How can I be confident with eczema?
Surprisingly, the thing that ultimately made her most comfortable in her own skin was forgoing makeup and essentially forcing herself to learn that people would accept her for who she was—no matter what her skin looks like.
“I had to work hard on nurturing my self-confidence and learning to love my natural face in every environment,” she says. “I do remember being very nervous in my first few work meetings [without makeup], which seems so irrational to look back on. I was quieter during those early meetings and I thought my eczema would stop me/my clients from closing deals in meetings.” But it didn’t. And each time it didn’t, her insecurities faded a little bit more.
“Each time I attended a meeting, and it went well—or at least not badly—I unlearned something, and it turned out that I was unlearning my own thoughts about myself. As it often is, I was my own worst critic,” Ashbridge says. “People still booked meetings with me with or without makeup. I built my business when my eczema was at its worst. The reality was that no one was devaluing me or what I had to say because I had dry, cracked skin on my face. The negative thoughts were all coming from within.
“As nurses, we use our hands for everything, and the constant washing of hands and glove-wearing can aggravate flare-ups,” she says. “Also, if patients see them they sometimes, or will ask what it is.” The thought of making a patient feel uncomfortable or concerned about her cleanliness does a number on Espejo’s self-esteem.
Focusing on self-care so she can feel her best overall—which ultimately gives eczema less power over her—has helped a lot. “Exercising has helped me overcome those feelings by focusing on what my body can do rather than its imperfections and just accepting it,” she says.
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