My eczema went from a tiny itch on my fingers to covering my hands and arms… and now I’m scared it is also coming to my face
I’ve had eczema for around 4–5 years now.
At first, it was honestly just a little itch on my fingers. I didn’t think much of it. A few years later, it started appearing on my palms, but I could still manage it.
This year, though, everything changed.
I had a major flare-up that spread across my entire hands and eventually my arms. The worst flare happened after I went to the beach. Where I’m from, people always say that salt water can help skin problems, so I actually thought the beach might help.
For me, it was the complete opposite. 😭 My skin became SO much worse.
Eventually, my dermatologist put me on a high dose of oral steroids. And honestly, my hands looked amazing while I was on them. They were so smooth and soft, literally like baby skin. I remember thinking, finally, my skin is healing.
But about a week after tapering off the steroids, everything came crashing back.
My hands became incredibly swollen, cracked, painful, and angry-looking. It was probably the worst my eczema had ever been.
I went back to my dermatologist and was given another course of steroids along with a JAK inhibitor. Thankfully, my skin improved again.
But now I'm dealing with the same fear all over again.
It’s been about two weeks since stopping the medication, and I’m noticing the eczema gradually coming back. It’s not nearly as bad as the previous flare yet, but I can feel it starting again. I’ve also started noticing some dry, flaky skin around my eyebrows, which is new for me. I’m not even sure if it’s eczema, but of course now I’m overanalyzing every little change in my skin. 😭
Honestly, I’m scared to go back to my dermatologist because I don’t want to end up on another round of oral steroids.
My husband and I are also hoping to get pregnant soon, so I’m really worried about what treatments are safe while trying to conceive. I’ve been using the topical ointments again because I really don’t want to go back to oral medication unless absolutely necessary.
I feel like I’m stuck between “I need to control this before it gets worse” and “I don’t want to take something that could affect our plans to have a baby.”
Has anyone here experienced something similar?
Especially women who have moderate/severe hand eczema and were trying to conceive—what treatment worked for you? Did your eczema get worse after stopping oral steroids? And were you able to find a treatment plan that worked while trying to get pregnant?
I would really appreciate hearing your experiences because right now I’m honestly feeling a little lost.