The bad thing about skin conditions is that they’re exposed for the outside world to see. It is no problem if your skin condition is just concentrated on one area (preferably out of everyone’s range of vision), but if it manifests itself in predominantly exposed parts of your body like your arms or face, then you have no choice but to either hide it (which will sometimes be very difficult) or grin and bear it.

Causes and Symptoms

Eczema, more commonly known as dermatitis, is one such skin condition. It is a skin disorder that is characterized by dryness of the skin accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms: itching, flaking, redness, blistering, bleeding, or even oozing. Usually, it’s just the itchiness and the redness, with the bleeding usually a result of the incessant scratching due to the itches. There might be temporary skin discoloration (aside from the redness), which can sometimes be the cause of lesions. Scarring, however, is relatively uncommon.

The names eczema and dermatitis themselves are just general terms that are used to describe the many types of skin inflammation that share, more or less, some common symptoms. The more common types of eczema are atopic eczema, contact dermatitis, xerotic eczema, and seborrhoeic dermatitis. Among the four, atopic eczema is the most common and is usually the type most dermatitis sufferers are afflicted with. Contact dermatitis, meanwhile, comes in two types: allergic and irritant. Each is defined based on the sources of their condition. For allergic contact dermatitis, it’s allergens, while irritant contact dermatitis stems from direct contact with certain solvents. Xerotic eczema comes from another skin condition, dry skin, which becomes serious enough to turn into dermatitis. Seborrhoeic eczema is dermatitis that affects the sebum-gland rich parts of the skin and is usually characterized by greasy scaling of the eyebrows and the scalp.

Causes of eczema are generally not known, but in atopic eczema, it is generally thought that a malfunction of the body’s immune system, coupled with dry, irritated skin, is one of the probable reasons for the condition. Most times, your dermatologist or doctor will first check on a number of things to accurately diagnose or pinpoint the underlying cause of your eczema. Information like family history, dietary and lifestyle habits, and any history of allergic reactions are all taken into account. There are also several tests for eczema diagnosis, like checking your blood for allergen levels or the skin patch testing, where suspected irritants are applied on the skin to see if there is an allergic reaction.

Treatment

Most treatments for eczema are aimed to lessen the inflammation and relive the itching, as well as prevent their recurrence and flare-ups in the future. Due to the different possible causes of eczema, it is hard to have one standard cure for it. The good thing is that the different things you can do to ease the symptoms generally work on all but the most serious of cases.

Avoid using detergents as much as possible. Detergents can exacerbate the skin irritation eczema sufferers are subjected to. Most detergents are made from petrochemicals, which increase the skin membrane’s permeability. Sodium lauryl sulphate, for example, which is a common household detergent, has been shown to amplify the penetration of antigens on your skin.

When washing dirt off your skin, use normal water as much as possible. Use cleansers only if water is not enough.

Moisturize your skin. Dry skin is one of the factors that worsens eczema. Therefore, it is important that you keep your skin moisturized and moistened. Do not use detergents and soaps, as these can strip the skin of its natural oils, leading to more dryness. Use moisturizing body wash or emollients instead. Aqueous creams maintain the skin’s natural oils and may even reduce your need to moisturize your skin. For severely dry skin, however, use thicker ointments, as light aqueous creams might not have much of an effect on it.

Apply emollient creams and lotions directly after bathing to lock in the moisture. You can also use moisturizing gloves to keep the emollients in contact with your skin when you sleep at night. For unbroken skin, you can opt to directly use waterproof tape to improve skin integrity and moisture levels, allowing your skin to heal better. Using this treatment can also put a stop to the itching as well as prevent the skin from cracking, especially since you won’t be scratching as much.

Use antihistamines and anti-inflammation creams. Itching can be the cause of allergens wreaking havoc on your skin. Antihistamines essentially block the effects of histamines in your body, preventing allergic symptoms like itching. Diphenhydramine, hydroxine, and cyproheptadine are some examples of antihistamines that appear to be the most effective. Stopping the itching will cause you to stop the scratching, avoiding the risk of skin breakage and infection.

Inflammation can be controlled by corticosteroid creams and lotions. Most doctors prescribe glucocorticoid, but for mild to moderate cases of eczema, hydrocortisone can be used. Generally, most physicians prescribe the less potent ones first and gradually climb the potency ladder if the treatment doesn’t work. However, it should be noted that corticosteroids can have possible side effects like skin thinning and fragility. As such, they should be used sparingly; only apply them to control eczema, and once accomplished, they should be replaced with emollients. As always, it is advised that these treatments be made under the supervision of a physician.

Bathe with care. Some doctors advise against prolonged bathing when you have eczema. However, bathing is needed for one important reason: hydration. Your skin needs the water to remain moist, eliminating dry skin and flaking. Bathing is generally more recommended than showering. However, there are several things you need to keep in mind when you bathe.

• Keep the water lukewarm, not hot nor cold.
• Long, hot showers are not advised.
• As much as possible, do not use any soap. Like detergents, most soaps can remove the skin’s natural oils.
• Remove perfumed products and never use bubble baths.
• When rinsing after a shampoo, be careful to avoid skin contact as much as possible.
• Use emollient bath oils.
• After bathing, pat your skin with the towel, don’t rub it.

If your skin condition does not improve after a couple of weeks, or if the symptoms worsen even with the above-mentioned tips, get in touch with your physician as soon as possible. The dermatitis might be a symptom of a more severe underlying condition.