Eczema Support Group

Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the upper layers of the skin. The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent or recurring skin rashes characterized by redness, skin edema, itching and dryness, with possible crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing or bleeding. Areas of temporary skin discoloration sometimes characterize healed lesions, though scarring is rare.

Dermatitis severely dries out the skin,and keeping the affected area moistened can promote healing and retain natural moisture. This is the most important self-care treatment that one can use in atopic eczema.

The use of anything that may dry out the skin should be discontinued and this includes both normal soaps and bubble baths that remove the natural oils from the skin.

The moistening agents are called 'emollients'. The rule to use is: match the thicker ointments to the driest, flakiest skin. Light emollients like Aqueous Cream may dry the skin if it is very flaky and whilst it is the moisturiser traditionally prescribed by doctors in the UK, it is in fact only licensed for use as a soap substitute on washing.

The first and primary recommendation is that people suffering from eczema shouldn't use detergents of any kind unless absolutely necessary. The current medical school of thought is that people wash too much and that eczema sufferers should use cleansers only when water is not sufficient to remove dirt from skin.

Antihistamine medication may reduce the itch during a flare up of ezcema, and the reduced scratching in turn reduces damage & irritation to the skin (the Itch cycle).

Capsaicin applied to the skin acts as a counter irritant. Other agents that act on nerve transmissions, like menthol, also have been found to mitigate the body's itch signals, providing some relief. Whilst research has suggested Naloxone hydrochloride and dibucaine suppress the itch cycle in atopic-dermatitis model mice.

Dermatitis is often treated by doctors with prescribed Glucocorticoid (a corticosteroid steroid) ointments or creams. For mild-moderate eczema a weak steroid may be used (e.g. Hydrocortisone or Desonide), whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. Clobetasol propionate). They are highly effective in most cases, but must be used sparingly to avoid possible side effects, the most significant of which is that their prolonged use can cause the skin to thin and become fragile (atrophy). High strength steroids used over large areas may be significantly absorbed into the body causing bone demineralisation (osteoporosis). Finally by their immunosuppression action they can, if used alone, exacerbate some skin infections (fungal or viral). If using on the face, only a low strength steroid should be used and care must be taken to avoid the eyes.