Otherwise know by the general term “eczema,” atopic dermatitis is a chronic and on-going skin condition. The symptoms are usually dry, very itchy, and irritated skin that may need daily care. Atopic dermatitis appears before the age of five, in the majority of suffers and about 50% of those people will continue to have symptoms for the rest of their adult lives.
Use non-fragrant moisturizers like Vaseline to keep your skin from cracking or getting irritated. Remember, no one’s discovered a cure for eczema yet. It’s still lurking and waiting to come back.
It’s best to resist any urges to scratch your self. You could actually break your skin and cause an infection. Plus it makes it harder to heal.
Prepare oil by boiling 200 grams of mustard oil in an iron vessel to which 50 grams of fresh clean leaves of neem are added. Once these leaves turn black, allow it to cool and then strain it. Application of this oil four times a day on the affected regions can cure eczema. Application of mashed papaya seeds on the eczema-affected parts can help to reduce itching and severity of the condition.
The best time to moisturize your skin is when the skin is warm and the pores are open. This allows the moisturizer to sink in deeper into your skin, and keep the skin hydrated for longer. The best option is to apply the cream after a warm bath. Also you carry around a small pot of cream with you so that you can continue to moisturize throughout the day.
Mild steroid creams, such as Dermacort or Lanacort can calm flare-ups of eczema by suppressing your body’s inflammatory response. You should ask the pharmacist’s advice or see your GP before using any steroid cream. The stronger steroids are only available on prescription. You should continue to use emollients at the same time as steroid creams.
You also want to make sure that during this time, you’re making your child as comfortable as possible. Even young babies will try to scratch the eczema in order to give themselves the relief that they desire, so make sure that you keep their nails short during this time. You should also keep soft sheets on their crib, just so that they do not end up rubbing their face against the rough sheets in order to give themselves relief and irritate the problem further.