Eczema Skin Care Tips

Eczema can create a vicious itch-scratch cycle that leaves your skin red and raw. It is a skin condition that can affect most any body part and genetically based.

The three main types of eczema are:

• Atopic dermatitis
• Seborrheic dermatitis
• Hand eczema

Tips on how to cope:

• The first and most primary defense is moisturizing the skin
• Eczema-prone skin cells retain water poorly. When you bathe or wash, you need to replenish your skin with moisturizer quickly afterwards. No more than three minutes should pass after washing before you seal in moisture
• Use warm and not hot water
• Avoid excessive toweling and scrubbing
• For extreme dryness, choose products containing petroleum jelly, which are highly effective at providing an airtight moisture barrier. Thick creams in jars are best for less intense cases. Mineral oil-based products contain urea and lactic acid to help absorb moisture
• Use standard hand lotions for dry, non-inflamed skin
• Severe cases of eczema might require a prescription strength corticosteroid ointment or cream to soothe itching and decrease levels of inflammation. Be aware that prolonged corticosteroid use can thin the skin and create irreversible stretch marks.
• Topical immunomodulators suppress the immune system to alleviate local inflammation and interrupt the itch-scratch cycle.
• Luxiq is a foam-based corticosteroid that penetrates the skin without leaving a greasy residue and works great on the scalp and other hairy areas. It is a disappearing foam, which is a great breakthrough because ointments and creams tend to build up and get gunky on the skin.
• Look for shampoos that contain coal tar, zine pyrithione, selenium sulfide or salicylic acid to treat seborrheic dermatitis
• Doctors recommend Cetaphil or Aquaphor liquid cleansers for hand eczema. You should avoid antibacterial or waterless cleansers that contain alcohol
• If you hands get irritated easily, wear cotton gloves for washing dishes or any kind of wet work. You can also cover the cotton with neoprene or vinyl gloves
• Always remove rings when showering, washing hands or doing water chores as irritants can get trapped beneath rings.

Source: Foster R. Put the Ex in Eczema. Men's Fitness [serial online]. March 2002;18(1):58. Available from: MAS Ultra - School Edition, Ipswich, MA. Accessed August 8, 2008.