Atopic Dermatitis, also known as Eczema, is a common skin condition that affects nearly three million Australians, normally appearing before the age of five. Nicholas was born with atopic dermatitis, which varies from small patches of dry skin to open scratches. If the Eczema is triggered or infected, it causes a skin rash or inflamed skin.
Nicholas has dealt with the struggle of Eczema throughout his childhood and teens, and grew up figuring out what moisturisers and products were suitable for his skin. Knowing that eczema cannot be cured, managing his eczema has taught him to be consistent with his skin condition, and to ensure that he is careful with how he treats his skin.
“I usually can’t use certain moisturisers and certain things because they have artificial fragrances in them, but luckily my mother has found this natural ‘Lemon Murtle’ moisturiser which doesn’t smell like chemicals, and it has a nice lemon smell,” Nicholas said.
The Eczema Association Australia (EAA) developed a report based on responses for the Eczema Suffer Survey (1994-2019) on people who suffered from eczema in Australia. Statistics show that eczema is more common in women than men with eczema being commonly diagnosed at or soon after birth. However, treating eczema in adults can often be difficult to manage as the condition requires a lot care by using certain types of products to prevent rashes like ‘flare-ups’ or ‘breakouts’. Eczema reactions often occur in response to triggers like grasses, soaps, weather conditions, foods, clothing, and pets.
“I work in a café and also in a restaurant doing dishes, but I think it’s mostly from getting my hands wet and then not being able to dry them fully and it ends up drying up my skin so much and inflaming the eczema to the point where it’s really painful.” Nicholas said
Eczema has affected people physically, financially, socially and psychologically, as up to 30 per cent of children and up to 10 per cent of adults are affected by atopic eczema. In the workplace, safety precautions are implemented to prevent eczema’s exposure to the variety of dangers that can cause symptoms to be triggered. The Safe Work Australia acknowledges the health concerns surrounding eczema by managing risks and taking controlled measures to make the workspaces effective and safe for employees who suffer from Atopic Dermatitis.
