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Many of us struggle with unpleasant skin conditions - but one woman has shared how her eczema was so bad that it hurt to shower and that she didn’t want to go to work or see her friends.
Kirsty Merrill, an assistant manager and mum of one from Barnsley, has suffered from the skin condition, which causes skin to be itchy, cracked and dry, her whole life.
She hadn’t found anything that worked until a stranger on a bus gave her a tub of cream that finally made a difference.
“I've struggled with eczema on and off through my life,” Kirsty, 27, explains.
“I developed eczema because of an infection in the water in my mother's womb that wasn't caught early enough.
“When my eczema is bad, it stings every time I move, showers feel like getting tattooed and the outside breeze hurts my skin.
“My hair sticks to my face when it weeps and I had to pull my hair out of it when I woke up in the morning.
“It stopped me from leaving the house, going to work and seeing friends. It's very isolating at times.”
Kirsty hadn’t found a product that would really make a difference. She had tried everything, including steroids, to no avail.
She was then given a tub of Balmonds Skin Salvation, which is classified as the UK's first 100% natural topical treatment for eczema, by a stranger on the bus.
“I came across Skin Salvation because of a kind lady on the bus who gave me a tub,” Kirsty explains.
“I patch tested it and then started using it once a day and after a shower.
“It helps soothe and soften my skin in a way that usual paraffin based creams simply do not.”
Kirsty was delighted to feel not just the short term relief from the itching, but also a decrease in the scaliness and redness of her skin.
“I started feeling a difference to my itching instantly but after a week I notice my ‘lizard skin’ wasn't as scaly and the redness had started to reduce,” she remembers.
“After about a month or so, I had a few patches that still flare on my face but it isn't noticeable most days.”
The product is made with eight natural ingredients including nutrient-rich organic oils, anti-inflammatory herbal tinctures and protective beeswax.
Kirsty is keen to raise awareness of just how debilitating the condition can be, and wants people to take eczema seriously and be kind when they come across eczema sufferers.
“A lot of people don't take eczema seriously because they've had a less severe version of it in the past, but it’s not the same,” she adds.
"I've been discriminated against at workplaces because I've called in sick for my skin and they've either thought I was using it as an excuse or straight up lying.
“In one workplace I was once in hospital and they didn't believe me so they gave me a verbal warning for lying to them.
“I would like to add that if people come across someone with a visible physical difference, they should not blurt out ‘what's up with your skin’ or ‘can I catch it’?
“It's very rude and hurtful - we are people first and foremost. Try to think before you say something that will cause someone hurt for something they can't change.”
Featuring: Kirsty Merrill
Where: Barnsley, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
When: 31 Jul 2024
Credit: Kirsty Merrill/Cover Images
**EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MATERIALS ONLY TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITORIAL STORY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. MATERIAL COPYRIGHT REMAINS WITH STATED PHOTOGRAPHER AND/OR SUPPLIER.**
2024-07-31
Cover Images/East News
Cover Images
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