runwithrishi

For most of my recent childhood, I struggled with eczema, a skin condition that causes inflamed and itchy skin. Living with it wasn’t just physically uncomfortable but also emotionally and mentally, as it affected my confidence and how I felt around others. When I was in middle school. My eczema was at an all-time high. My skin would get dry and irritated, and most of the time, people noticed. Unfortunately, some kids did not know what eczema was and would joke or make comments about it. Being bullied because of something I could not control at the time was really difficult, and it made middle school harder than it should’ve been. 

But instead of giving up, I decided I wanted to find a way to improve my health and my skin along with the guidance of my parents. After a ton of research and learning more about how food can affect the body, I decided to go on a strict diet. For six months, I completely removed things like wheat, sugar, soy, and processed foods from my diet. At first, it was not easy as those were a part of the main foods I used to eat regularly. But I stayed disciplined and committed to the process for better results.

Slowly, I started to notice changes, and my skin began to calm down. The redness and irritation that were there for me during all of middle school started to fade, and after months of consistency, my eczema improved a lot. For the first time in years, my skin felt refreshed and smooth. Around the same time, another hobby made my confidence increase, which was running. Running helped me physically throughout 8th grade, but it was also a cause of my eczema worsening in 6th and 7th grade. This is because of the sweat that came from the heat, which led to my skin drying out even more. What started off as an exercise that was painful ended up being a hobby I enjoy to this day, now in my sophomore year of High school.

If someone reading this is dealing with eczema, the cure for everyone is different, but my advice is simple. You should stay consistent with what you are doing, be persistent with healthy habits, and only then will you see that improvement is possible.