Gallery 3: Body image and self-esteem are important for patients with atopical eczema, whose skin is fragile.
My atopic skin
-
-
- , More than one third of the severe atopic eczema patients surveyed in Atopical Lives declared they struggle with their appearance. [2018, Paris, France]
-
, People with atopic eczema are proactively looking for new solutions that might help them live better Atopical Lives. [2018, Delft, The Netherlands] -
, Families in which atopic eczema appears at a very young age share sleepless and painful nights with their children. [2018, Kolin, Czech Republic] -
, “I hope that with my story I have empowered at least one person - then my goal is achieved,” says Martina (34). [2022, Motnik, Slovenia] -
, More than 1 in 2 patients in EFA Atopical Lives survey said they feel detached from others. [2018, Bassano Romano, Italy] -
, Atopic eczema is more than itchy skin, it is a systemic, multidimensional disease that affects the minds and bodies of over 230 million people worldwide. [2022, Motnik, Slovenia] -
, One third of the severe atopic eczema patients in EFA Atopical Lives survey try to avoid physical contact and touching other people. [2018, Bassano Romano, Italy] -
, Only two years ago, before Hesna’s (8) new medical treatment, going to the swimming pool was a dream for this family. “The doctors were advising us to stay home to avoid infections”, remembers Hesna’s mother, Aysenur (32). [2022, Istanbul, Turkey] -
, When Rodrigo left on a holiday trip around Europe the atopic eczema disappeared from his skin but the day after he returned to Madrid, it came back. [2018, Madrid, Spain] - , Atopic eczema patient from Germany , "You can improve the quality of life with a good treatment. Eczema is unfortunately not curable, but you can feel very well having a well-treating doctor and you can look optimistically into the future."
-
, “It's so hard when you wake up and you don't know how your day will be, if you can wear makeup or not and if you're eczema would follow your day”, relates Snežana (45). [2022, Belgrade, Serbia] -
, Only 1 in 4 patients in the Atopical Lives survey said they are in control of their severe atopic eczema. [2018, Prague, Czech Republic] -
, For Kvido, the most difficult moments are the daily routines of bathing, getting cream on or changing clothes. [2018, Postřižín, Czech Republic] -
, More than half of patients in EFA Atopical Lives survey feel embarrassed about their skin. [2018, Bassano Romano, Italy] -
, “At the beginning, my sailing teammates were teasing me because I could not be as quick with the boat instructions when my eczema was itchy”, remembers Selen (38). [2022, Istanbul, Turkey] -
, “Children with atopic eczema are small in age but big in responsibilities”, relates Hesna’s (8) mother. Taking care of atopic eczema starts at a very early age and requires loads of discipline. [2022, Istanbul, Turkey] -
, Despite atopic eczema, 4 in 5 patients look forward to enjoy things. [2018, Madrid, Spain] -
, “This is our daily bread”, sighs Elena. Her daughter, Carmen (10), lives with atopic eczema and eosinophilic oesophagitis because of her allergy to milk protein. Every day since 2020, she has to take a pill exactly twenty minutes before eating and remain calm and at hometwo hours after finishing her meal. [2022, Madrid, Spain] -
, When asked about their quality of life, 61% of the patients declared their atopic skin influences the clothes they wear. [2018, Delft, The Netherlands] -
, Personal care products and quality clothing are expensive. In Europe, patients pay on average 927 € per year for treating their atopic eczema. [2018, Bassano Romano, Italy] -
, “When my daughter Ada (9) first presented eczema symptoms, myself and her father reacted very quickly. Thanks to an early diagnosis, she has her eczema under good control. I did not have the same chance”, remembers Selen (38). [2022, Istanbul, Turkey] -
, “Last February, my oncle Vojislav (70) travelled to Malta to relax but the eczema ruined his holidays. Eczema it does not care about the time, it’s just there”, says Snežana. [2022, Belgrade, Serbia] -
, Even in 2022, patients are struggling to receive the care they need to beable to live their lives to the fullest. [2022, Istanbul, Turkey] -
, Martina (34) lives with eczema since she was three months old but her diagnosis only came at the age of five. “For me, every day starts with the cream. Every day starts with the skin”, she says. [2022, Motnik, Slovenia] -
, Atopic eczema impacts the whole family, the treatment, the social and intimate life. [2022, Belgrade, Serbia] - , Atopic eczema patient from Spain , "Talking about atopic eczema is already a first step towards liberation, because we need to talk about it, encourage each other."
-
, Despite living with atopic eczema since she was young, Lorena passes her joie de vivre on to her environment. [2018, Bassano Romano, Italy] -
, Alex is more capable of dealing with his own atopic eczema than the one of his son Kvido. [2018, Postřižín, Czech Republic] -
, Carmen (9) was diagnosed with atopic eczema when she was 6, and the symptoms have remained with her since. [2022, Madrid, Spain] -
, Before Hesna (8) got the right treatment for her eczema in 2020, children in the neighbourhood did not want to meet her and play because of her skin. They though she wascontagious. [2022, Istanbul, Turkey] -
, Sofija (20) has tattooed her mum’s signature. She passed away after catching COVID. She was battling a lymphoma and her death happened terribly quickly, leaving Sophia under great sorrow. [2022, Belgrade, Serbia] -
, Garlic irritates the skin but it is a basic ingredient in Turkish cuisine that Selen (38) cooks very often despite her atopic eczema. [2022, Istanbul, Turkey] -
, The more severe the atopic eczema symptoms are, the heavier is the impact on patients’ quality of life, [2018, Bassano Romano, Italy] -
, Martina (34) often walks her dog by the river. “Water is symbolic of lifewith atopic eczema. As patients, we have to drink a lot of water to take care of our skin.” [2022, Motnik, Slovenia]
-
