Flirty, Flaring, and Thriving

Love is in the air... or is it?! In a recent site poll, the majority of those who responded strongly agreed that eczema regularly impacted their feelings about romance.

Eczema can add additional stress or worry to the thought of romantic ventures. This Valentine's Day, we wanted to highlight the various perspectives of eczema warriors on the topics of romance and everything in between - from embracing who you are, to dating, marriage, and self-love. We hope they will show you that no matter where you are in your romantic life, you can thrive!

Flattered and skeptical in the beginning

"Whenever I find myself in the throes of romance, in the beginning, I’m honestly always surprised that someone is interested in dating me. The thought that someone could find me attractive is always so flattering but there is also a part of my mind that questions if any of it is out of pity. Even when I don’t have any visible rashes, I still can feel paranoid that once my beau sees them, that person will become disgusted and run away."

Read Terry's full article, What It's Like For Me Dating With Eczema.

Worrying on the date

"When it comes to dating I have two different sides. One part of me is careless, in general. I really just want to get to know people, hang out, have fun... The other 10% of the time I am nothing but worried. I worry about what people will think. I worry about what people will say, if they will say anything at all. I ask myself if anyone would notice? Is a flare coming soon? Maybe to the “normal person’s” healthy eye, it doesn’t look as bad as it feels."

Read Shawn's full article, Dating When You Have Atopic Eczema.

Never compromise who you are

"It's important to be yourself. If you have to compromise that to show a person who you are, and you're self-conscious about expressing yourself, then that person isn't for you...Believe me. I've failed numerous times, and can tell you this: that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm happily married with two kids."

Watch Peter's full video, Struggles of Dating with Eczema.

Don't forget self-love

"Self-love is the most important, unconditional love you will ever know...But, to love oneself means: No questions; No terms or conditions; To rely on yourself and appreciate who you are, as you are; To know that in spite of your flaws and wrongdoings, you are beautiful and you, yourself are love."

Read Shawn's full article, A Life Without Love.