Dealing with a chronic skin condition is exhausting, but for me, it’s always been severe eczema. The hardest part wasn't even the physical pain—it was the endless, maddening guessing game of trying to figure out what was causing the flare-ups.

For years, I was stuck in this cycle. I’d wake up scratching my skin raw at 3 AM, staring at the ceiling, trying to mentally retrace my steps. Was it the dairy I ate two days ago? Am I just stressed from work? Did I sweat too much? Is my new laundry detergent betraying me?

I tried keeping a symptom journal, and I tried all the generic habit-tracking apps. But I quickly realized they are completely useless for eczema. The human brain (and basic apps) just aren't built to track 30 different variables a day and accurately calculate the correlations.

Worse, standard trackers don't understand what data scientists call "confounders." For example: Let’s say I ate a bunch of gluten, freaked out about a potential flare-up, and immediately applied my prescription corticosteroid cream. The next day, my skin looks fine. A standard habit tracker looks at that data and says, "Hey, gluten is safe!" because it doesn't realize the steroid cream masked the reaction. My skin was lying to the data.

I realized that unless I could mathematically account for my healing routines, I was never going to find my actual triggers.

So, I took matters into my own hands. I’ve spent the last few months engineering a clinical-grade data-science tool specifically for eczema. It’s an app called Exzema, and it uses an advanced algorithm to mathematically prove what is triggering your flare-ups.

Here’s what it actually does:

• Smart Routine Masking: It tracks your symptoms alongside your triggers and your treatments. The math is designed to isolate the "noise," so your steroid creams or oatmeal baths never mask the true culprits.
• Calculates Impact, Not Guesses: Instead of giving you holistic BS advice, it looks at your daily inputs and assigns a percentage-based confidence score (e.g., "Gluten is an 85% Strong Suspect").
• Clinical Testing: Once the algorithm identifies a suspect, it drops you into a guided 14-day elimination protocol so you can safely test it, reintroduce it, and build a permanent historical record of what actually works.

I am currently putting the finishing touches on the app, but I've just opened up the waitlist.

Because of the strict "No Marketing" rules in most medical and health subreddits (which I completely respect—we all get enough snake oil pushed on us), I'm not going to drop a giant landing page link in the middle of the post. But I want to build this with people who actually understand the physical and mental toll of severe eczema.

If you are exhausted from playing detective and want to let an algorithm do the heavy math for you, join the waitlist so you are the very first to get the app when it launches.

Drop a comment or shoot me a DM, and I’ll send you the private link. Stay strong out there.

Hey all! I'm working on a research project focused on eczema care, with the goal of building a better solution for people who deal with it day-to-day. I'm not selling anything — just trying to gather real experiences so this can actually be useful for the eczema community.

If you have a few minutes, I'd really appreciate you filling out this short, anonymous survey:
https://forms.gle/CHnqZsEpXBik2XeA6

It asks about your routine, what's worked (or hasn't), and how eczema affects daily life. Takes about 5 minutes. There's also an optional spot at the end if you're open to a short follow-up interview, but that's entirely up to you.

Thank you for helping out — your responses genuinely matter and can help shape something that's actually useful for people managing this. Happy to answer questions in the comments!

Since December I have been suffering with what's been diagnosed recently as contact dermatitis. It started on my eyelids causing awful dry itchy skin and swelling. I had blood tests for airborne allergens which came back as off the chart for cat dander and dust mites. We ended up re homing our 2 cats 3 months ago due to this as I'm asthmatic as well. My eyes cleared up shortly afterwards.

Then the past few months it has developed on my right hand causing dry itchy cracked skin. I am currently on a 3 week dose of dermovate steroid ointment which I will then go to a 1 week dose of Betovate ointment and then stop. As the GP said the dermititis will keep coming back unless I find out what the trigger is. She recommended getting a skin patch test but unfortunately the waiting list for the NHS is over a year.

I work in assembly handling metals such as stainless steel, carbon steel and ally bronze. As well as chemicals such as nuclear grade (nickel) never seez, loctite, isopropanol and various other nasties. Our assembly area is also in the same area as the machine shop so we are exposed to airborne allergens from there too.

Could anyone please recommend a Dermatologist to go to for Patch Testing preferably in the Dorset area. I'm going to go private as over a year is too long to wait for the NHS. As it'll cost a bit in hoping to find one that can do several allergens in the price

Hey everyone! I’m wondering if anyone else has been dealing with eczema flare-ups on their eyelids this summer?
Usually I don’t get flare-ups throughout the year except maybe in the winter when my skin gets really dry, but this summer has been a completely different story. Both of my eyelids have been flaring up for about two months now, basically ever since it started getting hot and humid😭
I’m thinking it might be the weather because I haven’t changed anything in my skincare routine, soaps, detergents, or perfumes. I also remember one year when I went to the beach with my family, my eyelids flared up after a few days, and once I got home it cleared up. That’s another reason I think the heat or humidity might be triggering it.
Right now I’ve just been using Aquaphor. It helps a little, but after a few hours my eyelids get super dry again and the rash becomes flaky! 😭 the weird thing is that it’s only on my eyelids. I’m not flaring up anywhere else?!?
Has anyone else experienced this? If so, did you find any products that helped? Also, do you think it’s worth making an appointment with a dermatologist at this point?
I’m so ready for summer to be over. 😅 I’d really appreciate any product recommendations or advice that has worked for you. Thank you!!

Has anyone else experienced post partum eczema? I’ve had this spot on my hand for 5 months and it started around 10 months pp. it responds to steroid cream but comes back as soon as I stop. Have tried just covering with dermeze literally 10 times a day which helps but it is so so dry. Gets really itchy at night. I’ve also cut out coffee, gluten and dairy and am taking vitamin A and a probiotic. Any other tips?!

Hi! 32M from Rotterdam and I have eczema

On my knees, head, neck etc. My father has astma and I'm a ginger so very sensitive.

Can somebody explain me why my ring finger on the left en my ring finger on the right have eczema and the rest not?

Thanks in advance!

hello, I am hoping someone can give me some advice if they have seen results treating eczema around the eyes. I can’t seem to get a solid answer or proper diagnosis for treatment. Here are some examples of extreme breakouts. I’m currently using a product called Rosiver which seems to help.

hello, I am hoping someone can give me some advice if they have seen results treating eczema around the eyes. I can’t seem to get a solid answer or proper diagnosis for treatment. Here are some examples of extreme breakouts. I’m currently using a product called Rosiver which seems to help.

This -husbands hand. We have been to multiple dermatologist and all of them prescribed steroids, moisturiser but now it has been 3 years and its still there. Just wondering if someone can have a look here and let me know. I completely understand that skin issues always need to be seen in person but just trying my luck here . Please help he feels a little awkward wearing summer clothes now .

Hi everyone! I'm a high school student working on a research project focused on eczema care, with the goal of creating a better solution for people who deal with it day-to-day. I'm not selling anything; I'm just trying to understand real experiences from people so this can actually be beneficial to the eczema community.

If you have a few minutes, I'd really appreciate you filling out this quick, anonymous survey:

https://forms.gle/CHnqZsEpXBik2XeA6

It covers things like your routine, what's worked/hasn't, and how it affects daily life. Should take about 5 minutes. There's also an optional spot at the end if you'd be open to a short follow-up interview, but that's completely optional.

Thanks so much for helping out; your responses genuinely matter and can lead to something that’s actually useful for people managing this. I'm happy to answer any questions in the comments!

Has anyone’s child been on ciclosporin/oral steroids and can’t have the live vaccinations due for pre schoolers. We can’t and that’s understandable. Did you wait until the courses were completely finished?

Hi everyone! I'm a high school student working on a research project focused on eczema care, with the goal of creating a better solution for people who deal with it day-to-day. I'm not selling anything; I'm just trying to understand real experiences from people so this can actually be beneficial to the eczema community.

If you have a few minutes, I'd really appreciate you filling out this quick, anonymous survey:

https://forms.gle/CHnqZsEpXBik2XeA6

It covers things like your routine, what's worked/hasn't, and how it affects daily life. Should take about 5 minutes. There's also an optional spot at the end if you'd be open to a short follow-up interview, but that's completely optional.

Thanks so much for helping out; your responses genuinely matter and can lead to something that’s actually useful for people managing this. I'm happy to answer any questions in the comments!