Eczema sufferers across the UK have spent over £300 on average in a bid to ease the physical and emotional pain of their skin condition, according to new research.
The study from scientific skincare brand Gladskin found this cash was spent on around 14 different products to alleviate feelings of frustration (54%) and embarrassment (34%) due to the condition.
This also impacts social life, with half (50%) of Brits with eczema claiming it stops them from living life to the fullest and interestingly it’s men (56%) who are feeling the effects of this more than women (45%).
“Also referred to as Atopic Dermatitis, eczema is a chronic skin condition increasingly affecting more adults and children globally each year, whose quality of life is impacted by chronic itching, sleep deprivation and pain”, explains Dr Bjorn Herpers, Clinical Microbiologist.
It can be caused by different factors: skin barrier defects, an overreacting immune response or a skin microbiome imbalance due to an over-colonization of bad bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus.”
The research uncovered a lower quality of life for people with eczema, with over a quarter missing social events (28%) due to the condition.
Not only are social lives being affected, but careers too – of those that had to skip work because of their eczema, the average amount of sick days taken was 12 over the past year.
Parents of children with eczema were also polled as part of the survey and it seems their education is being impacted by the condition, forcing them to miss an average of 20 hours of school in the last year. That equates to almost a full week of lessons.
A fifth (22%) of parents say their child has also missed parties with friends and sleepovers (18%) because of their symptoms, so it is clear eczema is impacting the social lives of its patients from an early age.
| Top events missed due to eczema symptoms: | Top regions missing work due to eczema: |
| Social events (e.g. with friends, dates) (28%) | West Midlands (20 days) |
| Family occasions (21%) | East Anglia (19 days) |
| Appointments (e.g. hairdresser, dentist) (16%) | Scotland (12 days) |
| Work (12%) | London (11 days) |
| Weddings (12%) | South-West (9 days) |
Looking at people of all ages, around a third (36%) have worn long sleeved tops or makeup (30%) and a quarter (24%) have even worn gloves in an attempt to hide their condition from others.
This is only causing further suffering though, with over half (56%) of people who tried to hide their eczema in these kinds of ways noticing their condition became worse as a result.
When it comes to choosing a product to treat eczema, trusted reviews (31%) and finding something that doesn’t contain steroids (28%) are both important factors for people living with the condition.
Dr Bjorn Herpers concludes: “It is clear the quality of life of those with eczema is being severely impacted. My advice to anyone experiencing any kind of symptoms is to take a look at their daily skincare routine and assess which kinds of products they are using. Do your research and find out what triggers your eczema. If it is worsened by Staphylococcus aureus – which happens in the majority of cases – and find a product which targets the bad bacteria.”
Top regions for spending cash on eczema products:
2. Wales (£782)
3. Yorkshire (£398)
4. North-West (£337)
5. East Midlands (£311)
6. London (£308)
There is light at the end of the tunnel for people living with eczema though, with a ground-breaking new study, conducted by Dutch biotech company Micreos, clinically proving that their Gladskin products, which use a Staphylococcus aureus targeted technology, can alleviate eczema symptoms, and improve quality of life in children and adults.
The study, published by the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology (JDD), showed Gladskin Eczema Cream, which is steroid free, is well tolerated and effective. Patients reported significant improvements of symptoms – including itchiness and redness – within days.
Furthermore, 100% of children and 95% of adults who took part in the study saw a vast improvement in quality of life – with 98% seeing an improvement to their sleep.
You can review the full study findings here.
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