Eczemaletters.com

The term Diaper Dermatitis refers to a red rash in the nappy area. Diaper Dermatitis is also known by the following synonymous terms: Napkin dermatitis, Irritant diaper dermatitis, Diaper rash, Nappy rash and Diaper eczema.

It is important to realize that Diaper Dermatitis is not a specific diagnosis, but simply refers to a red rash in the nappy area that can be caused by a variety of different skin conditions.

[Read more →]

This article is especially applicable to Atopic Dermatitis, but you can follow these general rules for any form of dermatitis.

Always use the lowest potency corticosteroid application at the lowest frequency of application that will just control your eczema.

So how do I find the correct potency of corticosteroid and correct frequency of application?

[Read more →]

There are many reasons for itching. In this article we will asume that you are itching because of your Atopic Dermatitis.

The moment you find yourself thinking that the itching is going to drive you mad, you should immediately also decide if you are applying enough moisturizers.

Remember Atopic Dermatitis is not a condition that can be cured. The goal of treatment is to provide relief and control, just like it is with many other conditions like asthma and hayfever for example.

[Read more →]

Eczema is not contagious and people can therefore not “catch” eczema.

Eczema, like many other skin conditions, can become infected with bacteria or viruses. Once this happens other people can potentially “catch” the infection. Note however, that they will only catch the infection and not the eczema! Eczema itself is not contagious.

Don’t be too concerned about catching or transferring an infection from eczematous skin. The only exception to this will be when a Herpes virus or Molluscum contagiosum virus infects eczema. Eczema Herpeticum is the medical term for eczema infected with the Herpes virus. This can be a serious condition that often results in admission to hospital. Eczema infected with the Molluscum contagiosum virus occurs most often in children and does not normally result in serious illness.

[Read more →]

There are many triggers that can cause a flare-up of Atopic eczema. The House Dust Mite are one such trigger and unsurprisingly lives in the dust found in human and animal habitation. It is however not just the House Dust Mite that can trigger flare-ups in AD, but also the dead bodies and feces of the little mites. Luckily, not everybody with AD will be sensitive to the House Dust Mite, but more than 35% of AD patients are. The Atopy Patch test can be used to test for House Dust Mite Allergy.

[Read more →]

Asteatotic dermatitis and Eczema Craqulae refers to the same condition. Asteatotic dermatitis is inflammation of the skin due to skin dryness (xerosis). Not everybody with a dry skin will develop skin inflammation. The more severe the skin dryness and the longer the skin dryness persists the greater the chance of developing skin inflammation. Skin dryness leading to skin inflammation equals Asteatotic dermatitis.

The cause of the dry skin is therefore ultimately also responsible for the Asteatotic dermatitis.

So, what are the causes of dry skin?

[Read more →]

First, relax….

No, eczema can’t be cured. Yes, there is a chance you can have eczema for life. Yes, you might have to apply creams for perhaps the rest of your life! And yes, you do have one of the most frustrating conditions there is.

Please, have your moments of despair, but never, never, never stop using your moisturizers! They are the single most important tool in your eczema treatment toolbox! They are without side effects in most people and can make a major difference to the control of dermatitis by simply keeping skin well hydrated.

[Read more →]

An overemphasis on food allergies is one of the major causes of frustration and suffering for people with eczema, especially Atopic eczema. There are countless reports of various foods causing a flare of eczema. There are also countless stories where avoiding a specific food has resulted in clearing eczema.

What is not so often published are the stories where diet manipulation has resulted in no improvement at all! Eczema severity fluctuates and improvement following diet changes might simply be coincidence.

[Read more →]

The whole natural therapy dogma is essentially flawed. Natural does not automatically imply healthy and safe. Heavy metals, like lead, is natural, but it is certainly not healthy. What can be more natural than sunlight, but it can cause skin cancer! Vitamin B12, a natural product can cause acne. Topical vitamin E can cause an erythema multiforme-like eruption (Arch Dermatol. 1984 Jul;120(7):906-8.), which can be potentially life-threatening!

The choice is not between natural and synthetic products. It is about finding the product with the least potential side-effects, whether natural or synthetic, that actually works. There is no such thing as a product that is 100% safe, 100% side-effect free and 100% efficacious for everything. That applies to both the so-called natural products and synthetic products.

[Read more →]