MEET RACHEL MONKMAN

“I BELIEVE IN DOING WHAT I LOVE AND DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THERE!”

MY STORY IS…

I've had eczema for as long as I can remember. It was especially bad when I lived in Singapore, but I moved to England for eight years, and it completely went away. 

Things took a turn for the worse when I moved back to Singapore in 2003, and everything went from bad to worse. My eczema is triggered by a number of things - the humidity, seafood, stress and dust. 

In my teens and early 20s, I was ignorant, and didn't pay attention to the warning signs. This led me to being hospitalised three times over the course of four years. I was a mess, and depressed. I sought food as comfort, and in the process I gained an extensive amount of weight. 

The turning point came about two years ago, when I looked at myself in the mirror and realised, I had to stop destroying my body and my health. I looked into diet and lifestyle changes. I cut out seafood, started taking probiotics, and paid more attention to my triggers. 

These days, my skin has been the best it has ever been in almost 7 years, and I am so much happier! Things still aren't perfect, but I know my goal is in sight. Embracing my eczema is the way I now live my life.

I am a Crazycat because I believe in doing what I love and doing whatever it takes to get there!

photography AMIERA RAUSHAN