ASHLEY WALL: Growing up with atopic dermatitis, it was difficult. My parents, they would bring me to the dermatologist office all the time. So it really became my second home.

I definitely didn't have a normal childhood going swimming. The chlorine would completely eat up at my skin. I just remember trying my hardest to cover everything up and not stand out.

Of course, people would ask and people would stare. So I would say that was more traumatizing. More so than anybody saying anything were just the stares.

Once I realized it was a lifelong condition, it was just trial and error of so many different creams and lotions. You know, it would help keep the eczema at bay. It might disappear. But it always came back with a vengeance.

I've dealt with it for so long. So I kind of know what my process is. So with atopic dermatitis, I have to keep my apartment clean. I'm so allergic to dust bunnies.

I'm constantly sweeping. I'm constantly dusting. I'm constantly changing my bed sheets just so that it doesn't trigger my skin to have a flare up.

And any extreme weather sets my skin off. And also the changing of the seasons. At the moment, I don't use any prescription medications. But what I do do that's helped tremendously has been Dead Sea salt baths twice a week. And it's just been wonderful.

Atopic dermatitis definitely plays a huge role on your mental health. Unfortunately, your life is not necessarily normal. You know, you have to look out for things every single day. Not only do you have to worry about your skin, but you have to worry about tending to your skin.

The best thing is to try to stay ahead of it. But when you can't do that, you just have to brace yourself, maybe plan things that aren't so stressful until it passes over. For stress management, I love doing jigsaw puzzles. I'm an avid reader. I love writing. And I also love hearing other people's stories. And so I was like, you know, let me start a blog and start talking about what I've been going through and highlighting what's really happening in the community, how we've progressed.

So I was born in '87. And I decided to name my blog "Itchin since '87." Through that, I've met so many incredible people all around the world. Knowing that other people are going exactly what you're going through has been phenomenal. Because you always feel alone, you know.

Obviously, I've lived with it my whole life. And it was definitely difficult in the beginning because there wasn't so much information back then.

One thing about having atopic dermatitis is you learn a lot about your skin throughout the years. And so eventually, you become kind of an expert. You know, I like to call myself an aficionado.

I've gotten so good at it. I believe that I actually don't have to go to the dermatologist anymore. You know, it's good to go for a check up in case, you know, God forbid skin cancer, or things of that nature. But overall, I've basically tempered it down to not let it hold me back anymore.