My Little Box of Beauty

Get Under My Skin

Ever since I could remember I have had issues with my skin. 

When I was a child I suffered from eczema until my early teens. Eczema is an inflammation of the skin. The skin becomes flaky, itchy and sometimes bleeds. It is really common amongst children but it usually 

disappears after some time as they grow older. 

Having eczema was horrible, not only dealing with the constant stinging and itchiness but also the teasing from other kids. The most memorable name was 'crusty eyes' as I had flaky skin on my eyelids. It really did affect my self-esteem as a kid as my eyelids were constantly itchy, pink and in general just unsightly as my skin was literally just peeling off. Thankfully after trying and testing numerous
steroid creams my eczema disappeared but then 

Fast forward a couple years

A extended period of stress triggered my onset of psoriasis, 

something a little less well known.

(The sciencey bit)

Psoriasis is a skin disorder and is also known autoimmune disease which involves the overproduction of skin cells. This causes red scaly clusters on the skin which tend to be very itchy, dry and may even bleed. Psoriasis is referred to as autoimmune disease because it is linked to an over-reactive immune system. Normally skin cells renew themselves every 3-4 weeks whereas for a psoriasis sufferer the process is far quicker, taking 3-7 days. The clusters are a build up of layers of skin cells.

Having psoriasis was 100 times worse than my experience with eczema. It covers about 90% of my body now I'd say. It also affects my scalp - appearing as dandruff. When my psoriasis  first began spreading there was numerous days I'd just cry, I was terrified, it was as if something alien was taking over my skin. My self-esteem hit rock bottom. I was ashamed to be in my own skin. As time passed I eventually accepted my skin condition, it took me a couple of years but I got there. And now here I am, embracing it and still learning to love myself 5 years on. 

Through my time having eczema and psoriasis I have learned an incredible amount - what causes my skin to flare up, what calms it down, how to (some extent) control it - to name a few.
As well as writing about things that interest me and I am passionate about on this blog. I want share my journey and experiences dealing with issues with my skin, and hopefully through this I help others who are in similar situations as me. 

Remember to be kind to yourself
Soph x