Eczema sufferers are spending hundreds each year to manage the condition
Eczema can be overlooked and underestimated by those who don’t suffer with it.
Though common, that doesn’t mean it’s mild – or that it doesn’t come with an emotional toll.
New research has found that those with the condition across the UK have spent over £300 a year on average in a bid to ease physical and emotional pain.
Scientific skincare brand Gladskin found this money was spent on around 14 different products to alleviate feelings of frustration and embarrassment over the appearance of skin.
These feelings can feed into the social lives of people with eczema, with 50% of survey respondents claiming it ‘stops them from living life to the fullest’, with men being slightly more conscious of this than women.
Dr Bjorn Herpers, clinical microbiologist, says: ‘Also referred to as Atopic Dermatitis, eczema is a chronic skin condition increasingly affecting more adults and children globally each year, whose quality of life is impacted by chronic itching, sleep deprivation and pain.
‘It can be caused by different factors: skin barrier defects, an overreacting immune response or a skin microbiome imbalance due to an over-colonization of bad bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus.’
The research suggests there could be a lower quality of life for people with eczema, as over a quarter are missing social events because of it.
Careers are affected too, as for those that had called in sick due to eczema, the average amount of days taken per year is 12.
Parents of children with eczema were also polled as part of the survey and it appears education is being impacted also, with kids missing an average of 20 hours of teaching in the last year.
That equates to almost a full week of lessons.
Top events missed due to eczema symptoms
- Social events (28%)
- Family occasions (21%)
- Appointments (16%)
- Work (12%)
- Weddings (12%)
Across age groups, roughly a third have worn long sleeved tops or makeup to hide the condition from others.
A quarter have even opted for gloves to do this.
Over half of those hiding their skin found that over time, it continued to get worse.
Dr Herpers says: ‘It is clear the quality of life of those with eczema is being severely impacted.
‘My advice to anyone experiencing any kind of symptoms is to take a look at their daily skincare routine and assess which kinds of products they are using. Do your research and find out what triggers your eczema.
‘If it is worsened by Staphylococcus aureus – which happens in the majority of cases – and find a product which targets the bad bacteria.’
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