{"id":936602,"date":"2025-12-05T16:22:40","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T13:22:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=936602"},"modified":"2025-12-05T16:22:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T13:22:40","slug":"how-one-woman-turned-her-battle-with-eczema-into-a-lifeline-for-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=936602","title":{"rendered":"How One Woman Turned Her Battle With Eczema Into a Lifeline for Others"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Melanin Edit<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

How One Woman Turned Her Battle With Eczema Into a Lifeline for Others<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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Cynthea Corfah, founder of Black Girls With Eczema, is making sure no one has to navigate the ebbs and flows of the chronic skin condition alone.<\/div>\n
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By <\/span>Lynya Floyd <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Katie Coffee<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n
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In Cynthea Corfah\u2019s junior year of high school, she won a pageant and moved on to the next level of competition: regionals. Though she was having an eczema flare, for her casual look, she wore a floral sundress that went a little past her knees but didn\u2019t hide the small patches of dryness on her legs. She didn\u2019t win.<\/p>\n

Contestants were allowed to ask the judges for feedback to improve future performances. When Corfah requested pointers, she got only one note. \u201cIt was something like, \u2018Needs to cover bruises better,\u2019\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt first I thought, \u2018What are they talking about?\u2019\u201d says Corfah. Looking back at it now, in her 30s, she says, \u201cThere was so much wrong with that judge\u2019s comment. If he really thought I had bruises, he probably should\u2019ve checked on my welfare.\u201d In any case, the fact remains that the patches he noticed weren\u2019t bruises, Corfah says, calling it \u201cheartbreaking\u201d to discover that her skin condition was the only reason she lost points. It felt like a \u201cslap in the face\u201d after she so vulnerably put herself out there, eczema and all.<\/p>\n

The beginning of something bigger<\/h2>\n

While that pageant experience made Corfah more self-conscious, she didn\u2019t let her eczema keep her out of the spotlight. After all, she has been navigating periodic eczema flares since infancy. One flare Corfah will never forget came in sixth grade, when the skin on her ankle got so inflamed that it started oozing liquid, which dried and caused her socks to stick to her legs by the end of the day. But she went to the doctor, got topical steroids that tamed her occasional flares, and moved on, she says.<\/p>\n

Years later she took to social media to chronicle her experience trying to heal her eczema naturally through dietary and lifestyle changes like ditching dairy, decreasing stress, and avoiding allergens. Through those posts she caught the attention of the National Eczema Association. After sharing her story on the organization\u2019s website, she began working with the group on larger projects, including creating marketing materials and moderating discussions for Black women at Eczema Expo, an annual gathering for people with the condition and their loved ones.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first Sister Circle I moderated was only slated for 30 minutes, but no one wanted to leave at the half-hour mark. We were so fired up talking to each other,\u201d she says. \u201cI realized I had to capture that energy more than once a year.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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As a result, Corfah launched Black Girls With Eczema, an Instagram page that aims to bring together women of color with the condition who want to connect on a deep level. \u201cIt\u2019s a group. It\u2019s a collective. It\u2019s a movement,\u201d she says. The page debuted at the end of July 2025, and by the following month it had grown to a few hundred followers across the globe, according to Corfah. On the account she posts about everything from managing eczema\u2019s mental health impacts to flaunting your skin even when you\u2019re having a flare.<\/p>\n

Women are turning to the account for awareness, representation, and validation. \u201cMembers are seeing themselves in the women that I share on Instagram,\u201d Corfah says. \u201cI\u2019m seeing a lot of teary-eyed emojis from women who are relating. This is about making other Black women feel understood, giving them a place to share their stories, helping them gain clarity, and letting them know they\u2019re not alone. It validates their experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Corfah says one of the highlights of running the account has been partnering with influencers who live with eczema. For example, she met Jada Jones at Eczema Expo, and then they teamed up on a \u201ccollab post.\u201d \u201cThe one thing that brought us so much pain and discomfort over our lives actually brought us together,\u201d says Jones, who talks about her experiences with her skin condition on social media.<\/p>\n

Why eczema impacts Black women differently<\/h2>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something special about Black women with eczema. We\u2019re having a very niche experience,\u201d says Corfah, adding that there are both physical and emotional differences in how the skin condition affects women of color compared to lighter-skinned individuals. \u201cIn the Black community, for example, being ashy is an insult,\u201d she explains. \u201cHaving dry skin is nothing to be proud of.\u201d Unfortunately, dry skin is often the default for someone with eczema.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Eczema flares can also leave behind hyperpigmentation, which Corfah says may cause some Black women to reexamine their appearance in a complicated way. \u201cYour skin can turn darker shades of brown,\u201d she explains. \u201cWhen this happened to me, I had to wonder, Does being fairer-skinned make me more beautiful? Does having darker skin because of my hyperpigmentation make me question my beauty?\u201d<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s the issue of hair. Black people are more likely to experience seborrheic dermatitis than other individuals, which is a type of eczema that usually appears on the scalp (along with other areas like the face and chest) and can cause itchy scales, inflamed skin, and flakes. In fact, seborrheic dermatitis is one of the top five most common dermatological diagnoses in Black patients. \u201cA lot of Black women wear protective styles, like braids or Bantu knots, or have naturally curly hair,\u201d says Corfah. \u201cProducts for those styles tend to have lots of fragrances, nut oils, and irritants in them\u2014additives that someone could be allergic to.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s common for people with atopic dermatitis to also have allergies, as well as other sorts of sensitivities. \u201cFinding natural hair products that are supportive to eczema-prone skin is very challenging,\u201d says Corfah. She found out the hard way that many hair glues contain latex, one of the many things she\u2019s allergic to (others include tree nuts and cats). The first time she tried a quick weave (a style in which strips of hair are glued directly onto a protective cap covering your natural hair rather than being sewn), Corfah broke out in full-body hives. For those with eczema and allergies, you have to not only watch out for all the things that can cause a flare, but also allergy triggers that can worsen your skin condition.<\/p>\n

The community cure<\/h2>\n

To help women navigate these sorts of issues, Corfah is beginning to extend Black Girls With Eczema\u2019s community-building work beyond Instagram. She hosted a virtual wellness walk in October (Eczema Awareness Month) and plans to launch in-person meetups, ranging from regional gatherings to\u2014her ultimate goal\u2014a retreat. \u201cImagine something restorative that is an opportunity to relax, eat super-nutritional food, and talk about the mental health piece of this,\u201d says Corfah. \u201cI want to explore the ways that negative emotions and experiences we hold on to get stored in our bodies and manifest as eczema.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m less interested in the number of followers we have,\u201d she continues. \u201cI\u2019m more interested in impact: How many people are we getting together online and in person?\u201d After all, Corfah explains, she knows firsthand that having eczema can be an isolating experience. \u201cUnless you\u2019re surrounded by family members or friends who are going through the same thing, you can really feel lonely,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Through Black Girls With Eczema, Corfah hopes to create a network that shows women they don\u2019t have to go at it alone. She wants them to see themselves in the other people on the page and make connections that provide understanding, support, and encouragement. That\u2019s been key to her own eczema journey. \u201cBefore I started going to Eczema Expo and running this group, I suffered in silence when I had flares. I didn\u2019t talk to anyone about them; I just hoped they\u2019d go away,\u201d she explains. \u201cBut all the times I didn\u2019t open up, I felt like I was delaying my healing.\u201d Now she\u2019s not only speaking out about her own experiences but helping hundreds of women like her with their healing.<\/p>\n

Corfah also aims for Black Women With Eczema to be a place where women can share resources. Connecting with supportive professionals can be a huge help, she says. For instance, Corfah regularly gets flare-ups on her hands, but she gets stunning acrylic sets from a nail technician who is sensitive to her condition\u2014and is well worth the hour-plus drive from her home in New Orleans, she says.<\/p>\n

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\"Cynthea<\/span><\/div>\n
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Corfah regularly travels to a nail salon in Baton Rouge that\u2019s over an hour from her home in New Orleans. She says the time spent in the car is well worth it because her manicurist is sensitive to her needs.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Cynthea Corfah<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

At the end of the day, she urges other Black women with eczema not to dim their light because of their skin condition. \u201cKeep showing up. Keep using your gifts. Keep taking up space,\u201d says Corfah, who also works as a professional model and recently attended five casting calls for New York Fashion Week. \u201cDon\u2019t waste your time worrying about what other people think about your skin. Life is too short for that.\u201d<\/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\/cynthea-corfah-eczema-story<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Melanin Edit How One Woman Turned Her Battle With Eczema Into a Lifeline for Others Cynthea Corfah, founder of Black Girls With Eczema, is making sure no one has to navigate the ebbs and flows of the chronic skin condition alone. By Lynya Floyd December 5, 2025 Katie Coffee In Cynthea Corfah\u2019s junior year […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":936603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[52],"class_list":["post-936602","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\/936602","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=936602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/936602\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/936603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=936602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=936602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=936602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}