Skin dryness is common in eczema. Using moisturizing lotions alone may not suffice to keep skin adequately hydrated; creams or ointments that lubricate the skin may be needed instead. Creams and ointments are both heavier than lotions, and act by creating a seal over the skin, thus preventing the loss of water. Skin lubricants should be used every day, and applied all over the body for maximum effect. They should be applied within three minutes of bathing, and after a steroid cream if one is also being applied. Some brands of lubricant creams are Eucerin, Lubriderm and Cetaphil. For more severe dry skin, ointments such as Aquaphor can be used.
Steroid creams are one of the most common treatments for eczema. They act by reducing the local inflammatory reaction that occurs in skin affected by eczema, and therefore offer relief against itching. While milder steroid creams are available over the counter, stronger ones are available by prescription and should only be used under direct medical supervision. Steroid creams should not be used in children unless prescribed by a doctor, and then only for the shortest possible time at the lowest effective strength. This is because steroids can interfere with growth, disrupt normal hormone levels and cause skin thinning and permanent damage. With stronger steroid creams, it is important to taper off their use gradually, as directed by a physician.
Elidel and Protopic are two creams that act as immune modulators, or drugs that suppress the body’s immune system in some way. Both these creams have recently been linked to certain skin cancers and to lymphoma, and the US Food and Drug Administration has asked their manufacturers to place warnings on their labels. While these creams are very effective in treating eczema, they should be used with caution, and only in more severe cases.
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Eczema Treatments
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Eczema treatment is typically dictated by the severity of the condition and the detection of an underlying trigger. In mild to moderate cases, attention to skin care may help alleviate much of the itching and dryness. Bathing in lukewarm water instead of hot water and...
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Baby Eczema
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Eczema affects between ten and twenty percent of all babies in the United States. In the majority of these cases, the condition resolves by the time they reach two years of age. In some babies, eczema becomes chronic and may continue into adulthood. In babies,...
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Eczema
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Eczema is a group of skin conditions characterized by inflammation and irritation. Itching is the most common symptom in all types of eczema. The skin may appear dry, scaly or red. In darker-skinned people, the affected skin may change color. While any part of the...
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Eczema Causes
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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While the immune system is involved in some way, the exact cause of eczema is unknown. Typically, contact with some external allergen triggers an allergic reaction, leading to the typical skin symptoms and changes seen in eczema. This contact may occur once and result in...
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Cure For Eczema
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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At present, there is no known cure for eczema. While between ten and twenty percent of all babies in the United States suffer from eczema, most of them are free of the condition by the age of two. The reason for this is not well...
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Home Remedy For Eczema
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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While eczema should be treated by a licensed medical professional, there are a number of home remedies that can be tried to reduce the severity of symptoms. Extreme temperatures or excessive dryness can trigger eczema in some people. Taking steps to stabilize the temperature of...
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Dyshidrotic Eczema
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Dyshidrotic eczema is a chronic, recurring type of eczema that affects the hands and feet. Small, clear bubble-like vesicles appear in these regions during an episode and tend to be symmetrically distributed. While the palms and soles are most heavily involved, vesicles may also appear...
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Dry Skin Lotion
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A wide variety of moisturizing lotions and creams are on the market currently. Some creams are used when the skin is exceptionally dry. These creams can be applied on the wet body after bath and help retain the moisture in the body. Some creams can...
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Progesterone Creams
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Progesterone is a female hormone that plays an important role in the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy. It plays a balancing role with estrogen, and if not present in adequate amounts in the body, may predispose a woman to certain types of breast and uterine...
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Vitamin B12 Creams
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Vitamin B12 creams are the most recent applications of this vitamin’s utility. Ongoing studies in this field have claimed the extreme usefulness of vitamin B12 cream as a cure to Atopic Dermatitis, namely Eczema. Nowadays, vitamin B12 is an essential ingredient for body creams, too....