If you suffer from eczema then you'll know just how annoying it can be.
It's not so much how if looks or where it is, but more the inconvenience it causes.
A hairdresser, Nicole O'Dwyer, knows all about this, as she was advised to give up her dream job due to eczema.
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Credit: Nicole O'Dwyer
The 21-year-old has revealed how she 'cured' the condition in two weeks, however, with an off-the-shelf cream costing just £3.99.
Nicole has suffered from the painful skin condition since she was born and tried everything to try and sort it out, buying creams from pharmacies and prescriptions including steroid cream and emollient moisturisers.
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In 2013 Nicole, from Tipperary, Ireland, enrolled at college to pursue her dream of becoming a hairdresser, but the constant use of water and hair products irritated her hands, causing them to become increasingly dry and painful.
During an appointment with a dermatologist, Nicole was advised to give up hairdressing due to the condition.
Heartbroken at the prospect of never achieving her dream, Nicole took a gap year away from hairdressing, but after working in retail she decided to give it another go, getting a job in a salon.
The job left her in agony, and after every shift Nicole had to go home and wear gloves smothered in steroid cream in an attempt to heal her hands.
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But in July Nicole's dad Kieran suggested she should try Childs Farm Baby Moisturiser after he read about the product online.
Nicole started using the cream regularly, and says that within two weeks her eczema had cleared up, leaving her able to carry out her job without any problems.
Credit: Nicole O'Dwyer
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"I have suffered with eczema for as long as I can remember. I have been going to appointments with doctors and dermatologists since I was a child and I have tried everything," Nicole said.
"I've used steroid creams and emollients but I have never been able to get rid of the eczema. It has always flared back up.
"I love my job as a hairdresser but it left my hands in agony. I am still a junior so the majority of my job involves washing hair.
"Every time I came home from work I'd have to smother my hands in steroid cream and wear gloves to help it absorb quicker. I was in so much pain but I didn't want it to get in the way of my job. I just tried to get on with it.
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"When the dermatologist advised me to give up hairdressing I was heartbroken. She said I couldn't keep putting my hands in water and hair products because of my eczema. I was absolutely devastated because I love my job and it's all I've ever wanted to do."
Credit: Nicole O'Dwyer
"Within two weeks of using Childs Farm the eczema on my hands had cleared up completely. I couldn't believe it.
"I'm currently applying the cream four times a day and the eczema hasn't come back so far. I'm absolutely blown away by the results."
Joanna Jensen, founder of the brand, said: "Eczema on hands can be extremely debilitating as we use our hands all day every day - but for someone who uses their hands as part of their work, it can be not only painful but frustrating and even embarrassing as well.
"We couldn't be more thrilled to hear that Nicole is finally able to manage her eczema and stay in the job she loves, pain free."
Featured Image Credit: Nicole O'DwyerTopics: eczema, Interesting