A woman has been teased for having grandma hands despite being 28 years old.<\/p>\n
But there is a reason why Lauren Bellsskinlooks aged and many others have ended up with the same issue.<\/p>\n
The business owner, from Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales, said: When I was in school, I was called grandma hands.<\/p>\n
Ive always been a feisty person, Ive never been bullied, it was water off a ducks back, it didnt make me feel too bad.<\/p>\n
But you do get the comments from people why do your hands look so old?<\/p>\n
Im a designer and I work a lot with my hands. I would be in workshops or doing group projects, and people would always comment Why do your hands look like that?<\/p>\n
Laurens skin has become wethered due toeczemaand years of using steroid creams to ease its symptoms.<\/p>\n
One of the side effects of topical steroid creams listed by the NHS is thinning of the skin.<\/p>\n
Lauren said: I had eczema as a child so I used steroid creams for a very long time. I would use it on my hands and my arms.<\/p>\n
I used the steroid creams mildly as a child, but then over the last three to four years I was using them every few weeks or so.<\/p>\n
If I stopped using them, my hands would flare up and Id be prescribed a stronger cream, which is the cycle most people get trapped in.<\/p>\n
Over the past few years, I noticed my skin changing.<\/p>\n
Steroid creams had caused a whole host of things aged skin, sensitivity to sun and worsening eczema symptoms.<\/p>\n
Lauren decided to stop using topical steroid creams which she said she was addictedto.<\/p>\n
Some eczema sufferers turn their back on their steroid creams after years of use, finding that they do not work as well anymore.<\/p>\n
Topical steroid withdrawal(TSW) may set in when a persons skin worsens significantly after ditching the creams they have relied on for so long.<\/p>\n
It is only slowly being recognised by public health bodies including the MHRA and NHS, and is more common in people who have used the products for a long time.<\/p>\n
Lauren said she has noticed a huge difference since cutting out the steroid creams and using a more natural approach to her eczema.<\/p>\n
She even set up a company,Cosi Care, to help others with her chronic condition and TSW.<\/p>\n
It sells scratching tools that are designed to relieve itching without breaking the skin like fingernails do therefore preventing bleeding and infections.<\/p>\n
Lauren said: I stopped using steroid cream about sixteen months ago and Ive noticed a huge difference.<\/p>\n
Sixteen months without using it, my skin is pretty much back to normal other than my hands that have been affected by the thinning nature of the steroid creams.<\/p>\n
You see the effect of premature ageing but that should reverse in time now that Im not using the creams anymore.<\/p>\n
Lauren used to cover her hands with long sleeved tops in a bid to hide them from.<\/p>\n
But she has now embraced her aged skin and no longer feels like a freak for openly talking about it onTikTok.<\/p>\n
Lauren said: I did thevideo on TikTok, I didnt realise how many people suffer with the exact same insecurity.<\/p>\n
Ive had so many comments from people, especially young women, saying I never realised thats why my hands look old.<\/p>\n
It was really empowering to do that and it was great that there were other people who shared the same insecurity because I always felt very alone in that.<\/p>\n
After starting Cosi Care, Ive spoken to so many people who have gone through topical steroid withdrawal and it made me realise that thousands of people experience the same thing.<\/p>\n
Im definitely embracing my hands now as I feel more accepted online.<\/p>\n
Its like everybody has been hiding this really specific insecurity.<\/p>\n
Nobody really talks about aged hands.<\/p>\n
Putting it out there and having people respond the way they have has been really encouraging. It made me feel like Im not a freak.<\/p>\n
Theres been a lot of movement with people accepting what their real skin looks like whether its eczema or acne.<\/p>\n
Three years ago, you would have never caught me doing a video about my hands, thatd be my idea of a nightmare, but I just felt so much more comfortable and ready to do it.<\/p>\n
Now, Lauren tries to help others manage their eczema with the Cosi Care Scratch Star and Scratch Attack Roller, which can be stored in the freezer.<\/p>\n
Lauren said: My dad would use ice and cool flannels to cool my eczema down as a kid.<\/p>\n
So through Cosi Care, I put all this into one product which looks like a toy so children can use it for itch relief.<\/p>\n
It has a cooling texture and doesnt have the damaging effects that scratching would have.<\/p>\n
This story originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced here with permission. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Original post: A woman has been teased for having grandma hands despite being 28 years old. But there is a reason why Lauren Bellsskinlooks aged and many others have ended up with the same issue Continue reading
\nIm only 28 but my hands look like they belong to a grandma - New York Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"