How I Cured My Eczema With One Lazy Step

Lifelong eczematic here. Over the years I've tried it all—steroids, bleach baths, every lotion, probiotics, elimination diets, not scratching (kidding, obviously) etc. Nothing seemed to make a difference, it would just come and go as it pleased.

I've had a few spots on my hands since May, and my elbows and knees have been going through cycles of agitation, but a few months ago things really flared up and it was hell (pretty sure emotional stress was the trigger). Wearing pants was torture, showering was torture, living in an arctic wasteland was torture, and sitting in my cold room waiting for the lotion to sink in so I could put sweat pants on was torture (although scratching was orgasmic).

I kept thinking of the last time my eczema went away. I had noticed around that time that putting lotion on my legs after a shower and then putting pants on was way more uncomfortable than not putting lotion on. Soon after, my eczema went away.

I was at the end of my rope so I decided to give not moisturizing a shot. Like all attempts to 'cure' eczema, it made some intuitive sense—maybe lotion teaches your body not to produce moisture on its own, or maybe despite using everything-free lotion, there is still something that irritates my skin.

I haven't used lotion in 2 weeks. In the beginning it was hard. I couldn't bend my legs, I was covered in scabs from all the scratching, and my hands were bright red and shriveled. But now, my knees are clear. The rest of my eczema got a little bit worse for a bit, but now is much better than when I stopped moisturizing. I'm still scratching, but it's not euphoric and my skin doesn't get irritated. Instead of ripping open wet wounds I'm just brushing off dead dry skin underneath which is regular skin.

Has anyone had a similar experience? The only stories I can find are those related to TSW which seems like a different experience entirely (I fortunately haven't been medicating my skin much at all the last few years).