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There's two versions of self back to back - the left side has a red speech bubble coming from her mouth, telling the lie, while the right side has a green one that's more positive in nature.

Every Excuse to Cancel Plans is an Opportunity to Educate

Linette Roungchun's avatar image

By Linette Roungchun

2 min read

You know those moments we all have when our skin is terrible? Those times we just want to stay home because just the thought of moving or putting on clothes and then making our skin look barely presentable is just too much? And then your friend calls and you instinctively give some lame white-lie excuse? Rather than telling them honestly what is going on with you and your skin? Those are the opportunities you have to educate.

The excuses I've used to cancel plans

How many times have I told a white lie to a friend because of my skin acting up?

  • "Oh, my mom needs my help with something so I can’t go, sorry."
  • "I just finished cooking and don’t want to waste, sorry love."
  • "I have to be up early so I can’t make it."
  • "My tummy feels weird so I’m just going to call it a night."
  • "I just don’t have the money for that right now, sorry." - That one bit me in the ass and has become a reality one too many times lol.

The sad part is that if I had just told the truth, any of my friends would have been more than understanding. And any friend who gave the tiniest sh*t about you would ask more about your condition. That’s when you have your in.

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Explaining eczema to unhide it

So let’s re-write history a little bit, shall we? What would I have said to a friend who further inquired about what it was exactly that was preventing me from going out? Without boring them to death, I would mention that simple movements were painful and that the act of taking off and then putting on clothing again was a whole production in itself. It’s not due to laziness, mind you. And then if they pushed further, I would explain to them that it takes all my focus and energy to just get through the day. Pretending that I’m okay even though my skin is flamin’ hot (oh yes, like Cheetos), itchy, and sensitive to literally anything it interacts with. So now I had to strip naked, allow myself an itching session after holding back all day, and attempt to make myself a fresh and healthy meal. Then, I have to attempt to get to bed early in hopes that I get some sort of sleep during the night. So in short, my night is booked.

Spreading eczema awareness

Just this description of what you deal with in the night when it comes to your eczema is enough to make one pause. And remember, you’re not telling your story and being transparent about your reality for pity. Of course not. That’s the last thing we want. You’re doing this for your own sanity and to bring about awareness for this condition. For the 330 million others in this world who are suffering from this at-times debilitating condition. The goal is to educate in order to normalize and unhide eczema.

So this 2020 let’s work on doing our best to #unhideeczema. You’ll be amazed at how cathartic and freeing it is to share your story.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The AtopicDermatitis.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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