Heavy rainfall and extreme temperatures have battered Australia in recent weeks, sparking chaos along the east coast.
But one Sydney woman has explained how these types of extreme January weather events can wreak serious havoc on the skin.
Makeup artist Lindsey told Daily Mail that the weather swinging from very hot days to masses of rain previously triggered an allergic reaction so intense she was eventually hospitalised.
What started out as ‘mild irritation’ on her skin quickly escalated into ‘severe eczema’ – the kind that required emergency medical attention.
Worryingly, the mum-of-six said her skin ‘erupted’ during very similar weather to what Sydneysiders have experienced in recent days.
‘The weather was all over the place – hot one day, humid the next, then suddenly cooler,’ Lindsey recalled.
‘My skin just couldn’t keep up. Every temperature change seemed to trigger a flare.
‘One minute I was getting Australia Day flags and decorations out to wash, the next I was in hospital. My skin was on fire – it felt like it was dissolving.’
Makeup artist Lindsey told Daily Mail that the weather swinging from very hot days to masses of rain triggered an allergic reaction so intense she was eventually hospitalised
Lindsey said it was this ‘rapidly changing’ weather that saw the her eczema ‘escalate really quickly’ once it appeared
Lindsey said it was this ‘rapidly changing’ weather that saw the her eczema ‘escalate really quickly’ once it appeared.
‘It started with tightness and redness, then quickly turned into intense itching and burning. My skin felt angry – dry, cracked, inflamed and incredibly painful – almost overnight,’ she said.
‘The itching kept me up at night and the soreness made it uncomfortable to move. My skin felt hot, raw and constantly irritated.
‘It wasn’t just uncomfortable – it affected everything. What I wore, how I slept, even my confidence. When eczema flares like that, it’s impossible to ignore.’
When the pain became unbearable, Lindsey headed for the emergency room where a strong dose of steroids finally settled it down.
In the process of recovery, Lindsey also stumbled upon a ‘holy grail’ topical emollient in MooGoo’s Pink Eczema Cream, which she labelled as a ‘saviour’ for her troubled skin.
‘It took the heat out of my skin,’ Lindsey explained, describing it as ‘cooling and gentle’ during the extreme pain she was experiencing.
Dermatologist Professor Deshan Sebaratnam from The Skin Hospital warns that extreme weather that swings from rain to scorching heat and humidity can in fact be one of numerous possible ‘triggers’ for an allergic skin reaction.
‘It wasn’t just uncomfortable – it affected everything. What I wore, how I slept, even my confidence. When eczema flares like that, it’s impossible to ignore,’ she said
The Sydney dermatologist – who himself also struggles with eczema – explains that it’s a serious and often underestimated condition.
‘Not being able to control eczema’s itch, pain, sleep disturbance, cost, and increased risk of infection can impact the whole family, work and careers.’
And as extreme weather events becoming more frequent, allergy conditions are also on the rise.
Recent data assessed that 30 per cent of Aussies now have ‘allergic disease’, compared to 20 per cent in 2007, with eczema being one of the most prevalent.
This increase has also driven demand for eczema-calming skin care products, confirmed MooGoo CEO Melody Livingstone.
The Sydney woman discovered MooGoo’s Pink Eczema Cream – stocked at Priceline for $18.36 – which she says helped soothe her troubled skin as she recovered
‘Eczema can be really debilitating, with thousands looking for relief,’ Melody said, adding that her business has seen a ’50 per cent increase in demand’ for eczema calming products.
Professor Sebaratnam advises anyone with severe eczema to seek medical help from a GP or dermatologist – and to avoid the temptation to self-diagnose via social media videos or Dr Google.
The skin expert also recommends adopting an eczema management plan to keep allergy-prone skin calm and minimise the risk of flare-ups.
