{"id":844749,"date":"2025-10-31T16:50:47","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T13:50:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=844749"},"modified":"2025-10-31T16:50:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T13:50:47","slug":"5-women-of-color-share-what-its-like-to-live-with-eczema","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=844749","title":{"rendered":"5 Women of Color Share What It\u2019s Like to Live With Eczema"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Melanin Edit<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

5 Women of Color Share What It\u2019s Like to Live With Eczema<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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Black and Latinx individuals tend to experience more severe and persistent symptoms. Here, we highlight some of their stories.<\/div>\n
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By <\/span>Lynya Floyd <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Photos courtesy of Garrett King, Juan Veloz, and Samuel Alphonse<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n
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When people talk about eczema, the first thing many of them mention is the unbearable itch\u2014the hallmark symptom of this group of skin conditions. The next thing they might say is how common it is.<\/p>\n

More than 31 million Americans have eczema, but Black people are disproportionately affected. In fact, one widely cited study found that Black kids were 1.7 times more likely to develop the condition than their white counterparts. Researchers believe this disparity may stem from a range of factors, including socioeconomic, environmental, and genetic circumstances. Eczema also presents differently on individuals with darker complexions than it does on lighter skin tones, which can lead to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis for people of color. For example, anyone with atopic dermatitis, the most common type of eczema, is likely to experience the condition\u2019s telltale dry patches. However, the red discoloration found on lighter-skinned individuals often appears as brown, purple, or gray on people with more melanin. That can make it more difficult to get the condition recognized and treated early, exacerbating symptoms, including itchiness. Not only is this uncomfortable, but compulsive scratching can break down the skin barrier and cause abrasions, increasing the risk of serious infections such as\u00a0staph\u00a0and sepsis.<\/p>\n

The condition can also take a profound toll on mental health and self-image. Research has found that people with the condition have an increased risk of depression and anxiety. Many adults report having avoided social interaction because of their eczema, while some studies suggest that the condition can have negative impacts on a person\u2019s sex life. To make matters worse, so many of those suffering do so in silence.<\/p>\n

To give voice to the lived experiences of Black women with these conditions, Allure<\/em> spoke to several individuals with eczema. Here is how this diagnosis has\u2014and hasn\u2019t\u2014impacted the way they live their lives, navigate the world, and advocate for both themselves and others.<\/p>\n

Darchelle Burnett, 26<\/h2>\n

Bothell, Washington<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"Darchelle<\/span><\/div>\n
Photo courtesy of Garrett King<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Most people do their skin routine and move on with their day. But I have a skin routine I have to do all day long. When I\u2019m working on Zoom as a DEI specialist, I have a slew of products in my drawer to help me feel better, like Vaseline balm sticks, sanitizing wipes, and hand cream. My flares are primarily on the right side of my face, so if it\u2019s happening, any time I open my mouth to smile, everything hurts. With eczema you have what I call \u201cvisible mental health.\u201d People can just look at you and tell if you\u2019re having an off day. Your skin reflects everything that\u2019s going on with you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I used to live with the mindset that \u201cwhen my skin is healed, I\u2019ll be pretty and confident and accepted.\u201d Then my skin would heal, and I\u2019d feel good. But then, a month later, I\u2019d have a flare and feel bad. I realized I needed to change the narrative around what being beautifully diverse looks like. Instead of waiting I started to ask myself, \u201cHow can you feel beautiful at any point in time?\u201d We all have scars. It\u2019s just how you showcase those scars that shows your self-confidence and impacts how you walk through the world.<\/p>\n

Over the years I\u2019ve tried topical and oral steroids as well as over-the-counter products. But it wasn\u2019t until I experienced phototherapy that things changed for me. I stopped all other prescriptions, and now I just use an at-home machine prescribed by my doctor. It delivers UV light, which helps suppress overactive immune cells, warding off flares and easing my symptoms when they crop up. It\u2019s also helped improve my hyperpigmentation, so I\u2019m so thankful my insurance covers it. That and regular skin care is all I need.<\/p>\n

Amanda Nicholas, 33<\/h2>\n

Pompano Beach, Florida<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"Amanda<\/span><\/div>\n
Photo courtesy of Amanda Nichola<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Ten years ago I was driving down the Sawgrass Expressway in Florida when, out of nowhere, an uncontrollable itching took over my entire body. I had to grip the steering wheel as I floored it home, where I lived with my mother and grandmother. I opened the front door of the house and collapsed onto the floor. That had never happened before. I had had eczema flares in the crook of my elbows or the back of my knees as a child, but they mostly disappeared when I started high school. That day it came back with a vengeance. Over the next few weeks, my skin flared from my scalp to my feet. My family tried everything from bleach baths and coconut oil to freezing towels and draping them over me to ease the itch.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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After seeing a doctor I was diagnosed with severe atopic dermatitis, the most common type of eczema, and put on a course of both topical and oral steroids. This helped\u2014until I completed the prescribed regimen; then the eczema would come right back. I\u2019d start another course, and the same thing would happen when it ended. I went through this cycle for years until the steroids stopped working to clear up my skin. I chased a clear complexion for years, trying everything\u2014including a clinical trial for a new drug and stopping steroids entirely, the latter of which sometimes left me bedridden for weeks. It wasn\u2019t until after I gave birth to my son and had consistent access to affordable health care that I started a biologic treatment. This injectable medication suppresses your immune response to reduce inflammation, which has helped improve many of my symptoms. I couldn\u2019t nurse this condition and take care of a baby and get to work without being on a biologic. It makes life manageable.<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s one thing I\u2019d tell other women, it\u2019s to not only advocate for yourself with doctors, but also with insurance companies and drug manufacturers. At one point my insurance stopped covering my biologic, but I was able to get compassionate-care doses by contacting the drug company directly. Advocate for yourself because you\u2019re worth it.<\/p>\n

Chi Villines, 35<\/h2>\n

Fort Lauderdale, Florida<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"Chi<\/span><\/div>\n
Photo courtesy of Samuel Alphonse<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Today I get compliments on my skin from strangers while I\u2019m walking down the street. But they have no idea what it was like for me as a child who struggled with eczema. I used to ask myself, \u201cWhy is this happening to me? What did I do? Why am I being punished?\u201d I\u2019ve had eczema since I was a baby and took topical steroids for over two decades because it was so severe. I remember once, in fifth grade, I was sitting at my desk trying to focus, but the itching was too much. I was just clawing at my skin, watching the flakes fall off, and feeling the blisters start to ooze. All of a sudden my teacher came over, slapped my desk, and told me to stop. I broke down crying.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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One of the hardest parts of eczema is its chronic nature. Treatments never cured me; they just masked symptoms for a while. It wasn\u2019t until six years ago, when I was living in Bangkok as a professional dancer, that I decided to try a more holistic approach. When you\u2019re a child, your parents follow what the doctors say. But as an adult I was able to take matters into my own hands, listen to my body, and find a better solution than topicals. I tried holistic approaches that were easier to access abroad, like working with an herbalist, changing my diet, and focusing on avoiding triggers like stress. My skin has never been better. If you\u2019re still struggling, don\u2019t hide or make yourself invisible. It\u2019s so important to live out loud, even when you have eczema.<\/p>\n

Turquoise Peart, 35<\/h2>\n

Chicago, Illinois<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"Turquoise<\/span><\/div>\n
Photo courtesy of Turquoise Peart<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

When I was 14, I did the \u201cbig chop\u201d and started wearing a super-short Afro before it was trendy. I had to. I was losing my hair because I couldn\u2019t stop scratching my head. My mother owned her own hair salon, and I remember people asking her, \u201cCan\u2019t you fix it? You\u2019re a hair magician.\u201d But she couldn\u2019t because I had a medical problem. It would take visits to three different health care practitioners before I got accurately diagnosed with seborrheic dermatitis, which is eczema [that usually impacts] the scalp. The last practitioner, who was a woman of color, made me promise to follow her scalp regimen exactly, which I did. After a few months my scalp stopped flaking all over my sheets and started to clear up.<\/p>\n

While I was healing, I was determined to break myself out of the itch-scratch cycle of eczema. The itching makes you scratch, but the scratching leads to more inflammation and itching, which leads to scratching and\u2026you get it. At that point I couldn\u2019t tell if I was scratching out of habit or because I had to. It\u2019s such a weird phenomenon, and I wanted it to stop. So any time I felt the urge to scratch, I would sit on my hands. I cut my nails short so that if I did scratch while sleeping, I couldn\u2019t do it to the point of bleeding. After a few months I trained myself to stop.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Since then I\u2019ve had minor flare-ups across my body. And once I get a flare, it\u2019s very challenging for it to go away. So I do everything possible to avoid them. During the COVID-19 lockdown I changed my lifestyle habits to try to beat eczema. I gave up eating meat and avoided pre-packaged foods. My skin instantly got better. There\u2019s a glow to it now that wasn\u2019t there before. I\u2019ve also learned how to avoid other triggers for my skin, like sweat. I keep my house at a cool temperature, and I walk a lot instead of doing high-intensity workouts at the gym. Also, when I travel I protect my skin from potential irritants, like other people\u2019s lotions and perfumes and hotel laundry detergents. I wear long pants and a hoodie, and I bring my own bedding to hotels to keep my skin from touching public surfaces I might react to.<\/p>\n

I wouldn\u2019t be where I am now if I hadn\u2019t found the physician who helped me all those years ago. I\u2019d tell other women with eczema to keep searching for the right practitioner. It\u2019s almost like looking for a therapist. And when you\u2019re speaking with medical professionals, don\u2019t lose your voice or be afraid to ask questions. It\u2019s your body, and it\u2019s your right.<\/p>\n

Monica Veloz, 33<\/h2>\n

Los Angeles, California<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"Monica<\/span><\/div>\n
Photo courtesy of Juan Veloz\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

My earliest memory of having eczema is a really insane flare-up that I had freshman year of high school. My mom told me that when I was born, my skin was super dry, and I\u2019ve always had sensitive skin. But something happened when I became a teenager. I could see patches on the top of my lip, the crevice of my elbow, the backs of my knees\u2014anywhere you could sweat. And there were places where it was oozing. Eczema is the whole reason I developed a love for makeup and ultimately became a beauty influencer as an adult. I don\u2019t even know if I was picking out the right shades. I was just so focused on covering my flaky, uncomfortable skin.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I don\u2019t remember getting prescription medication for my eczema, but I would take oatmeal baths, and I would moisturize all the time with lotions and products we\u2019d get from our trips back to the Dominican Republic, where my family is originally from. I also stayed away from scented detergents. I\u2019m thankful these lifestyle changes worked. I haven\u2019t had a significant flare-up in the past six years. I\u2019ll sometimes see dry patches in the corner of my hand or something if I forget to hydrate. My skin- and body-care routine can\u2019t miss a beat. But it\u2019s nothing that requires me to see a dermatologist or take medication.<\/p>\n

The most important thing that I\u2019ve learned is that everyone wants to see overnight success with their skin. It\u2019s rarely that way. Be patient and keep searching for answers. This isn\u2019t a linear journey, but in time you\u2019ll find what\u2019s best for your skin.<\/p>\n

Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

Source URL: https:\/\/www.allure.com\/story\/black-women-eczema-stories<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Melanin Edit 5 Women of Color Share What It\u2019s Like to Live With Eczema Black and Latinx individuals tend to experience more severe and persistent symptoms. Here, we highlight some of their stories. By Lynya Floyd October 31, 2025 Photos courtesy of Garrett King, Juan Veloz, and Samuel Alphonse When people talk about eczema, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":844750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[52],"class_list":["post-844749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-allure-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/844749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=844749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/844749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/844750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=844749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=844749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=844749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}