Jenny Robinson AKA @jenny.robinson.06 is the next SKIN STORY.
I hope that these stories help you connect and feel less alone through mutual understanding of how our skin can make us feel. I also hope that these stories reach those who don’t suffer from eczema so they can gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of living with eczema.
NOW OVER TO JENNY⬇️✨
Childhood Memories
I’ve had eczema since birth, but my childhood memories of having eczema are quite limited. I feel like this is a mix of my skin condition not being that bad until I hit adulthood, and baby brain wiping my memories (bear with I am 6 months pregnant tomorrow🤣).
University Years
My strongest memories of my eczema affecting me began when I left home and moved nearly 3 hours away to university when I was 18, and the mix of late nights, eating a lot of junk foods, drinking a lot of alcohol, and the stress of doing a degree made my skin explode. I remember feeling so alone, and not really knowing what to do to help myself. I’d be so embarrassed in my lectures because my hands were so cracked, I’d bleed all over my lecture notes.
Pregnancy and Skin Changes
In September 2023, I was blessed enough to find out I was pregnant, which surprisingly led to a total clearance of my eczema. However, the relief was short-lived, as my eczema began to come back, and it became severe on my feet and lower legs, a place where I’ve never really experienced eczema in the past. My feet and lower legs became so inflamed they began to swell, the patches of eczema were open and weeping, I was in great pain and was finding it difficult to walk.
Finding Support and Healing Journey
The biggest turning point in my healing journey was discovering the online skin community, especially ItchNBitch. Before this, I felt quite uneducated and unconfident in how to heal my skin, and also unaware of how to advocate for myself. But I now have a great network of people I’ve met online, some of whom I am lucky to now class as my friends, who I can turn to when I need to ask advice but also offload when I’m having a bad skin day.
Embracing My Eczema
This is me, and this is my skin. My eczema is a part of me, but it does not define me. I may have eczema, but it doesn’t have me.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY, Jenny,
love always,
Katie
#FocusOnEczema #NotDefinedByMySkin
Itch N Bitch 