Young patients with eczema are tired of being dismissed

Lucie Eadon

Youth Panel Member, Eczema Outreach Support

Silvia Walsh

Youth Panel Member, Eczema Outreach Support

Eczema in young people is often misunderstood, being construed as something that does not require much time or attention. The reality is far from this, with eczema often causing periods of intense and painful flare-ups.

Although eczema itself is often a source of struggle, for many, a real challenge lies in accessing the right treatment — both from GPs and dermatologists. As young people with eczema, we understand this struggle and want to encourage other young people and their families to advocate for the treatment and support they need. As part of the Eczema Outreach Support Youth Panel we have become aware of the importance of advocating for the treatment we deserve.

Lucie’s story

As someone who has been diagnosed with three types of eczema, in addition to scalp folliculitis, I am no stranger to the challenges that are presented by GP appointments. The majority of my appointments, even when my pain was clear and flare-ups were severe, were dismissed as ‘only eczema’ where I was handed my steroid cream and dismissed from any further treatment.

It was only after learning the importance of advocating for myself — which took two years of GP appointments to learn — and being clear that what I was experiencing was not ‘only eczema’ that I was able to access dermatological treatment and receive a diagnosis of the allergy that was causing the constant, red-raw, bleeding flare-ups.

I suffered from terribly painful flare-ups covering my whole body which lasted weeks and months at a time.

Silvia Walsh

Silvia’s story

I’ve had severe eczema all my life and found it incredibly difficult to get proper treatment for many years. This, I felt, was due to my condition being misunderstood and not seen as a serious issue that was affecting my quality of life. I suffered from terribly painful flare-ups covering my whole body which lasted weeks and months at a time. Like Lucie, I was often dismissed by GPs by being told it was very minor, and I just needed to use more moisturiser.

It was only after years of pushing and fighting for a dermatology referral that I finally got one. Through continuously advocating for my experience and treatment, they started listening. My condition was finally recognised as very severe, and I was offered various treatments such as prednisolone, phototherapy and methotrexate. Not just creams! It was only through trying to make my voice heard, as well as trial and error, that I was able to find a treatment that made me feel normal.

There is no shame in reaching out for help and support.