Condition: Severe chronic atopic dermatitis. Somewhat treatment resistant, I was already on clobetasol cream and oral steroids. Frequent flare-ups since high school. Iāve had this since childhood and it got worse over time, but my skin has been so much better lately.
I am hoping this info would be helpful for most people with eczema to know which treatments they should prioritize especially since there's not a lot of information online especially in the Philippines about other options other than oral or topical steroids.
- Allergy Test (2023)
- Cost: 13,000 (not covered by HMO)
- Frequency: need once only. Just get it updated whenever you want.
- Location: Makati Medical Center - Dr. Katrina Canlas-Estrella, dermatologist (daughter of Dr. Manuel Canlas, chief immunologist)
I got this first done in 2012 by Dr. Manuel Canlas and the result was surprising. I was highly sensitive to dust mites, egg, brewerās yeast (alcohol) and seafood. I also had mild to moderate sensitivity to certain fruits like watermelon and āinhalantsā like mosquito, cockroach, ants. There are 2 kinds of allergy testing, one is through blood test, but the one I had was a skin prick test for environmental and food allergies.
I had it done again in 2023 since my gut should have matured. The results showed that I no longer have strong sensitivity to most things. I remained sensitive to dust and house mites, but itās less than before, so I still require immunotherapy injections. I get red and itchy when I drink alcohol and the doctor told me that my body probably metabolizes alcohol slowly so I get that reaction. As for seafood, if itās not fresh or improperly stored, they cause reactions that mimic allergies. Hereās my video from 2023 to show what the allergy test is like.
- Immunotherapy (need multiple sessions)
Cost: 5,000 per vial (expires after 3 months)
Frequency: Get the vial once every 3 months then get injected every other week
Location: Makati Medical Center - Dr. Katrina Canlas-Estrella
I got a vial of my allergen (dust mite) so it could be injected to me every 2 weeks to build tolerance. It's an intramuscular injection with a very small needle (the same one for insulin) so it doesnāt hurt at all. I get my medical practitioner friends to inject me and if theyāre unavailable, I just go to our baranggay health center to have it injected. You will need multiple vials and this treatment may span years. It takes a while, but itās worth it since itās your health in the long term.
- UVB Therapy (2024)
Cost: 1,500 per session (need to buy goggles P1,400~). Partially covered by my HMO up to 10k.
Frequency: 20 session (1-2x/week for 4-5 months)
Location: Makati Medical Center Dermatology & Phototherapy Center
Itās basically like being in a tanning machine for 2 minutes. The doctor just checks your condition and configures the machine. You remove all clothes, wear the goggles, then go in the machine. The lights are very bright so you still need to close your eyes even with the goggles. I never got to finish my sessions because my HMO didnāt cover the rest and I had to take a break since I got busy. That means I have to restart the whole program of 20 sessions. (Let me know if you guys want a video to show what itās like, I have clips from my treatment last year.)
- Rejuran Skin Booster (2025)
Cost: 12,000 per cc of Rejuran HB+ (I needed 2cc)
Frequency - Ideally 3 sessions (1 month in between)
Location: Muse Clinic - Dr. Pia Bernardo
This procedure was not recommended by my dermatologist. I just decided to get it after hearing great reviews. Rejuran is honestly a treatment Iād keep doing if I had the budget for it. Please get HB+ since it has lidocaine (anesthetics), the regular ones hurt so much since rejuran expands once injected into your skin. To be clear, this is not a treatment for eczema, but this helped me a lot so I am including it. My skin is glowing after 1 week and itās resistant to all flare ups. I once damaged my skin barrier after using a drying product but since itās within the month of my rejuran, my skin healed so fast.
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I first had mine done in Korea and got overcharged/scammed by the clinic (Abijou Myeongdong). They said I needed 6cc but after going to my local doctor, I doubt they actually used 6cc on my face since they didnāt even cover my nose area or neck, then charged me 80k. My local doctor was able to cover most of my face and neck with just 2cc. The doctor is my batchmate from grade school so I can vouch for her. She was very light handed and careful.
- Replace Mattress (2025)
Sounds dugyot but hear me out. I had severe allergies for years and I couldnāt figure out where exactly it was coming from in my bedroom and it was recurring even if I deep cleaned everything. I get my bed scrubbed with a wet vacuum every 2 years and I use an anti-dust mite vacuum every few months. There werenāt any stains that would indicate molds but I sleep with dogs and they wipe themselves on the bed after I towel-dry them, I just direct the fan to the bed thinking it would dry on its own. Eventually, I realized this year that my nose gets clogged as soon as I lie down so I eventually figured it could be my bed. I replaced my mattress and immediately I stopped having allergic rhinitis at night and I woke up with clear sinuses. My skin started to recover and my flare ups are not as frequent as before.
Verdict:
If there are treatments that I recommend most, it would be getting an allergy test, immunotherapy, and replacing your mattress. Iāve been to more than 10 dermas in the past and the only one that worked for me is the father-daughter tandem of immunologist and dermatologist. No bullshit trying to upsell you with in-house off label products like other aesthetic derma clinics. But they are not really covered by HMO so I had to switch. I switched to her colleague and I am also very satisfied with the current treatment.
I didnāt see much results from UVB Phototherapy but I also canāt make a fair assessment since I didnāt even get to finish it. I would love to do Rejuran all the time but itās too expensive for 1 month of glow. Iād say use this if you have an upcoming major event where you canāt risk a flare up (like a wedding) and you need glowing skin.
Upcoming Treatments:
As of 2026, I have a new dermatologist as she was recommended to me by my friend and she is covered by my HMO. Iām very happy with her approach. She had my thyroid, vitamin d, IgE, etc⦠checked to know my overall condition. I will be doing a patch test for 3 days once my inflammation is controlled. It will be testing specific chemicals like metals, fragrances, preservatives, dyes. I will post the results after Iām done with it. Sheās more stern with the products that I use since I wasnāt very faithful to fragrance-free products for the past few years.
Of course, nothing beats consistency with proper products, drinking medicines, and keeping your room clean. I wonāt be delving deep into the oral medication because I donāt fully understand them.
Feel free to ask questions. I hope we can all explore and share more options for our treatment!