Why My Eczema Wouldn’t Go Away

For years, I tried to manage my eczema the only way I knew how - from the outside.

The herbal tea I received in Chinatown did provide a reprieve, but it didn’t last. Before long, I was back on the same cycle: some good weeks, some bad weeks, and no clear understanding of why.

Doctors gave me topical creams. I tried different oils and moisturizers. I switched to fragrance-free detergents; I experimented with cold showers and even sun exposure.

At times, these approaches helped manage the symptoms, but nothing ever truly solved the problem.

The flare-ups always came back. I was trying to solve my eczema externally when the issue was happening internally.

Sometimes I would close my eyes, and it felt like parts of my body were burning from the inside - around my eyes, my neck, and inside my arms.

Years passed like this, then in July of 2023, something changed....

I went in for my annual physical and the results showed elevated cholesterol, increased visceral fat, and something that immediately caught my wife’s attention - I was now showing pre-diabetic markers.

The A1C test reflects your average blood sugar over the prior 2–3 months. What we were looking at was my baseline - and it was elevated.

The next day, my wife made a decision.

❌ No more sugar

❌ No more eating out

That was the moment everything changed - we committed to cooking every meal at home: breakfast, lunch, and dinner - simple, fully plant-based, no shortcuts.

The goal was simple - bend the curve. We knew that with the right eating and exercise, it would realistically take the next 6–9 months to bring those numbers down.

At the time, I thought this was about my weight, my cholesterol, and my long-term health. I didn’t realize it would also have a big impact on my eczema.

In the next post, I’ll share what happened when we completely changed my diet and how it finally stopped my eczema flare-ups after more than 20 years.

-- Coach GC