Luke has lived with small patches of eczema and dry skin for as long as he can remember. But when he left home for university, things changed. His skin unexpectedly flared up, covering his face and arms. By his second year, the eczema had spread across his neck, torso, and legs.
“Steroids offered short-term relief and moisturisers felt ineffective. Restless nights and the unbearable itch soon became all I could think about. I became fixated on micromanaging every aspect of my life and it became an unhealthy obsession. I was extremely agitated, angry and completely exhausted. I was desperate for help.”
The impact on Luke’s wellbeing was profound. Eczema began to affect his mental health, leaving him feeling isolated and drained. Looking back, Luke reflects on how difficult it was to reach out for help:
“It took me a long time to take the first step to go to the GP as I was a stubborn male who thought I could get by myself. I think I paid the price for this as my eczema was allowed to get worse after being left untreated.”
Once Luke sought help, his GP referred him to dermatology, where he began light therapy. Paired with a summer holiday, his skin cleared — but the relief didn’t last.
“I remember walking out not with a sense of relief but of fear. I had a strong feeling it would come back… and it did.”
The following winter, Luke faced another bad flare. After being referred back to dermatology and facing a long waiting list, he made the decision to see a private dermatologist. It was a turning point. His skin is now being well managed, giving him more space to enjoy life again.
One of those joys is running. Luke explains: “Having survived what was by far one of the most unbearable parts of my life with the eventual help of GPs and dermatology nurses, I’ve been able to slowly get my eczema under control and I’ve become better at managing it. This has allowed me to do more things I enjoy – and one of those things is running. I don’t want my eczema to be a limitation.”
Luke is now using his running to raise awareness, share his experiences, and support others and has recently completed the Great North Run.
“When my eczema was at its worst, I felt incredibly alone. I tried to hide what I was going through instead of reaching out for the help I desperately needed. I want people to see that support is there, and things can get better.”
His experience has also given him an important lesson: “The main lesson I learned was to be prepared and speak up about my condition, not to be passive, especially about how severely it affected me.”