Health REAL LIFE
Rhiannon Cadd, 26, from Essex, has struggled with eczema her whole life...
Waking up in the morning, my face was so sore I couldn’t turn my head. Experiencing a flareup, it was covered in eczema.
With dry, peeling skin and rashes, it was something I’d struggled with my entire life.
I’d had it since I was a baby. But while my brothers Jordan, 32, and Jacob, 29, also had eczema as tots, theirs had cleared up in childhood.
As a child it was often sore, and my mum Della, 61, would give me diluted bleach baths to try and soothe my skin – something she’d seen online, although it wasn’t recommended by doctors.
And while there was some relief while I was in the bath, it would be itchy again as soon as I got out.
Going through secondary school, I lost confidence. I knew some of the kids had been making nasty comments about my skin.
And with my face being the most affected area, everyone could see when I had a f lareup. There was no hiding it.
My triggers changed all the time – cold weather in the winter could trigger my eczema as well as hot sun in the summer. But stress remained a constant trigger.
When I was 16, I was prescribed a strong steroid cream to help and while I did get some relief, I still got painful f lare-ups.
Doing childcare in college, I’d sometimes have to take time off as I was in agony.
Using moisturiser or an ice cold patch, I’d have to ride it out.
At 21, I met my now-partner Ashley, 28, who was a massive support.
Whenever I had a big f lare and didn’t want to leave the house, he’d dash out and do my errands for me.
Even though I still lacked confidence, at 21 I wanted a social life, going out with friends when my skin was OK. And Ashley has never said anything about my skin – he’s always loved me for me. But in May 2021, when I was pregnant with Carter, now two, I had the biggest eczema flare-up of my life.
I’d have to ride it out
With my body covered in sore, f laky skin, it was horrible.
I think a combination of pregnancy hormones and the stress of getting everything ready for our new arrival triggered it.
Waking up one morning, I was covered in a red rash – I’d had a similar rash before and been fine. But using moisturiser and cold patches to soothe it, it only became worse.
And being pregnant, I hadn’t been using my steroid creams – doctors had said I was allowed to, but I worried about it affecting Carter.
Begging Mum to take me to Broomfield Hospital, they prescribed me more ster
