At the start of secondary school, Shania suffered from eczema. Like many older children and teenagers who have been affected by the condition, her eczema symptoms gradually became less severe as she got older. We spoke to her about her experience with eczema as a teenager.
Did your eczema ever make you self-conscious?
Eczema used to make me really self-conscious when I was younger. I had cuts and scabs all over my arms and legs that I didn’t want anyone to see.
Nobody else I knew in school had it and I didn’t want people to notice I looked different to everybody else.
What remedies and treatments did you use?
I used to try lots of remedies such as steroid ointments such as hydrocortisone, lots of bio oil and moisturisers such as Nivea and E45.
As I got older, my eczema became less severe and after using different prescriptions of steroid cream it became a lot better.
How did eczema affect your life in school?
When I was younger and in school, eczema really affected my life and I was very conscious, especially when it came to PE when my arms and legs would be on display.
However, I learnt to be more positive and overcome different challenges that have allowed me to be more confident about my body today.
Would you have considered joining a clinical trial?
Because I had eczema when I was younger, I never knew about clinical trials and how they could have helped me. If I had known about them and knew how they could have helped other people who were suffering I definitely would have considered it an option.
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with eczema, you could be eligible for one of our upcoming eczema trials to test new treatments for the condition: treatments which could go on to benefit the lives of countless others who are also suffering. To register your interest and find out more information visit https://researchforyou.co.uk/atopic-dermatitis/
