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Eczema is extremely common, affecting one child in five.

Sinitta’s symptoms are typical of atopic eczema, which affects the skin creases at the elbows, knees and wrists.

Many kids grow out of it, but those whose eczema is made worse by certain foods, pets, dust and mites can suffer their whole lives.

Food intolerance may affect up to 45 per cent of us.

A small number of eczema sufferers may react to foods like dairy products, wheat, fish, beans, nuts and additives.

Seeing a dietician can help prevent genuine food intolerance, and using moisturisers containing a mild cortisone cream should do the rest.

Sinitta doesn’t need to worry about using dilute cortisone creams.

Used sparingly, they can be effective and involve no side effects.

Avoiding physical irritants such as soap also helps, as does getting a little sunlight as often as possible.

If I’m not careful what I eat, I get terrible attacks of eczema inside my elbows and on the backs of my knees.

It can be itchy, painful, and can sometimes spread all over other parts of my body and face.

I always suffered with eczema as a child – eventually my mum worked out it was triggered by wheat and dairy foods.

My skin cleared up once I was on a wheat and dairy -free vegetarian diet.

But when I went to boarding school aged nine, the cooks wouldn’t cater for my dietary needs and the eczema returned with a vengeance.

My weight shot up to 9st too.

I’d developed a love-hate relationship with food, and having sore flaky skin and being overweight affected my confidence.

Eventually I was prescribed cortisone cream, but even then I felt that changing my diet was better than using strong steroid creams.

By my 20s and early 30s I’d slimmed down, but I’d stopped enjoying food.

Being on TV made me terrified of triggering an eczema attack and so I had a very restricted diet, eating only plain salads with grilled vegetables.

These days I’m more sensible about food.

I can eat a little bread and some dairy, but I can’t do that for days on end, otherwise the dry, itchy patches reappear.

My two young children also had eczema when I adopted them, so I want them to grow up without the food issues I’ve had.

I’d like to know if I can keep the eczema at bay and still eat delicious treats like fresh bread and ice cream.

Words: Sarah Ewing. Photography: Alan Strutt. Hair and make-up: Nadine O’Toole

AUG 31 HANNAH TOINTON

AUG 24 NELL McANDREW

AUG 17 CLAIRE KING

AUG 10 SAIRA KHAN

AUG 3 JULIE GRAHAM

JULY NIKKI GRAHAME, KIM MEDCALF, SINITTA, LINDA ROBSON

JUNE SUZI WALKER, ZOE SALMON, POOJA SHAH, CAROLE SMILLIE, KIRSTY ALLSOPP

MAY FAYE TOZER, JENNIE BOND, JANE DANSON, TRACEY COX

APRIL ERIN BOAG, JULIA BRADBURY, CLAIRE SWEENEY, TRICIA PENROSE

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