the Ugliness of Eczema!

(from top: April 2009 pre-treatment, July 2009-3months after treatment)

Ok, so I have ECZEMA!!! Such an interesting skin condition, I’ve tried almost everything to combat it on my face, neck and arms. Didn’t realize it could affect your scalp as well. I kept trying to figure out why my hair wasn’t growing in this one spot in the back of my head, never really thought to link it to the eczema. So one day after washing my hair, I got a mirror and thoroughly examined the back of my head and scalp in that area. What I noticed was the eczema began to spread to my scalp. Anyone with eczema knows that scratching will only make matters worse, which is exactly what I was doing back there before….scratching daily, tryin all kinds of hair products to moisturize my scalp. After my “ahhhh haaaa” moment, I did a little research on the net to see what I could use on my scalp because hydrocortisone is NOT a good idea for your hair. Then I remember my youngest child had cradle cap, the doctor said it is linked to eczema…which both of my sons unfortunately inherited. She suggested using EVO (extra virgin olive oil) because it’s all natural and very effective on healing the cradle cap. The main issue with eczema is dryness and if not treated or scratched, will eventually spread, puss up and scab leaving your skin looking like alligator scales! Ewwww weeeee. So of course, I still had my bottle of evo because I just loved what it did for my son’s hair even after the cradle cap. For the first use, I conditioned my hair with it after a stripping shampoo by Black Earth, and then rinsed the EVO. I started washing my hair more often, starting with an ACV (apple cider vinegar rinse) then shampoo then condition with EVO…did that about weekly for a month. Now, I don’t use the EVO to condition but I use a couple tablespoons of it in my water spritzer a few times a week. The pics above are now and then shots…..So if you have eczema, I suggest using Extra Virgin Olive Oil and other organic/all natural conditioners or shampoos in your hair especially when you have a flare-up which is very common for me when the seasons change drastically. Also, I wouldn’t recommend using any stripping shampoo more often than maybe once a month or only when necessary if you have eczema or any other skin condition that attributes to excessive skin dryness.