The Itch That Rashes
Eczema is the itch that rashes. The itch comes from within. I have tried every cream, balm, lotion, tallow and coconut oil product on the market. Nothing would touch the itch. There were products that helped keep the skin moisturized and aided a bit with healing but there wasn’t a magic balm or cream that will make eczema disappear. The magic elixir is found in the GAPS diet. The gut must heal to see eczema resolve and the itch reside.
The Way Eczema Moves
As eczema begins to heal the body will push it out into the extremities. By this I mean you will see a movement of the eczema. If it is full body or anywhere in the mid-section, like the torso, it will begin to move down the arms and legs and out toward the ankles and wrists. This movement is a good sign that the gut is healing. Don’t be discouraged by the fact that the eczema isn’t gone immediately. Look for movement as positive signs that healing is happening. I have yet to see a case where the eczema disappears after days or weeks on GAPS. Eczema tends to be the last thing to go and this was true of my son, Raleigh. His asthma, edema and food sensitivities all healed before the eczema was gone.
Topical Steroid Withdrawal
If you have used any type of steroid on the skin there will be some withdrawal symptoms when you quit. When we began GAPS on June 13th, 2017 we stopped Raleigh’s topical steroids cold turkey. He had been receiving head-to-toe steroids on a daily basis for well over a year and I decided, without any guidance, to stop them cold turkey. I would not necessarily advise anyone to do it that way but it was our journey. What came next was a very large topical steroid withdrawal. At the time I didn’t know that was what was happening. Raleigh’s skin became red and inflamed and then he began to shed skin.
We had a dark brown couch and when he woke each morning we would have to brush the dry skin off of him to be able to lotion him up (with natural stuff) and then wet wrap him. The dry skin looked like snow on the brown couch. Raleigh went through quite a lot in those early days and we did multiple detox baths each day to help support his body in the topical steroid withdrawal.
So if you are headed into GAPS and have a history with these creams I wanted to share that there will be a time of “shedding.” We called it “shedding.” And as he would shed and the gut would heal we would see more and more healing arrive. We were rebuilding the gut with good materials (GAPS foods: meat stock, animal fats, ferments) and his skin was showing the results.
It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better
When you go through die off the eczema will worsen. This is normal and necessary. This is often one of the main things that causes my clients who deal with eczema, or who have a child with eczema, the most panic. When fermented foods are increased and a new die off is initiated the eczema will flare and worsen. The itch will likely also increase. The difficulty here is that the only way out is through – you must go through die off to find healing. So in this time I advise supporting the body with detox baths, and if wet wrapping is needed in small children to avoid itching that cuts the skin (that’s when infection comes) then I advise that.
The Body Wants To Heal
Lastly, eczema can heal. I had a dermatologist once tell me that Raleigh was just going to have to deal with severe eczema for his entire life. I’m glad I didn’t listen or believe him. Trust the process and show up every day. The eczema will heal.
Eczema is near-and-dear to my heart and helping clients who have children fighting this battle is one of the main reasons I became a coach. I would love to help support and guide you if you ever feel the need for that. Please reach out through the contact tab.