My daughter is allergic to her own tears - it makes her skin shed like a snake

“Her whole face and body shed like a snake from head to toe; the bath would be full of skin,” Brisbane mum, Karyn, said. 

An 11-year-old Brisbane girl is hoping she can return to her daily activities after she developed a painful skin condition that makes her allergic to her own tears and sweat. 

At the end of 2022, 11-year-old Summah’s skin became red, itchy and flaky. 

The young child, an award-winning dancer who loves spending time outside, suddenly couldn’t stop scratching her skin, which became inflamed and cracked. 

Her mum Karyn thought she had severe sunburn from being outside all day, but when Summah began shivering and shaking during hot nights, she knew there was more to the story.

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Summah suffers from agonising eczema. Source: Supplied

Girl develops a rash and ‘Panda eyes’ when she cries or sweats

“When we went to hospital, she had a staph infection, and when she was on antibiotics, her whole face and body shed like a snake from head to toe; the bath would be full of skin,” Karyn said. 

It wasn’t long before doctors diagnosed her with eczema, a condition that makes the skin become dry, itchy and very easily irritated. 

In a bizarre twist, Summah is also allergic to her own tears and sweat, her skin skin so irritated that it's almost impossible to enjoy the life she once had.

“[She’s] allergic to her own tears, and when she cries, she comes out in a rash and gets what we call ‘Panda eyes’,” the 47yo mum explained to 7News. 

“She’s also allergic to her sweat, which is heartbreaking as she loves dancing.” 

“When she looks at all her other dance friends, she gets upset and asks, ‘Why can’t I have skin like them?’ It’s heartbreaking.” 

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Summah's skin becomes inflamed when she cries or sweats. Source: Supplied

One in three Australian children suffer from eczema

Her condition is so serious that normal treatments for eczema, such as regular moisturising and steroid creams and ointments, are no longer suitable for her delicate skin. 

She is now trialling a new injection treatment called Duxipent. However, it hasn’t stopped the painful flare-ups.

“People look at Summah when we go to the shops, and during this flare, everywhere we went, people thought she was sunburned,” Karyn said. 

Summah is one of the thousands of children suffering from eczema, which affects almost one in three (30 per cent) of Australian kids. 

Australian children have the highest rate of eczema in the world, much in part due to the extreme heat of summer. 

Just like other skin conditions, including psoriasis and dermatitis, there is no known cure for eczema. 

However, using a barrier such as a moisturizer or petroleum jelly can help relieve itching and protect the skin from the harsh sun.

Moisturisers should be fragrance-free and devoid of any drying and irritating ingredients like alcohol and dyes. 

Originally published as My daughter is allergic to her own tears - it makes her skin shed like a snake