The Daily Hailey

The title sounds like I have an EXCELLENT topic in mind, but thats a lie. Or, its not, but, double meaning. Just go with me. 

Do you remember that post about my weird skin issues on my face? Its been almost an entire year of frustrating with my skin, thinking I had a fungal infection, thinking I was contagious, thinking I was spreading sickness to my children, etc. IT SUCKED. When I finally got to a dermatologist, he told me all the fuss was over something so simple – eczema. Goodness. He gave me a couple of prescriptions, for me and for Wavy, and that was that. Problem solved.

Except I didn’t fill them, because it was just eczema. Wavy’s patches were easily solved with galaxal based lotion, and I figured mine would be too. I was approved to put it around my eyes, so I started doing it diligently and figured I would be in the clear in no time. 

But, as you can guess, I wasn’t. My eyes flared up like CRAZY! I had one eyelid completely red and inflamed, from my lash line almost all the way up to my eyebrow. The same eye had a small patch on the lower lash line. My other eye had a big patch below it, and it was growing actively, plus a patch up against the eyebrow. They were getting really itchy, and I couldn’t kick it. I switched lotions. I felt like I saw some progress, and the biggest patch peeled off, but it grew right back and there was no relief. 

Finally, over thanksgiving, it started to itch deeper. I didn’t put it all together right away, but suddenly I felt like I was having allergic reactions. My eyes were tearing and itching and rubby and SO irritated. I was putting eye drops in and there was only temporary relief. It was pretty miserable. The first time it happened, I thought it was a freak thing, and then it happened the next day, and the next day. 

So I bit the bullet and filled that stupid prescription, albeit passive aggressively. Because shouldn’t lotion clear up dry skin?? I know, its more than that, but I was pretty mad to fill a $95 prescription just for dry skin. It was called “Protopic.”

And guys. That medication burned like no other. I put it on before bed and about a half hour later asked Brady if we could call it a night early. I needed the lights off and to be able to close my eyes. I didn’t tell Brady though. I didn’t want him to worry and I was in denial. 

The next morning, I could still feel the burning. I was a bit alarmed, and did some googling. I wondered if the medication filled was actually one of the ones for Waverly that was prescribed on the same day, and wasn’t meant for the eye area. I was worried I was reacting. I didn’t know. So I googled “Protopic eczema eyelid burning.” As it turns out, the burning is a super common side effect! Some people said it burned constantly through their days/weeks of treatment. Some people said it burned for a half hour. Some people said it burned for the first treatment or two. And almost everyone said its worth it, because that stuff works. And WOW did I hope they were right! It was unanimous that protopic is the best cream for eyelid eczema. It seems basically like its the cream that they give you after they’ve exhausted every other option. Its the stuff they’d give Beyonce. And that its probably because its so expensive that they hold off. Its also not a steroid, and doesn’t peel your skin away at all. Just heals, apparently, at the root. 

Guys. It. Works. 

That first day after I had the medication, my patches of eczema changed constantly. They occasionally flaked a little. They weren’t sore anymore. It was really interesting. I was allowed to use the cream twice daily but I didn’t want my eyes to burn all day, and I wasn’t willing to take the risk, so I didn’t put it on again until the next evening. And it didn’t burn!! I was so relieved. 

I kid you not, by the next day, you couldn’t tell I had eyelid eczema without looking very closely or me telling you myself. Nothing was red anymore. The littler patches were barely visible. You could see beautiful happy skin just beyond the dry, dead skin that was flaking off from before. Nothing itched or left me with uneven eyes. 

On day three, I probably could’ve just stopped, but I went longer to be totally sure its gone. 

My goodness, its the craziest thing ever. I can’t believe it works SO WELL SO FAST!!! I feel so much more comfortable in my own skin for the first time this entire last year. Almost a full year of eczema cleared up in a couple of days. It was clear in 5 days.

I know people have things far worse, and one product simply cannot work for everyone, but friends, this is one to try!! I’m SO relieved I filled my prescription. I went from being annoyed that I was prescribed such an expensive ointment to being SO THANKFUL he gave me the good stuff first!! What. A. Relief. 

Have any of you used this? Do any of you want to use this?! You shooooould!!