Back to blogging

Turns out I’m a highly intermittent blogger. How some people turn this into a profession I’ll never know - my life is simply not all that interesting.

However, I do now find myself with a bit of extra time on my hands and nagging need to be writing. So I’m back to it for now.

None of these things are mine. Setting the tone though right?

Life is a little different compared to the last post. I am now living in London and pursuing a career in the vague world of media. I am also now an auntie, a fact which still makes me beam, almost 10 months after the fact. As I write this, little Charlie (plus his mum and dad) will be visiting the UK in a couple of weeks and I am incredibly excited.

Now to the skin; things have changed quite a lot and at the same time not much at all. What I knew last November is that I was allergic to nuts and that I had to avoid a particular chemical in my toiletries in order to stop a painful reaction. What I have learnt since is that I am not (wholly) allergic to nuts but that the chemical is still to be avoided. 

At the end of March, having waited 7 months for the appointment, I went to Southampton hospital to have a prick test done. No this doesn’t involve being locked in a room with Justin Bieber - geddit? It in fact is a simple poke it and wait test to see what my skin reacts to. After talking through with the doctor my potential allergens, the nurse then dropped a solution of each onto my skin before pricking it. I waited outside the office for 15 minutes enjoying the welcome distraction of my mother and father embarrassing me as my arm began to become intensely itchy. The nurse then measured each of the bumps on my arm, noting them down if they were over 1cm in circumference. And thus my allergens were discovered: cat hair, dog hair, tree pollen, birch pollen, grass pollen, dust mites, hazelnuts and almonds. Oh and MI - the chemical.

I was pleased to find out specifically what my skin reacts to, but disappointed to discover there wasn’t much I could do about it. I’m essentially one of those kids that would’ve been killed off in Victorian times but medical developments have meant I’ve ended up surviving.

So it is all about management. I guess if I was attempting to pass on wisdom from my skin experiences it would be that you need to be constantly managing your skin. If you start a routine, stick to it. I get very quickly bored of sticking to routines (blogging = example number one) and so am still trying to follow my own advice, but I really do notice the difference when I try. 

My other piece of advice is to try EVERYTHING. I am a firm believer that everyone’s skin and skin issues are unique and one blanket “miracle” cream will not work for everyone. What may be so wonderful it becomes the subject of a Daily Mail article for one person, will do absolute zilch for me… but it’s worth a try. There’s got to be a miracle cream out there for me and I’ll find it eventually. 

I may do a post on make-up for eczema skin soon as it is something I am still patiently waiting to see in a national magazine. It’s an incredibly common condition and I know I would benefit from seeing the high-street and the high-end tried and tested for those who suffer from it.

Watch this space.