Eczema help?

RubyRout

Check out this website for factual information http://www.nationaleczema.org/ or check out the Mayo Clinic information on eczema.

Katanthus

Watch out for products that say "gentle" "pure", but lathers. IF it lathers... it has a detergent in it, and that will dry the skin. Preservative, perfumes will also dry the skin.

Emollients and oils, such as lanolin should be medical grade. There is a minute amount of the population actually allergic to lanolin. What they are allergic to, is the residue left in the product when it is cleansed for use. Hence the reason for the using medical grade.

Wet wraps system works wonders on childhood eczema. Developed by a company called Seton Healthcare, UK a number of years ago. I have seen amazing results with them. This system is NOT used on infected eczema. The infection should be cleared before using Wet Wraps.

tameejean

I haven't been able to read through ALL of the comments, so sorry if this is repetitive, but I had a VERY bad as a child. I would wake up in a bloody mess from scratching my legs in my sleep. It didn't really ever go away until I quit dairy and gluten a few years ago. I also (had) seasonal allergies and (had) bronchial asthma and those seem to have "gone away" too.

I still do not use anything with fragrance and I used a coconut oil soap and keep my skin well hydrated. I hope you are able to find some relief for her!

icesk8ermom

Well it looks like you have gotten many recommendations; hopefully something will work for your child! I do recommend trying one thing at a time to see what works and what doesn't work.

I personally suffer from eczema on my scalp right at the bas of my head; not a fun place to have it! I have done a ton of research to see what could be causing it and to help with my syptoms.

For me this is what helps; for your child it coule be something totally different as you can see so many comments with many diferent recommenations!

First, I try yo limit my intake on acidic foods; IE OJ, Strawberries, grapes, tomatoes etc. The acid seems to flare my symptoms up and then I start to itch which also makes things worse. Additonally, I use a shampoo that has coal tar in it when I get bad. Although it doesn't smell pleasant they do make a bar of soap that you can get that also has coal tar in it that can help. My brother has it on his hands I told him about the soap and he thought he heard me say pine tar so he got a soap with pine tar which worked for him.

Also, fish oil is good as they have found that most people with eczema don't get enough omega 3's in their diet. And finally, stress and or anxiety plays a big role in it as well; try to pay attention and see if your child is suffering either of these.

A good lotion to use is Sarna anti-itch lotion. This feels awesome as it has menthol and camphor in it which is very soothing to the skin (great for sunburns, poison ivy, insect bites etc too!) it is steriod free and is actually advertised for people with eczema. I am an allegery sufferer as well; however, my smyptoms are itching all over rather than the waty eyes and sneezing....before I realized I had allegeries I practialy used to bathe in this stuff.

~Good luck I hope you find something that works for your child as suffering from eczema is no fun!

Website for the lotion...... http://www.sarna-skincare.com/

ser0630

I have had horrible eczema on the bottom of my left foot for 32 years now. I went through every OTC and prescribed steroid and some would clear it up, but it always came back again.

I finally found the Gold Bond for Eczema. It stops that itch that I can never stop scratching at, and it also clears things up. Safer and cheaper than steroids for sure.

I might have to try the Gold Bond for Eczema. I have also heard that Sarna is a good lotion to use.

I was told that eczema can also be tied to allergies and asthma, which I have (including food allergies).

I've been suffering from eczema for years. Here's what I use/do:

I take Zyrtec at night to help alleviate the itching at night. I also take Zantac when I am dealing with stress because heartburn can trigger eczema flare-ups.

For a body wash, I use Eucerin Calming Body Wash Daily Shower Oil (you can find it online for approximately $8 a bottle). I take showers with warm water (because hot water can dry out skin and make ezcema flare-ups worse). Instead of rubbing my skin dry, I pat it dry with a towel and use Neutrogena Body Oil (the fragrance free) as an after-shore moisturizer. During the winter, I do use Aquaphor as a moisturizer and Selson Blue dandruff shampoo as a cleanser on the spots are red and scaly.

During the winter (because I live in Minnesota), I have a humidifier running to get more moisture in the air in my house. For me, the cold, dry air here can trigger eczema flare-ups. I also go tanning 2-3 times a month to help control the flare-ups.(I may go up to as many as 5 times, depending on how bad the flare-up is) Yes, my dermatologist recommends this (and she also has bad eczema). I only go for 5-7 minutes at a time. During the summer, I do go outside in the sun and I don't use sunscreen because that causes flare-ups (and I've been told that's one of the worst things you can put on the skin of someone with eczema).

People have suggested to me taking a fish oil supplement. I can't and that is because I'm allergic to fish/seafood and shellfish. I will eat Smart Balance peanut butter (with Omega 3's that come from plant sources).

Feisty_Red

Thanks all..gives me a lot to go over!!!

marisol7649

Funny, i was asking my 7yr to show her eczema on her legs.it went way.

I no more milk I replaced it with almond milk,cut out the sugar and replaces it stevia.
Also white breads and sometimes wheat bread.the sun has helped allot.

ginakiki

First try to cut out all Dairy!!! Then go get a food allergy skin test to see what foods you are allergic to. It could be a wide variety of food and airborn allergies ..Plus check for dogs, cats, grasses, molds, weeds, dust etc... allergies. Make sure you consult an allergy doctor. Don't give up it takes time to rule things out. Good Luck

neandermagnon

my advice would be to ask to see a really good dermatologist. There are different kinds of eczema. The kind my family has is caused by a genetic defect which results in the skin's natural barrier being water soluble. This means it easily washes away, so most of the treatment is based on protecting and rebuilding the skin's barrier.

All of this was what a dermatologist in a UK hospital explained, based on recent scientific research. As I said there are other kinds of eczema so that's why I recommend seeing a dermatologist who has up to date information.

This treatment was very effective for me, I had eczema my whole life, it was under control within a month from the following advice. this is why you need to see a dermatologist who is really good and has up to date information.

Anyway... too frequent washing makes this kind of eczema way, way worse, and when washing, only products that are specifically suitable for this kind of eczema should be used for washing.... i.e. no soap, no detergents, no alkaline products as these strip away the skin's barrier... E45, baby sebamed and Cetaphil products are all suitable (although they may not be for every individual if there's sensitivities to any of the ingredients). No bubble bath or similar (it contains detergent and/or soap and is alkaline). Also, no rubbing the skin dry, dab it dry. Then apply the emollient directly after washing.

Regarding emollient creams... most of these are no good, they only moisturise and they can be irritating (again this is dependent on the kind of eczema, so they're not useless for everyone... just for this kind of eczema). The emollients we've been prescribed are designed to replace and rebuild the skin's natural barrier, rather than to moisturise. They feel more sticky than moisturising, however they are very, very effective. They stay on the skin (you don't notice it there, other than the fact the skin feels softer). Emollients that just moisturise only work for a few minutes, then the skin's back to being dry and irritated, because the moisture evaporates away (the skin's barrier keeps moisture in, as well as keeping foreign substances out).

Steroid creams - these were prescribed for short term use to get the eczema under control and at the point where the emollients only plus being careful about what goes on the skin, how to bathe, etc, keeps it under control. I use these on my kids for flare-ups (a few days at a time, once in a while), I haven't had to use them on myself for years. Many general practitioners will prescribe these for long term control of eczema.... that's not how they should be used and they can cause damage to the skin if used incorrectly for long periods.

Allergies - allergies develop because of the eczema, not vice versa (in this kind of eczema... in other kinds, e.g contact dermatitis, it is caused by an allergic reaction)..... what happens is, after the skin barrier is washed away, the skin is completely open to anything that wants to get in, so foreign substances get in and trigger an immune system reaction. Once the skin is inflamed and irritated, it'll have allergic reactions to many things it comes into contact with, while unaffected skin somewhere else on the body can cope with the same substances on it, because the barrier is still intact there and the substance isn't getting into the skin. Some people with eczema can appear to be allergic to many, many things because of this, but it's not caused by an allergy, it's caused by a genetic defect that results in a particular protein being missing in the skin's barrier, which results in the skin's barrier being water soluble, which then gets stripped away and once that happens, the skin will have hypersensitivity reactions to many different things. Fixing the skin's barrier is what's necessary. Many people with eczema have a tendency to develop allergies, so this does not mean they don't have actual allergies as well, just that you can't conclude that because something causes an eczema flare up, that it is an allergy. Look for other allergy symptoms like hives if you suspect an allergy. If the only symptom is the eczema being more irritated, then it's probably not an allergy. If there's hives or other non-eczema allergy symptoms as well, then it probably is an allergy.

Other - wearing cotton clothing and doing an extra rinse cycle when washing clothes, helps, as this helps to prevent sweat building up on the skin, and limits the number of potentially irritating things that get on the skin. Until the eczema is totally under control, be careful with anything that you put on the skin, e.g. face paint, make-up, etc... my kids have both had their faces painted without problems, but only after their eczema was under control.

If you want any more info, you can PM me... but mostly try to see a really good dermatologist that has all the latest research. Going from a lifetime of severe eczema to none at all (besides having to continue to be careful how I wash and care for my skin) after a month or two... that's not a small thing...! and btw I don't avoid any foods because of this, my older daughter has outgrown her food allergies and the younger one has a couple of food allergies but these are unrelated to eczema (she gets hives and may vomit after eating certain foods).



TL; DR: lifetime of severe eczema turned around in 1 month by a dermatologist at a UK hospital (i.e. conventional medicine) who knew what he was doing (as opposed to GPs who don't usually know how to treat severe eczema) - explanation of what's actually going on genetically and medically with this kind of eczema and why the treatment works (pls read whole post for that)

astrovivi

I have had it all my life, since I was a toddler.

it calmed down as I got older but i still get the odd break out rash.

using a lot of steroidal creams is really bad for the skin as it thins it out ... you should keep those only when it's really severe.

I think i've pretty much tried EVERYTHING.

But what I found really works and still do today:

1. Use soap-free cleansers every time...for face, hands, body etc. never use anything drying. Opt for special cleansers for exzema prone skin OR go for natural based cleansers with a light oil base.

2. Avoid skin and hair products that contain isothiazolinones and parabens and other chemical/industrial preservatives. They can make it worse, if not be the cause of it. Sulfates can also be a factor for some people if a contact allergy is suspected.
You can get tested for all of these as contact allergies.

3. I use products based on the following as well as these directly on the skin. They are all good but shea butter is amazing for eczema as it rosehip oil:
Shea Butter ***
Rosehip Oil ***
Coconut Oil
Macadamia Oil
Sweet Almond OIl

compresses with warm water to which you add some essential oils of geranium, rosehip, lavender, rose, and chamomile can also help.
i found this helped a lot when I got eczema around my lips and eyes.

Hope this helps