Dealing with eczema as a college student is harder than it might seem. My skin literally feels like it's on fire, and there's not much I can do about it except take a Benadryl, put on some steroid cream, and wait until it gets better.

A lot of people don't know what I deal with when my skin flares up. So, instead of asking me what happened, they say, "Have you moisturized your skin lately?"

I want to scream at them and say I've been doing that since I was a child, but I know I might seem dramatic.

Here's what I would say in these situations. Before you hit me with the "have you tried..." please take a step back and think about what I have to deal with. That might sound condescending, but it's the truth, and I need people to hear it.

On top of that, the stress of college can make anyone break out. When I have a flare-up, I have to stop everything I'm doing. It hurts so bad that I want to cry. Sometimes I do cry, but thankfully it hasn't been that bad in a while. Sometimes I scratch my skin so much that I bleed a lot. I'm so self-conscious because I don't want people to think I don't take care of myself.

Thankfully, eczema is pretty well-known but it is misunderstood. I think it's really misunderstood because it presents in many ways. Some people with eczema might just have dry skin. Others with eczema might deal with allergy-like symptoms in combination with their flare-up. There are several types of eczema, but many people have an image of dry skin in their minds when they hear it.

But whatever you think eczema is or isn't, you do not know what everyone who has it deals with.

That being said, my struggle with eczema is valid and not up for your speculation.