Evan's Skin Journey






Hi I'm Evan.

The systemic issues

The experimentation begins

The Low

The Comeback

Let there be healing

Let there be growth

What I've tried

What I've learned

Aether is dedicate to the brave, strong warriors yet to realise their full health. Know you can heal.

before

For a long time, I avoided sharing my skin journey in detail. I had overcome my problems, achieved a level of success in life & wanted to forget about it. I also believed that others would judge me or look at me differently if I was to share the true extent of my problems. I mentioned it in passing but rarely ever shared the confronting photos of my skin.

It took a lot of growth & courage but I realise my experience is more than about me. This is the first time I have publicly shared the following images. I took them throughout the years to track my progress. I hope they give you a better understanding of what I have been through & how I can help if you or a loved one is going through something similar. You can see the variety of skin issues that results from eczema.

My legs were often inflamed & had heat rash due to the creams sticking to my pants.

Here my feet are recovering from a serious infection. It was itchy, weeping & inflamed.

This was extremely debilitating. The laundry powder & shampoos created a severe reaction. The steroids were failing to calm my skin.

My neck was often itchy, cracked & scaly likely due to the thinner skin & haircare/shampoo products.

I struggle with acne, blackheads & discoloured skin due to steroids & scratching. It makes you self conscious & unable to put your best face forward.

The top of my arms were usually better but sometimes my eczema would spread.

Staph infection on my inner thigh. It is itchy & difficult to treat once it has established. I needed antibiotics to clear this.

Severe skin reddening. At this state, it made it painful to walk & I could not play sport.

My heals were often dry, cracked & flaking.

My forehead was often red, with raised bumps. The acne products made it sensitive. Sometimes I would scratch it overnight without realising.

My inner elbows & arms were often inflamed due to the skin being thinner here. The clothes & skin on skin contact would often make it irritated.

I had hair loss & dry brittle hair. I had dandruff & an itchy scalp & would often scratch my scalp.

My skin would often crack easily.

It was difficult to maintain mental clarity & sanity as I was always tired, itching & physically uncomfortable.

My inner elbow was often irritated. The steroids thinned my skin over time, making it more susceptible to irritants.

after

I'm so proud of myself for taking full control over my health & overcoming my eczema. I was told I would have eczema all my life & that the best I could hope for was to manage the symptoms with steroids. How wrong they were! I have been through it all & feel grateful to have changed my life. I can now live a full life, wear what I want, eat what I want, have mental clarity, move without pain & not be restricted by my skin. I am no longer starred at, pitied or looked at with disgust. I am no longer defined by my skin problems.

I am so happy to become the fullest version of myself & not be restricted by my skin. It really makes you grateful for the simple things in life. I am here to help others overcome their skin problems. Healing is possible. If I can do it, you can too!

You can see the change in the texture, tone & health of my skin. My energy levels skyrocketed & I had a new lease on life.

To be able to swim freely without fear of chlorine irritation was a joy! I used to cover my body as it was so unsightly.

My legs completely healed.

Healing my arms meant I could move without pain & wear short sleave shirts without feeling self conscious.

I used to be easily irritated by grass, pollen & temperature changes so I was grateful to be able to hike, sweat & be in nature without issue.

I was able to start exercising & found I was able to put on muscle much more easily.

I was no longer hesitant about being in nature in case I became irritated. I could go on bushwalks, sit on the grass & swim where I wanted.

I transformed my body & discovered a passion for tennis, rugby, swimming & fitness. Working out before was difficult as sweat would irritate me.

I realised soaps, detergents & shampoo products were causing chemical irritation. Now I can shower freely without fear of itching & raised red bumps.

Here I am in LA in summer during a work trip. I could enjoy the warm weather without fear of the humidity & heat making me flare at any moment.

Here I am in Australia enjoying the beach. I could finally swim without my skin stinging & being so self conscious about my body.

I was able to travel the world, meet new people & eat what I wanted without fear of itching or anaphylaxis due to food allergies.

In Toronto I started meditating. To have a calm mind is a gift I never had that. I discovered my spiritual side & love of various health modalities.

My eczema gave me a natural ability to see variables & solve problems. This lead to an international career in consulting & logistics.

I could invest energy in building meaningful relationships & hobbies. I discovered a love for philosophy, consciousness & self growth.

What is more beautiful than growing from your pain?

EVAN KWOK