Here’s How I Own My Eczema With Four Reminders

During your healing journey, you may have heard phrases like “accept your eczema” and “own the skin that you’re in”. But what does that really mean, and what does that look like for you?

After Eczema Expo ‘22, I partnered up with NEA to hold monthly support groups so that those who attended could stay connected and keep the “high vibes” going. Recently, in one of our sessions, I shared with members “R3S” — Responsibility, Research, Resource Bag (hence “R3”) and Support (hence “S”). Now, I know R3S doesn’t sound like a “sexy” acronym (because let’s be honest, it isn’t), but it gets the job done. If I can sum up what “owning my eczema” means to me, it’s R3S. 

With almost 30 years of living with atopic dermatitis under my belt, I have had quite the journey of figuring out what works and what doesn’t work for me. When I began owning my eczema and fully standing responsible for my health, my life changed for the better and so did my healing journey with eczema. 

So, how did I begin owning my eczema? It starts with R3S — let’s break it down! 

1. Responsibility

Owning my eczema means that I am standing 100% responsible for my condition. This means that I am in charge of my body and how I take care of it.

Growing up, I blamed everyone and everything else for why I was flaring up. Not once did I stand responsible for my health and consider that I could make my life easier and my eczema more manageable by understanding my triggers, watching what I was eating, moisturizing appropriately and so much more. 

Now, it’s important to note that standing responsible does not mean that I am at fault for why eczema is occurring in my life. In this context, I will add that the road to healing is in taking responsibility. We may come across individuals like our parents or healthcare professionals who support us, but ultimately, it is our responsibility to manage our lives the best way we can now that we’re living with eczema. 

2. Research (and know your options)

Owning my eczema means that I do my research and I know the options available to me. 

In 2014, I remember Googling “eczema” for the first time and coming across all of these resources and tools that I had never heard of before. The research I was finding shattered all of the limiting beliefs I had about eczema — that there’s no way to control it and no one knows what I’m going through. It taught me that there were daily actions I could take to better manage my skin, like avoiding triggers, eating better and co-creating a treatment plan with my doctor. 

When I did my research and learned about the different ways I could better manage my eczema, I felt confident and powerful in myself. You too, can feel confident in your healing journey when you do your research and you know your options.

3. Resource Bag

Owning my eczema means that I am equipped with the proper tools and resources to handle any flare-up that comes my way. 

I love sharing this concept that I created for myself called the “resource bag”. It’s a mental toolkit and a step-by-step process to help me manage my eczema whenever I am flaring up. 

Some of the items in my resource bag include breathing, putting my hands under cold water, moisturizing and using ice packs when needed. (Due to the severity of my skin right now, I have been accessing my resource bag at least four times a week). When I use my resource bag and take these steps, I feel an immediate relief. 

Having a resource bag helps me stay in control and build the confidence I need to better manage my eczema. I invite you to build your own resource bag. What would you include in it? What has worked for you in the past? Note that you can always add and remove items from your bag depending on what is supporting you at the moment. 

4. Support

Owning my eczema means that I know I’m not alone on this journey and that I am supported by my community. 

It took nearly 22 years for me to learn that there were over 31 million Americans living with eczema. That’s a long time to believe that I was the only one in the world with this condition. 

When I began to seek support from my community, my confidence in managing my eczema grew, and so did my resource bag! Why? Because I began learning about the experiences of others, including what worked and what didn’t work for them. I was also able to see how others thrived in their lives while living with eczema and that made me think, “If they could do it, so can I.” 

Know that you’re not alone and there is an entire community ready to support you. Now I say, “If I could do it, so can you.”

Owning your eczema doesn’t have to be hard. You can take daily action steps to build your confidence and learn about the various ways to lessen your flares. Start by standing responsible for your health, doing your research, creating a resource bag and seeking support. I’m right here with you!