brought erratic swings between good skin periods and severe setbacks. While my skin is currently in the best shape of its life, reaching this point required surviving my worst flare-up to date.
During university, I faced serious orthopedic complications with my knee, undergoing five surgeries within four years. The recovery required heavy courses of antibiotics and painkillers. At the same time, my lifestyle shifted: I was drinking alcohol socially and working kitchen jobs, where daily exposure to harsh industrial cleaning agents wreaked havoc on my hands and arms.
My eczema became unpredictable, and my face became the primary battleground. Unlike the patches on my body, facial irritation couldn’t be hidden under clothing. Desperate for a quick fix so I could go out feeling normal, I began overusing topical steroid creams. In group photos, my forehead looked permanently red and raw. I had fallen into the trap of steroid dependency without understanding the risks of overuse and rebound flares. It wasn’t until I began prioritizing my general health, losing weight, and tapering off facial steroids that my skin began to stabilize.
Hong Kong
In 2016, I moved to Hong Kong, where my mother is from. Initially, the coastal humidity worked wonders for my barrier. By 2018, however, my eczema spiraled into the worst condition of my life. The inflammation became raw, spread rapidly across my body, and began weeping—a painful symptom I had never dealt with before. My joints were so inflamed that my legs felt stiff, and my confidence plummeted. Because private dermatology care in Hong Kong is costly, I had to find a sustainable way forward on my own.
Looking back, the flare was driven by environmental and lifestyle factors. I was living in a humid apartment with visible mold on the walls, skipping regular exercise, and relying on poor dietary choices. People regularly asked if my forehead was sunburned because the redness was constant.
Reaching that low point pushed me to take complete ownership of my habits. I built a disciplined daily routine focused on whole-body health:
- Consistent Fitness: Committed to the gym five days a week.
- Nutritional Reset: Switched to home meal-prepping, drastically cutting out greasy fried foods and prioritizing whole vegetables.
- Environmental Control: Washed bedding frequently using hypoallergenic, skin-friendly detergents.
- Gentle Cleansing: Showered immediately after workouts using Dove Sensitive Skin Body Wash with a soft sponge to wash away sweat without stripping the skin.
- Steroid Cessation & Barrier Repair: Completely stopped topical steroids and switched to simple, dependable barrier hydration with Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion.
This was not an overnight cure. Healing took months of discipline. Gradually, my weight dropped, my skin cleared, and my confidence returned. Today, I maintain this same foundation, and my dependence on heavy moisturizers is lower than it has ever been.
For anyone currently in the depths of an eczema flare: recovery takes time and patience, but taking control of your daily environment and lifestyle is possible. Assess your triggers, build consistent habits, and take it one day at a time.