November is Eczema Awareness Month! Help us spread the word

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1 November is Eczema Awareness Month! Help us spread the word Director's message November is Eczema Awareness Month, and we need your help to spread the word! How does living with eczema impact your life? Please share your story with us, and with people in your life. Often, eczema patients suffer in silence. We want to bring eczema awareness to the forefront through advocacy, education, and research, and invite you to join us. A young boy shared his story of how he raised awareness in his classroom about eczema and our organization. We commend and thank him for sharing his story. If you would like to host an awareness event in your community, school, or work place, we can help. We are hosting our first-ever online patient education webinars! You asked, and we listened, and we are excited for our first online events which take place this month. Scroll down to learn more about the events, and to register today. We also feature a powerful series of #LifewithEczema images and quotes from real patients across Canada. This is part of our awareness campaign and shares the true experience of eczema sufferers. We thank these brave Canadians for sharing their stories and their powerful images. We invite you to share your eczema stories this month on ESC's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages and tag #LifewithEczema, #EczemaMatters, or #ADvocateforAD. This will help us to spread awareness and raise our voices together. Every little bit helps, and no action is too small. You can make a difference! Wishing you continued good health, Amanda Cresswell-Melville Executive Director Eczema Society of Canada

2 #LifewithEczema: in their own words Share your images and stories to help us show why #eczemamatters To shed light on the reality of #LifewithEczema, ESC invited our community to submit pictures and quotes that show the "real" side of eczema - the flares, the scars, the itch, the rash, etc. We have turned these submissions into a photo series, which we will share on social media throughout the month of November to help raise awareness. If you would like to share your own story or images, we invite you to contact us today. By sharing your story, images, and experiences, you can help us work to improve access to health care and treatments in Canada. Your stories will help us educate the public, government, and drug plan payers (both private and public) about the realities - and burden - of living with eczema. Contact us today at info@eczemahelp.ca to get involved.

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6 Share your story feature Raising awareness at any age ESC recently received a touching note from one of our community members. A young boy who lives with eczema gave a presentation to his classmates on his condition and on the Eczema Society of Canada, and he kindly wrote in to tell us about it. We thank this young man and his family invite anyone else interested in hosting an information session at their school or work place to reach out to us for free copies of our educational resources, including children's books, colouring books, guides, and informational resources. "Dear Eczema Society of Canada,

7 I go to a public school. In my school we have something called project Give Back, and in project Give Back we choose a charity to teach the class about. I chose your charity because I have eczema and I loved that you were helping. For my presentation I gave a speech explaining lots of things about your charity, like that you're a non profit charity. I raised awareness in my class, which is what I wanted. I love how your charity helps people like me who suffer from eczema. Sincerely, T.C." If you'd like to learn more about raising awareness in your community, Jennifer at info@eczemahelp.ca, call us toll free at ECZEMA-1, or visit us at eczemahelp.ca The burden of eczema - It's more than dry skin. New ESC video series addresses patient concerns ESC is proud to present a powerful video series which aims to address the burden of eczema. Each video features real Canadians living with eczema; whether they are patients themselves, or the parent of a child with eczema. They share their honest experiences, and what they hope for when it comes to how their condition is understood by others. ESC's goal is to show what it is really like to live with this chronic condition, why it should be taken seriously, and why Canada needs more treatment options and better care for the thousands of people who live with this burden each day. We want to show that it's more than dry skin, and that help is available. ESC thanks the brave individuals for sharing their stories and helping us raise awareness for eczema. To watch the full series, and to access educational videos on eczema, visit ESC's YouTube channel. Ask the doctor Dermatologist and eczema expert Dr. Aaron Drucker provides guidance on topical steroid use

8 Q: "How long can I use my steroid cream? My doctor said I could use it twice daily until the rash clears, but my pharmacist said not to use it longer than two weeks. I'm confused." A: ESC asked dermatologist and eczema expert Dr. Aaron Drucker for his response to this question, which is a common concern for eczema sufferers. We always recommend that patients seek medical advice from their own doctor, but Dr. Drucker provides some genera guidance on using this topical treatment for eczema: "For some people atopic dermatitis resolves as they get older; for others it does not and there is no known cure. For some people there are unpredictable intermittent flares; for others it is more constant. Given these features, some patients with atopic dermatitis require ongoing treatment with topical steroids and putting an end-date on the use of topical steroids in general is not helpful. However, there are a few important things to keep in mind: 1. An individual spot of eczema will usually clear within 2-3 weeks of daily topical steroid use. If that spot does not clear, the patient should see their doctor since the treatment plan may need a change. 2. There are different strengths of topical steroids - make sure you are putting the right strength on the right area of the body to increase the chances of treatment success and decrease the chances of side effects. 3. All patients using topical steroids on an ongoing basis should be regularly monitored by their healthcare provider to ensure appropriate, safe use." We thank Dr. Druck er for volunteering his time and expertise in answering this question for us. Do you have an "Ask the Expert" question for us? Send your questions to Jennifer at info@eczemahelp.ca Eczema Society of Canada research grant program update ESC has now awarded four research grants across Canada You can help to make a difference!

9 People often wonder what kind of impact they can make, and what can be done to help with causes close to their heart. Donations absolutely do support research, and this essential research changes lives. A few years ago, the now famous ALS ice bucket challenge led researchers to identify a gene implicated in the devastating disease - a pivotal breakthrough that would not have happened as quickly if not for those donations. ESC is dedicated to supporting eczema research, and in the past few years has awarded grants to leading researchers across the country. Recent research grant recipients have included: Dr. Sunil Kalia of the University of British Columbia, who was awarded a grant to study the long term safety of phototherapy Dr. Alana McEnvoy of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, who was awarded a grant to validate a paediatric written action plan to help improve patient care Dr. Aaron Drucker of Women's College Hospital, who was awarded grants in both 2015 and 2017 to study the burden of disease in atopic dermatitis (the most common form of eczema) and suicide risk in atopic dermatitis patients. Advances in research and treatment absolutely do happen, and private citizen donations often support research that otherwise would not get funded. Would you like to be part of the difference? 100% of private citizen donations go directly to funding our research grants. Eczema Society of Canada is partnered with Canada Helps for secure online donations. Donate now through Canada Helps.. Eczema Society of Canada first patient webinar Topic: Managing flares & new therapies We're entering a new era in eczema care as research breakthroughs lead to new therapies and better understanding of the disease. Please join us and our guest speaker, expert dermatologist Dr. Melinda Gooderham, as she gives her guidance on managing flares and updates us on new therapies. Dr. Gooderham will also stay online after her talk to answer your questions, so please feel free to submit them ahead of time, or during the webinar through the GoToWebinar platform. We look forward to you joining us! The event is free and available across Canada to everyone! You will need a computer, smart phone, or tablet that will allow the GoToWebinar APP or software, and please test your system and download the APP ahead of time. You can check your system requirements when you register. WHEN: Wednesday, November 7, :00-8:00 PM EST

10 PRESENTER: Dr. Melinda Gooderham Dermatologist, Clinical Researcher Leading Canadian Dermatologist After registering, you will receive a confirmation containing information about joining the webinar and downloading the APP or software to attend. Brought to you by GoToWebinar Webinars Made Easy Support for Eczema Society of Canada's webinar series has been provided by: Sanofi Genzyme and Pfizer Canada Connect Find a support volunteer at Eczema Help Hope "For support and resources, there is no finer organization than the Eczema Society of Canada." Maryam Sanati, Editor-in-chief, Chatelaine Magazine Contact us at Eczema-1 or us at info@eczemahelp.ca