Did My Eczema Behave When Traveling to Different Climates?
This blog is inspired by a question that was posted in our community forums asking about how to care for your eczema while on vacation. Here I will share my experience solo-traveling for a year between multiple countries with vastly different climates and at different seasons.
What do I need to successfully travel with eczema?
For me, balance and knowing what gets me off balance is the key to successfully travel with eczema. For example, if I’m going to a place with a very different climate than what I am used to, I know that I will need to compensate for the adjustment.
Can travel clear my skin?
Though it is also possible that the adjustment might be very good for you. I have both experienced and read the stories of others who have traveled and experienced complete relief, like a miracle. Some people will have very dry, cracked rashes and go to a tropical place like Hawaii or Southeast Asia or South America and experience total relief and be able to live a completely healthy life with clear skin.
How did tropical weather impact my skin?
But others might have oily skin or oozing rashes that get way worse in tropical weather. I also had this experience the last time I went to Fiji. I visited Fiji in February of 2018 and it happened to be during one of their hottest summers. All of the sweating and humidity made my rashes worse and that all of the sweating contributed to the irritation of my skin. That plus the extreme heat and heavy humidity led to the development of skin irritation in the form of firm bumps that were very bright red and hot to the touch. In order to compensate for the consequences of this hot weather on my skin, I needed to do things to cool down and dry out my body temperature and skin.
How did a colder climate impact my skin?
Thankfully, the next place I visited during my travels after that was Wellington, New Zealand which was having its winter season. This was such serendipitous and perfect timing for me to balance out my skin weather-wise.
In order to treat my extremely hot skin symptoms, in Wellington, I would wear as little clothing as possible and expose my skin to the wind and the cold air that was there as much as possible, especially my arms which had it the worst. I would also take ice-cold showers and avoid eating hot, spicy, fried, and sugary foods which is what I had mainly eaten before getting these bumps. I also tried to be as on top of my stress management as possible with daily meditation. I would also use more water-based skincare products to keep my skin hydrated and cool.
Did my flares respond well?
After 3 months of doing that, all of the red hot bumps had cooled and flattened down. My skin tone also evened out after the discoloration the rashes caused, and the temperature of my body in my skin that normalized. This was not planned but in the bigger picture this is exactly what I need to do to treat my skin and get it back to a healthy state.
Could you experience the opposite?
Now, keep in mind that this is what worked for me going from a hot, humid climate that induced skin irritation to a cool, dry climate. But if your rashes are worse in cold, dry weather, I would suggest applying these same strategies in the reverse direction to reclaim a balanced state.
I have addressed other important considerations while traveling with eczema in the following videos, which you can check out for more insights and tips:
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