When I wake up and find bloody spots on my sheets, I have a short moment of panic that bed bugs may have gotten to me.
After a thorough inspection of my sheets, pillows, duvet, my clothes, my hair, I can breathe. No bed bugs in sight – it’s just my eczema.
My whole body is covered in painful wounds and cracked skin. I’m always hesitant to wear short sleeved tops or shorts, even in summer, because I’m afraid of people’s reactions to my broken skin.
I’ve bathed in oil and salt water, got a shower filter, took various medications and supplements, shivered in ice baths, wore gloves at night, stood in UV light therapy chambers and bought so many different creams and ointments which would probably amount to a small house deposit by now.
But so far, nothing has really worked to keep my eczema under control – because that’s all I can hope for, as eczema can’t be ‘cured’, only managed.
My whole body is covered in wounds and cracked skin. I’m always hesitant to wear short sleeved tops or shorts, even in summer, because I’m afraid of people’s reactions
I’ve bathed in oil and salt water, got a shower filter, took various medications and supplements, shivered in ice baths, wore gloves at night, stood in UV light therapy chambers and bought so many different creams and ointments they would probably amount to a small house deposit by now
I have had the skin condition since I was born and unfortunately, it only got worse as I got older
I have had the skin condition since I was born and unfortunately, it has only got worse as I’ve got older.
Every time I thought I had it under control, my skin would flare up – worse than ever before – leading to lots of pain, pills and several more trips to the dermatologist – or at it’s worst, a trip A&E after my face swelled up to twice its size.
Showering is an act of torture for me, as the harsh water burns when it touches my cracked skin and leaves me covered in red marks.
Even on a ‘normal’ day, I have several itchy areas – usually on my face, neck or arms – which are irritated and very dry, leaving me in constant pain and discomfort almost every second and making me look like a snake shedding its skin.
In my most recent quest for a treatment that keeps my eczema in check, I have started infrared therapy, which celebrities like Kim Kardashian or Jennifer Aniston swear by to improve their skin conditions
Every time I thought I had figured it out, my skin flared up worse than ever before and it ended with lots of pain, pills and several trips to the dermatologist – or even A&E, after my face swelled up twice its size (pictured here two days and a pack of intravenous antihistamines later)
Showering is an act of torture for me, as the harsh water burns when it touches my cracked skin and leaves me covered in red marks
They have two different treatment options available – a red light cabin with an exercise bike to enhance the warm up and an infrared sauna in the changing rooms (pictured here)
In my most recent quest for a treatment that keeps my eczema in check, I have started infrared therapy, which celebrities like Kim Kardashian or Jennifer Aniston swear by to improve their skin conditions.
Benefits of this treatment include improved cardiovascular health, help with chronic fatigue and pain as well as inflammation, which in my case manifests via my skin.
Among the few places in London that offer infrared cabins or saunas is The Body Lab in Kensington, which also provide wellness and recovery treatments like cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen chambers and flotation therapy as well as a state-of-the-art gym.
They have two different treatment options available – a red light cabin with an exercise bike to enhance the warm up and an infrared sauna in the changing rooms.
I have started using the infrared sauna four to seven times a week for 20 minutes per session, as recommended by Dr Sindhu Siddiqi Pralong, owner of the No Filter Clinic and medical liaison for The Body Lab.
The sauna sessions are relaxing, but the sweat makes my eczema flare up and the heat dries out my skin, at times making it hard to stay in the cabin for the full 20 minutes because I’m so itchy it feels like I should scratch off a layer of my skin.
Nevertheless, my eczema still seems to be improving.
I have managed to sleep through the night most of the time since I started going to the infrared sauna regularly two weeks ago.
This was nearly impossible before, as the unbearable itchiness would keep me awake for hours and the constant scratching would often wake me up in the middle of the night.
As for my skin, it already started looking a bit smoother and the heat from the sauna certainly gets easier to deal with every visit.
I have also used the exercise bike, which is surrounded by red light panels, and have noticed a quicker warm up before training in the gym.
This is because the light positively acts on my body’s ‘power plant’, the mitochondria in my cells, as Calum Sharma, head of exercise science at The Body Lab, explained.
Even on a ‘normal’ day, I have several itchy areas – usually on my face, neck or arms – which are irritated and very dry, leaving me in pain and discomfort almost every second and making me look like I’m a snake shedding its skin
I have started using the infrared sauna four to seven times a week for 20 minutes per session, as recommended by Dr Sindhu Siddiqi Pralong (left), owner of the No Filter Clinic. But also red light can have positive effects on my body, by acting on my body’s ‘power plant’, as Calum Sharma (right), head of exercise science at The Body Lab, explained
I have managed to sleep through the night most of the time since I started going to the infrared sauna regularly two weeks ago. This was nearly impossible before, as the unbearable itchiness would keep me awake for hours and the constant scratching would often wake me up in the middle of the night
‘With more energy, other cells can do their work more efficiently, such as repairing skin, boosting new cell growth, and enhancing skin rejuvenation,’ he said.
Mr Sharma said the cabins were part of the facilities ever since The Body Lab opened in January 2022 and are popular with clients looking to optimise their health.
I’m excited to see the proper results of the infrared therapy on myself in a few weeks, as research has shown people can notice first results after a minimum of two weeks, with most seeing a clear change after around four weeks.
Infrared therapy is not just beneficial for those with skin conditions like eczema.
‘I personally started using it after I got diagnosed with a chronic lung condition that made me prone to chest infections,’ Dr Siddiqi explained, who uses The Body Lab’s biohacking treatments herself.
The former GP added: ‘I often recommend it to my patients for any chronic inflammatory condition such as eczema or rheumatoid arthritis. It has also been helpful for acne and gives a great glow to your skin. I have found it aids the healing response.’
She said that even five minutes a day a few times a week can be beneficial when it comes to infrared saunas – but for continued results, the treatment is something patients would have to keep doing regularly.
Another possible course of action to get my eczema under control is via my diet, which is why I met with Melanie Wilkinson, the nutritionist at The Body Lab.
I have previously noticed certain foods and drinks that negatively influence my eczema – onions, pork, raw tomatoes and alcohol – and have steered clear as much as possible, but it feels almost impossible to find those that have a positive effect on my skin.
Ms Wilkinson recommended that I eat oily fish like salmon or mackerel at least three times a week in combination with an Omega 3 supplement, which will help my skin fight of inflammation.
I have also used the exercise bike, which is surrounded by red light panels, and have noticed a quicker warm up before training in the gym
I’m excited to see the proper results of the infrared therapy on myself in a few weeks, as research has shown people can notice first results after a minimum of two weeks, with most seeing a clear change after around four weeks
But even if infrared therapy won’t hold the ‘key’ to healthy skin I’m so desperately searching for – it has already helped me with side effects like insomnia, which is more than I dared to hope for
She also tailored a plan to strengthen the good bacteria in my gut, which help fight off inflammation from the inside, by having complex fiber in my diet via flaxseeds instead of granola in my breakfast yogurt or via incorporating wholegrain instead of white rice in my meals.
Now, it’s yet again about trial and error, as many fellow eczema sufferers know.
But even if infrared therapy and the improved nutrition won’t hold the ‘key’ to healthy skin I’m so desperately searching for – they have already helped me with side effects like insomnia, which is more than I dared to hope for.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
