What Is Your Tell-Tale Flare Up Spot?

What is your tell-tale flare-up spot that lets you know you’ve gone too far? You know that spot or area I’m talking about. It’s like that repeat alert on your phone that seems to pop up at the most inconvenient of times, reminding you that yet again, you have unfinished business to deal with. Except this isn’t just a reminder that you can ignore because it’s telling you that all those little irritated dry spots on your body were leading up to this familiar flare. It’s like that friend who actually keeps you accountable because you asked them to, but now you wish you hadn’t...but you know they’re right!

My tell-tale eczema flare up spot

Currently, it’s my scalp. It has never been a problematic area for me my entire life. Yes, it’s had the usual flakiness, itchiness, and dryness, but not dramatic weepiness. But as of April of last year (after I had stopped a clinical trial for a JAK Inhibitor), it became yet another aggravating area of my body to be aware of. And now, I’ve found that it’s my new warning spot.

Warning spots

As soon as stress/mental/emotional triggers set me off, combined with compromised diet/sleep/exercise, my scalp gets weepy. It’s an incredibly annoying but necessary reminder that something needs to change, and that balance really is key. And before you ask- no, I have no idea what causes a flare to localize in a certain spot. All I know is that for me, it seems to change every few years. The spots have varied from areas where I used to apply steroids to places I’ve never touched with steroids. The skin is one huge organ, so who knows.

Grateful for the warning

Though my initial reaction is annoyance and disgust, I am grateful. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know that something was wrong. As soon as I start addressing even just one of my issues, things start improving - the scalp itches less, the ooze starts crusting and drying into hard flakes - it’s a physical and visible reminder that there’s an imbalance in my body and that it is finally being rectified.

What causes the flare?

What do you start doing first to rectify and appease the flare-up spot? For me, it just depends - usually, I’m well aware if I have been a bad girl. Maybe it’s a lack of quality sleep? Being too lenient with my diet? Maybe it has something to do with the emotional exchange I had with my mother the other day? Exercise is currently on the back burner because of physical limitations. It’s a multitude of things and they are adding up. A little bit here, and a little bit there piles up and transforms into your oozing and flaring scalp. The friendly reminder that things have got to change!

Caring for the flare

Start with what is probably the most beneficial - sleep - and then reach out to a professional to help you figure out the other things like diet and stress management. Remember that this is your health, so you can’t put a price tag on it!