Mum whose son’s eczema was so severe the floor would ‘rip the soles of his feet’ claims £7.99 cream healed sores in a MONTH – The Sun

A MUM has hailed an £7.99 moisturiser as the miracle cure for her son’s eczema, which was so severe it stopped him from walking.

Shannon Harle said her son, Lukas Wojciechowski’s, skin was perfect up until he was two weeks old.

The newborn suddenly developed a “small patch of dry skin on his ankles”, which began to grow.

Shannon, 21, said: “It quickly spread all over his legs and feet so his legs and ankles were covered in scaly, hard and rough skin.

“The tips of his toes were so raw and peeling they looked sunburned, and his once-pink little soles of his feet were covered in sore, dry skin.”

Over the new few weeks and months Lukas, now two, had to wear clothes at all times as his skin was so delicate.

Mum-of-two Shannon said: “At home he needed to wear socks constantly, as even the smooth laminate flooring would rip his skin on the soles of his feet.”

And he had to wear tights to go outside, as he also reacted to grass and even sunshine, and his parents discovered he had a dairy allergy as well.

Shannon, who’s expecting her third child, sought medical help and she was prescribed a series of steroid creams, which worked at first.

But after a few months, they appeared to weren't as effective.

  • Skin salvation, Balmonds, £7.99 – buy now

Shannon, from Kettering in Northamptonshire, said: “The steroids cleared up the eczema, which was great to start, but after a few months of using it, Lukas’ skin appeared to be getting worse.”

She said she believes he was suffering from Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW).

The ITSAN website, run by the charity International Topical Steroid Addiction Network, describe it as a “debilitating condition that can arise from the use of topical steroids to treat a skin problem, such as eczema”.

Anyone who thinks they are suffering from the condition should seek their doctor’s advice.

Lukas’ skin began to deteriorate, and Shannon, also mum to three-year-old, Elisia, said: “His skin was red, weeping and he was scratching every day until it bled.

“I’m convinced it was a reaction to months of using the steroids.

“At night, he would rub his legs together in bed and the eczema would weep and the angry, open sores would stick to his clothes.”

As he got older, Lukas’ attempts to walk were hampered by his severe eczema.

Shannon recalled: “He would stand up and try to move, then would purposely drop down to the floor and point to his feet and cry.

“It was so upsetting seeing his delicate skin so broken.”

Frustrated and seeing no improvement, Shannon and Lukas’ father, Ben, went back to their doctor, who advised cutting down on the steroid cream, but they were keen to find an alternative as their son’s skin was worsening.

After doing some independent research, Shannon stumbled across Skin Saviour, by Balmonds.

Created by mum Natalie Balmond to treat her daughter’s sensitive skin, the cream is free from all petrochemicals.

The £7.99 formula is free from nuts, soya, coconut, gluten and palm oil, and is made with beeswax to help lock in moisture, alongside with fatty-acid rich hemp oil.

Within a month of using the cream, Shannon says she saw a change in Lukas’ skin.

She said: “We saw an improvement in days. He wasn’t crying when we put the cream on.

“Things are so much better now.

“Using this cream is the only thing we’re doing differently.

“The soles of his feet are more pink now and there are no scabs. His skin is beautifully clear.”

Now Lukas is able to walk and run with ease, and no longer needs to wear tights to go outside.

Shannon explained their new regime, saying:  “We layer it on under his tights before bed.

"When he wakes in the morning, his skin is soft. It’s still red but it doesn’t look painful anymore.

NHS information on eczema

  • Atopic eczema (atopic dermatitis) is the most common form of eczema, a condition that causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked.
  • Atopic eczema is more common in children, often developing before their first birthday. However, it may also develop for the first time in adults.
  • It's usually a long-term (chronic) condition, although it can improve significantly, or even clear completely, in some children as they get older.
  • Atopic eczema causes the skin to become itchy, dry, cracked, sore and red. Some people only have small patches of dry skin, but others may experience widespread red, inflamed skin all over the body.
  • Although atopic eczema can affect any part of the body, it most often affects the hands, insides of the elbows, backs of the knees and the face and scalp in children.
  • People with atopic eczema usually have periods when symptoms are less noticeable, as well as periods when symptoms become more severe (flare-ups).

“He’s lots happier, he scratches less.

“Now he can wear shorts for the first time. He can do everything he wants to.

“He walks everywhere. He’s not spending the day scratching. He doesn’t notice his eczema anymore.

“I’ve not seen his skin look this beautiful since he was a newborn.”

In other parenting news, we told you one mum-to-be is slammed by her friend after she attempted to charge people £18 to attend her baby shower.

Meanwhile the mum claims her baby's eczema cleared up in days after using a 'life changing' body wash.

And we showed you the mum who says she bathes her daughter in breast milk to treat her painful eczema.

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