Normally a title like that is for some glamorous beauty influencer but that’s not quite the angle I’m coming from!
So if you’re anything like me when I’m following someone online looking for answers whether that’s for the gym/investing etc I’m always keen to know exactly what that person is doing. Of course everyone has different circumstances and what’s best for them and what works for me may very well not work for you blah blah blah! However this is currently what I’m doing to keep things in control, and for the last few weeks things have been fairly reasonable:
Zerodouble gel
This is my moisturiser which I also use as a shower gel. When I first went to St Johns Dermtology in London one of the first thing they did was trial me on all different types of moisturiersrs and this seemed to be the best. Anyone with AD, Eczema, Psoriasis etc will know that a good moisturiser is your foundation and is absolutely essential. I was using Epaderm for a long time but I found this way too thick whereas zerodouble is a good level. You can also get it off Amazon for when I mess up my repeat presceiption/the pharmacy isnt able to get hold of it for any reason. I put this on all over during and after my shower and then again all over before bed.
Polytar Scalp Shampoo
I wash my hair with this everyday and I am lucky to have very little scalp issues. When I was younger and more recently during my crazy flares this wasn’t the case so it’s nice to have this largely under control. Something I used in this past when things weren’t under control was Betacap, this can sting a bit but I found it to really help.
Betnovate RD
This is a cream I use before bed on my face, it’s a light steroid so not a long term solution and I’m currently down to using this 3 times per week with the aim of using only once per week. Over the last few years I keep waking up with my face being red and sore, despite a fresh pillow case every night, hypoallergenic pillows etc. This certainly seems to help with this, as does Daktakort.
Abrocitnib Jaks Inhibator
The main medication I take is a tablet once per day called Abrocitnib which is made by Pfizer. The National Eczema Society has a great article all about this explaining how it works etc. Ive been taking this for around 3 months and so far so good. Neck down in particular things are very much in control. This does require blood monitoring but the pro is that it is a daily tablet rather than a weekly/biweekly injection like some of the other equivalent treatments.
Protopic Ointment
I apply this after the shower on my face and leave it for around 30 minutes before wiping it off as I find it doesn't soak in and it can clog my pores and give me some nasty spots. This is an immunosuppressant medication which helps to calm the inflammation on my face.
La Roche-Posay suncream
After my last appoinment at Guy's hospital the consultant believe that I needed to be more proactive with suncream as my symptoms did look photo aggravated. They suggested I apply this every four hours no matter the time of year.
Fexofenadine
The “Atopic” in Atopic dermatitis means a sensitivity to allergens and I find taking one of these helps quite significantly. This allergen sensitivity has led to issues with my eyes and general hay fever symptoms. Fexofenadine does seem to control these symptoms quite well.
Aciclovir tablets
Unfortunately my eye related issues have caused what was essentrially a cold sore on my eye a few times which has left scarring and impacted my vision. Aciclovir helps reduce the likelihood of this happening again in the future.
Hylonight/Hyloforte/Opatanol/Ikervis
Eyes issues are obviously not directly skin related but a side effect of the medications I've taken and again my sensitivity to allergens. This is what I take eye drop/ointment wise, for the last few years this has kept my eyes completely under control. For the longest time my eye issues were constant and debilatating, the only way to calm them down was to sleep it off. Nowdays Opatanol first thing in the morning, followed by Ikervis shortly after, Hylonight before bed and Hylorfore used if and when seems to have done the job.
Nasacort Nasal Spray
My nose was blocked every single night before I started using this (along with a nose strip) and I believe it really helps me sleep.
Mirvaso
I go into a bit more detail about my experience with Mirvaso on a previous blog post, however I’ve found this to be an excellent emergency tool for when my face is extremely flushed.
I wouldn't be surprised if I've missed something and there's also other medications/treatments which I don't use on a regular basis. If you have any questions about your own routine or mine please feel free to drop me an email!
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