Skin gems
More research will be posted in June.
Research question:
How can I design something that will help people with skin problems get over their shame?
Sub questions:
How can you overcome your own shame?
How do people with eczema deal with beauty?
How can I break the norm of eczema?
What is the hidden beauty of eczema?
Introduction
Eczema is a chronic skin disorder that affected around 245 million people globally in 2015 [1]. Eczema is mostly dry, red and itchy skin. Eczema sufferers have the habit to scratch and create painful, oozing wounds. I myself have been dealing with atopic eczema since I was an infant. After many years I am familiar with the treatments and side effects that come with eczema, such as thinning of the skin, loss of pigment and being more susceptible to infections.
Factors for eczema are: dry skin, irritants such as fragrance and cigarette smoke. Stress is also a major factor when it comes to eczema. Eczema caused by stress can cause huge mental health problems. People’s confidence will disappear and social activities will become more difficult to face.
Stress is also the biggest factor in my own eczema. But after years of struggling with my skin disorder, I decided to stop tormenting myself and accept my condition. I started wearing clothes that showed my skin in the summer and generally payed less attention to my skin, because I realized that this is a lifelong disease. This helped me to cut a lot of the stress out of my routine. Wearing clothes that I liked gave me more confidence too. I believe that because I was experiencing less stress through accepting my eczema, my eczema got less severe.
Throughout this document I will be trying to research this statement via various sources, experiments and eventually my final project. I will be focussing on how eczema affects sufferers mentally. Thus I will also be addressing the topics of shame, stress, self acceptance and the importance of dealing with these factors in the mental and physical healing process.
[1]. “Dermatitis.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 May 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermatitis. Last consulted, 25 April 2018
What is eczema?
Eczema or Dermatitis, is a skin condition where the skin is dry, flaky and itchy. Eczema can also be more severe, which means weeping, crusting and bleeding wounds. By scratching the skin frequently, wounds will form. Via these open wounds the skin is more prone to infections. People of all ages can develop or experience eczema, but it’s often seen in children. Children can “grow out” of their eczema, but it can always come back in a later period of their life. Eczema can be very different for many people and there are various forms of eczema.[2]
[2]. “National Eczema Society.” What is eczema?: National Eczema Society, www.eczema.org/what-is-eczema. Last consulted 11 May 2018
Body alarm
It’s not a nice way to let you know, but your eczema is literally telling your body that you’re too stressed or that there is something wrong inside your body. It’s a physical alarm bell. It is then your turn to listen to it and take care of it. Of course eczema can’t always be cured, but you will at least know that you have to take action to decrease it. If your eczema flares up because you’ve been neglecting your treatment, start it again. If it flares up because of stress, take a day off and relax or confront the source of the stress and talk about it.[3]
Community Eczema has a large impact on someone’s life. But there are many people in the same situation. Eczema can bring people closer together, for example: support groups and online support such as Psoriasishuid, Huidfonds and VMCE. Or simply someone in your environment with the same condition. [4]
[3]. CHOY, Lisa. “My Skin Talks To Me / My Story Living With Eczema / Advice on Eczema.” National Eczema Association, 23 Jan. 2018, nationaleczema.org/my-skin-talks-to-me/. Last consulted 30 May 2018 [4]. “VMCE Discussie Forum - Forumindex.” VMCE Discussie Forum - Forumindex, forum.vmce.nl/. Last consulted 03 June 2018
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