You Might Also Like: Skinquiries

Andrew Polo (0:07)

One of the most common pieces of fashion advice people give online is, don't know what to wear, just wear black. And I was so annoyed by that, because I was like, I can't do that. I'll have my flakes everywhere right now. And so I was so annoyed that I decided to make a video saying like, some people say that you should wear all black, but people can't do that all the time. And then that's when I decided to talk about my eczema in like a very high level way of showing someone, how can you feel good about what you wear, but not have to wear black?

Dylan Marron (0:38)

So the internet loves presenting a fashion rule as fact. Don't mix prints, never wear gold and silver, and apparently, when in doubt, just wear all black.

Finding your personal style according to the internet is easy. I mean, all you have to do is find the perfect combination of clothes to communicate who you are to the entire world, and then mix up your outfits every single day? No pressure. But fashion is supposed to be exciting and playful. You should experiment with color, shape and texture because your style belongs to you. Those fashion rules, they are meant to be broken. And there's something about breaking them that can make you feel all the more confident.

When you live with a skin condition though, those choices come with another layer. Will this color make every flake stand out? What fabric will irritate your skin? Is it breathable? Can you reach the places that itch? So how do you experiment with your style while still feeling comfortable in your skin?

Hello everyone and welcome or welcome back to Skinquiries. This is a show about skin, but it is really a show about people. Because skin health doesn't exist in a vacuum. It shapes how we're seen. It shapes how we see ourselves and our experiences of confidence, identity, community, and care. I am your host, Dylan Marron.

Today, my guest is Andrew Polo. He's a fashion content creator who has lived with eczema since childhood. For Andrew, fashion became a way to discover and express who he was beyond his career. But as his personal style evolved, so did his eczema. And it turned getting dressed into a daily balance between what he wanted to wear, and what he knew his skin could handle. His story is about finding freedom within those limitations, building confidence by honoring your insecurities, and helping others realize that personal style can make room for eczema too. Andrew's relationship with fashion came much later in his life. But his relationship with eczema began when he was just seven years old.

Andrew Polo (3:05)

It just showed up on my arms, like inside the elbow, behind the legs. I don't think I really realized it was much of a problem when I was younger.

It was just something that my parents would see and they'd be like, oh, you got to fix that. So they would take me to a dermatologist and I would just put on whatever treatments they had me put on.

Dylan Marron (3:25)

Yeah.

Andrew Polo (3:25)

Then as I used one by, it moved all around my body. In high school, it started to be the torso. In college, it started moving but still torso dominant.

After college, it blew up, got all over.

Dylan Marron (3:40)

Everywhere.

Andrew Polo (3:41)

Then after that, it started being on hands and face and still many other parts all around my body. But it has changed over the years.

Dylan Marron (3:53)

Talk to me about the moment or series of moments when you realize like, oh, this isn't just a rash that I can ignore. Take me to the point where you're like, I got to go to a doctor.

Andrew Polo (4:03)

Yeah. So in college, for some reason, I decided to have black bedsheets. When you have eczema, that's probably one of the worst colors that you can have on your bed because you see-

Dylan Marron (4:14)

Just constant reminders.

Andrew Polo (4:15)

Yeah, constant reminders like your flakes are everywhere. And it got to a point where I was like, man, this is not, this doesn't look very normal.

I would look in the mirror and just like splotchy red all over my chest and my shoulders. And it was like at that point where I was like, I think I should probably try to like fix this because I didn't like how I looked in the mirror and I didn't like what I was seeing in my bed. So that was probably the impetus for seeking medical attention. A dermatologist prescribed me like a massive tub of steroids. And I had applied it on my chest and the very next day, all the redness was gone.