Eczema Q&A: Itching instead of burning???

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Question:

Hi, I have for years had this odd issue with my skin, mainly my elbows and outside edge of my nostrils. As long as I lotion them every day I'm fine. I have dry skin and in the cold of winter it gets bad. Anyhow if I forget the lotion for a few days (often while traveling in winter), my skin in those areas turn very red and burns. It really burns. Its painful to the touch. On the nose I also get what appears to be mini blisters. I discussed this with my dermatologist recently. He said its Eczema. During this visit I did not have an outbreak and just described my symptoms. I'm a bit confused though because everything I read about eczema says it itches. I have never seen anything about the skin burning. Do any of you get burning skin instead of itchy skin? It lasts for several weeks and I've treated it with cortisone cream. My dr prescribe me another cream to use if I get a breakout.

Answer:

Hey, it sounds pretty frustrating dealing with that burning sensation instead of the usual itchiness people talk about. It's great that you’re keeping up with the lotion; maintaining that skin barrier is super important.

Sometimes, the body can react in unexpected ways to stress or unresolved feelings, and it’s possible that something emotional might be contributing to your symptoms. When we go through tough emotions that we can’t quite process, our body might express them physically—like through skin flare-ups.

Maybe there's some underlying stress related to traveling or winter time that’s triggering this for you. It might be worth reflecting on whether there's any internal conflict or stress that coincides with these outbreaks.

Here are some questions to consider:

1. Do you notice any emotional stress around the times you have outbreaks?

2. Is there a difference in your life situation when you remember or forget to apply lotion?

3. How do you feel about traveling during the winter?

4. Are there any other parts of your life that feel 'inflamed' when your skin does?

5. Can you recall any past experiences where you felt exposed or stressed that might relate to these symptoms?

I hope these questions might give you some insight. Feel free to ask more questions or share how it goes!