Alice

Alice was 7 when her GP confirmed eczema. She has tried various emollients with limited success as well as steroid creams for worse flare ups. Moisturising with non-prescription lotions is a key way in which Alice now manages her eczema.

Alice was diagnosed with eczema by her GP at the age of 7. It was around this time that she also had a skin-prick test and learnt that she has a number of allergies; for example, dust and pollen, which cause her to sneeze and itch. She does not feel that eczema has ever really been explained to her in great depth and she was uncertain about the links between eczema, allergies and asthma. Alice feels that many of the healthcare professionals that she has seen have not been overly concerned with her eczema, unless it is particularly visible and close to her face/head. She has tried a number of prescribed emollients which have not made much of a difference and finds that only steroid creams help with particularly bad flare ups. The cost of prescriptions mean that Alice tends to manage her eczema by applying branded, non-medicated and readily-available moisturisers several times a day.

The itchiness of her skin caused some issues for Alice and her family when she was a child, such as preventing her from playing outside and raising concerns at school when she refused to wear warmer clothes like jumpers. Some of these experiences from having eczema as a child have continued to influence her activities and feelings now. This is especially so for some parts of her skin such as her forearms and upper chest. For example, she still dislikes wearing clothes with long sleeves, preferring to wear layers instead, and she avoids woolly fabrics as well as constrictive necklaces. Alice was also concerned that her eczema might damage the colouring of her tattoos and she takes extra care when dyeing her hair to avoid worsening an eczema patch on her neck.

Alice did not initially think that her eczema has much of an impact on her life, especially when compared to her other health concerns. However, she reflected on this during the interview and was surprised by the ways that eczema does actually feature in her life quite a lot. Although Alice thought that more information at the time of diagnosis would have been helpful, she feels that she currently manages her eczema quite well as a result of having had it for so many years.

Alice doesn’t get prescribed emollient but still finds shop-bought moisturisers add up.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 7

Alice has had eczema since she was little and hasn’t looked online about it.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 7

Alice doesn’t like wearing long sleeved tops because of the memory of clothes sticking to moisturisers on her arms.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 7

Alice doesn’t like going to the beach or swimming in the sea because of the impact on her eczema.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 7

Cat fur triggers Alice’s eczema when she visits her family home.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 7

Having had eczema since she was very young, Alice hasn’t been given as much information about the condition as she would have liked.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 7

Some of the triggers for Alice’s eczema also affect other related conditions she has, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 7

Alice talks about clothes, including the feel of different fabrics, and her eczema.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 7

Alice’s GP recommended she try a shop-bought moisturiser when she was diagnosed with eczema at age 7.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 7

Alice developed eczema in her scalp. She worried about what people thought when she scratched her head, but her doctor and hair dresser weren’t too bothered.

Age at interview 22

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 7