Elaine's Healing: From the Inside Out

The Editorial Team at AtopicDermatitis.net is highlighting people in the eczema community and their healing journeys in a series of Instagram Interviews. We talked to Elaine (@elaineontheglow) about holistic healing, stress, sleep, nutrition, exercise, skin discoloration and more!

Elaine's eczema story

I have had moderate to severe eczema my entire life and it’s impacted it in so many ways. I had a really bad flare-up my senior year of college that really took a toll on my mental and physical health. I was pretty fed up with my skin, and came across the eczema Instagram community which allowed me to connect with other warriors.

Using holistic techniques

Through community and education, I really began to focus on healing my skin internally. I worked with a holistic dermatologist and used Dupixent for 3 months. Now, I use holistic techniques (ie. stress management, nutrition, and working out) to prevent my skin from flaring.

On stress, sleep and nutrition

Editorial Team: Could you elaborate on what you're doing regarding stress management and nutrition?
Elaine: For stress management, during the week I make sure to get between 7-9 hours of sleep a night, however people with eczema tend to need more than the recommended amount of sleep because of our weakened immune systems, so I try to get 9-10 on the weekends.

Sleep has been so beneficial to managing my skin. In addition to sleep, I get massages and make sure I don’t take on too many responsibilities at once.

Plant-based diet

For nutrition, I follow a plant-based diet and eat a lot of fruits, vegetables and foods rich in omega 3’s. I noticed that when I eat processed foods or refined sugars my skin flares, so I try to avoid it as much as I can.

How exercise helps her

Editorial Team: How has exercise impacted your skin? How do you manage sweat?
Elaine:Exercise has really helped my skin. It’s a great stress reliever and it allows me to decompress.

Preventing flares and managing sweat

I don’t workout in extreme heat to prevent flares and love lower impact workouts like Pilates and strength training. If I get too sweaty during a workout, I’ll take a break for my body to cool down and always have a towel on hand.

Frustrating patches of darkened skin

Editorial Team: What is the most frustrating eczema symptom you've dealt with?
Elaine: The most frustrating symptom from eczema aside from itching is the discoloration that I get after I flare. I have several patches on my body that are darker than other parts of my body and it makes me self conscious when I go out in public. I am working to treat the discoloration and I know it will take time for the skin to heal.

What "on the glow" means to her

Editorial Team: Your bio says "on the glow from the inside out", what does being "on the glow" mean to you?
Elaine: On the glow means that even though I’m always on the move, I want to be mindful of my spiritually, mental and physical wellness.

Being a light of encouragement

Editorial Team: Anything else you'd like to add?
Elaine: I’m so happy to have a chance to share my story. Hopefully I can help impact other people who are fighting eczema and be a light of encouragement in their lives ✨

Follow Elaine's healing journey on Instagram at @elaineontheglow!

How do you manage your eczema internally?