rick Michaels didn’t have the perfect childhood. Although he was part of a loving family, the person who seemed to play the largest role in his life was his dermatologist. “I was a mess,” says the 29-year-old accountant. I had it all--eczema, rashes, allergies. Several times, I even broke out in hives when stepping into a kiddy pool filled with cold water. Just water, nothing else.

“I remember the dermatologist treating me with creams, pills, and even UV light therapy,” he says.  “Things improved when I became a teenager, and my only problem was acne, although now that I’m older, I still have occasional eczema flare-ups.”

Michaels’ condition wasn’t easy to live with, especially for his mother. “She was afraid to take me out in public because she was afraid people would think I was being abused,” he says, smiling. Michaels was just one of a large number of children with skin disorders that vary from mild to the disfiguring. These include eczema (also known as atopic dermatitis) and disfiguring birthmarks.  Fortunately, there are ways to treat them and improve children’s quality of life.

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