Michelle Hong, a figure skater, used to wish to cover up her skin because of her condition, but she adopted an effective treatment regime along with lifestyle changes, which has given her the confidence to practically show off her skin on sunny days!
Michelle Hong has struggled with eczema since childhood, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, her eczema changed dramatically. Her eczema flare-ups required a complete transformation, not only in how she felt physically—but also how she appeared to the world. As a competitive figure skater, she often wore sleek, fitted clothes that made her feel confident. Suddenly, she was living in hoodies two sizes too big or sweat pants. The bright and beautiful dresses she had previously loved were tucked away, and the thought of even shopping for a wedding dress filled her with dread–the delicate, strappy designs were likely lost on her condition.
“I wanted to feel beautiful and confident every day, but the eczema robbed that from me,” she says. “The clothes felt tight, my skin felt like it was on fire, and I lost who I was. Most days, I didn’t want to so much as show skin.” Being in a sport that was so visually aesthetic exacerbated those feelings. The need to be polished on the ice felt impossible alongside the reality of her experience, but the emotional toll was unfathomable. “It wasn’t just a matter of discomfort.
After several years of effective treatments and substantial lifestyle changes she’s entering the summer with a completely different outlook. “For the first time, I feel like I can be myself, even in the way that I dress,” she says. “It’s not even about fashion-it’s getting back to happiness and feeling like me again.”
From Fear to Fierce
For people like Hong who experience eczema, clothing is not just fashion; it’s a daily decision that stems from comfort & well-being; the texture and cut can make the difference between relieving her skin or raising the level of irritation on her body. But the physical aspects of clothing are only part of it. On the occasions when her eczema flared severely, causing inflamed patches across her body, it drew from emotional scars that were deep. These episodes did not just affect her skin; they resurrected old battles against mental health and reignited insecurities about her body image that she thought had already been overcome.
I have always wanted to feel confident and look my best day-to-day, but seeing my skin with eczema made that very difficult. Instead of feeling prideful I would feel embarrassed to show my skin and I wanted to hide.
“When a flare was happening, it reminded her of the emotional weight she had during her struggle with an eating disorder,” she explained. “I fully disconnected from myself– I stopped attending to my needs and put all of my energy into making other people happy, while I was sitting emptier and emptier inside. I was drained both mentally and physically, and my condition felt like a cage.”
Summers had their own struggles. Living in San Francisco, she frequently found herself sweating underneath layers of baggy clothing in an effort to cover her inflamed skin. The heat amplified her discomfort and turned already painful flare days into even worse experiences. She wished nothing more than to put breezy halter top, stylish bikini, and flirty summer dress on, which once made her feel colorful and alive. But as they remained stuffed in drawers and closets, so did some of her identity. That’s when Hong realized that real change needed to come from the inside out- healing doesn’t come just from skin care, it comes from self-care.
Healing Strategies
When she felt ready to take ownership of her eczema, the first thing she did was to visit her doctor. But after hearing accounts from others about experiencing adverse effects from steroid treatments and the struggles others had tapering off them, Hong was looking for an alternative path. Her dermatologist recommended a therapy that is specifically approved for eczema, but explained that that was only one part of an overall plan, she says.
“I learned a lot about how stress contributes to triggering my flare-ups, so I decided to step away from work to give myself some mental space,” she reflects. “I was caught up in productivity and pushing myself, and I needed to start contending with that and these wounds. Understanding stress was a key part of that, and it felt like an important breakthrough, especially in the context of a gradual healing process.”
Having the freedom to fully express yourself in all aspects of life, especially through your style and clothing choices, brings an incredible sense of liberation.
Hong began to delve into Korean skincare in an innovative way — a new plan to listen to her skin needs instead of fighting against them. The only skincare routine she had ever utilized was a simple and avoidant one: ‘a splash of water, a thick slather of ointment, and then get away from the mirror as soon as possible.’ But trying out new products previously planned as a “just for fun” and “just for skincare exploration” became a “just for me” self-care practice.
As she started to allocate some time to take care of her skincare routine she started to feel and connect to worthiness again and she recognized her skin, and herself, deserved attention, time, and respect.
She was also becoming more aware of energy and aspects of her body that had been internal triggers, in relation to her previous experiences with the environment and foods. One of the first and most informative steps, after her eczema diagnosis, was an allergy test and it identified that mold was one of her big irritations. It turned out she had a moldy suitcase down the side of her bed or in a corner — out it went.
When it came to food, she was cautious. History of disordered eating, made strict elimination diets feel unsafe for Hong. She traveled the gentler route, just paid attention to the impact of applicable foods on her skin and feelings to help her to make responsible food choices related to her body and mental health.
As she started handling her stress differently and committed to practicing consistent self-care, she started to see results. The flare-ups of her eczema were getting less frequent, and when they happened, she was more likely to get one that was much less severe than before. Gradually but surely, she was starting to bring back the clothes she had avoided before—dresses, tank tops, and even bikinis, each one with more confidence and more freedom.
By 2024, a marker for that transformation had arrived: her wedding day. Her dress would have delicate string straps (with a deep back) and be beautifully form-fitting. In the wedding video, Hong looks radiant—dancing with joy, laughing with freedom, and walking down the aisle like someone who had learned to live fully and unapologetically in her skin.
“Fashion is one of the purest forms of self-expression,” she notes. “When you’ve walked with the demons of eczema, you never take that freedom for granted. It is honestly been a gift. And I own that gift with gratitude.”
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