Eczema can become a condition that is hard to deal with. It can be slightly uncomfortable or excruciatingly painful. It can also affect your self confidence because of its unsightly appearance. Therefore, you should learn how to manage it to prevent it from controlling your life. The following article gives some tips on helping you control it.
Avoid hot baths and showers if you have eczema. Keep the water lukewarm and get in and out. Avoid using soap, rather use a gentle type of cleanser and avoid rubbing your skin while using it. Once the skin has been cleaned, it ought to be dried by blotting instead of rubbing.
Moisturize frequently. You can use moisturizer to help you manage your eczema. You definitely want to moisturize after you have taken a bath. The moisturizer you choose should not have chemicals in it or any sort of fragrances. These can irritate your skin. Stick with creams and ointments at all times.
To help soothe dry, itchy skin that comes from eczema, opt for moisturizers in ointment or cream forms. These are better at what they do than the lotions out there. Petroleum jelly is a good option, too. Do not use moisturizers that contain fragrances. Work on using moisturizer no less than twice daily.
If you suffer from eczema, you must keep your skin hydrated. This can help control flareups. Moisturize often and liberally. After you shower or bathe is the best time to moisturize. Stick to unscented products that are low on chemicals and added ingredients.
Eczema sufferers may not realize how important their choice of fabric can be. To be comfortable, you need to keep this in mind. Try to avoid clothing that is form fitting. Stay away from items made out of wool. Wash new clothing in a gentle detergent, and rinse them well before wearing it.
Make sure your nails are well-groomed. You know during the day to avoid scratching your eczema, but you might do it anyway when you sleep. This may make a rash worse, and if your nails are long it will make the problem worse. Also, make sure your nail beds are clean at all times.
Don’t scratch if you can help it. Eczema frequently causes discomfort. However, scratching will only make you need to scratch more often. This can harm your skin and possibly cause an infection. Apply moisturizer often and use cold compresses to help find relief.
Look for a moisturizer in an ointment form. They are more effective than other products because they create an added layer of protection. Creams and lotions do not form this protective layer. For this reason, ointments are significantly better for areas where skin has cracked open due to eczema.
When you pick a sunscreen, try finding one that is PABA-free. The ingredient is known to cause problems with people who have eczema. Check the list of ingredients thoroughly, even if the label says it is free of PABA. If you can’t find an over-the-counter sunscreen that works for you, ask your physician about the prescription variety.
Keep sweating to a minimum when experiencing a flare-up. Sweating a lot or being overheated can worse the symptoms of eczema. Cool off quickly after physical exertion. Get into the shower as soon as you can.
Wear clothing that isn’t irritating to the eczema condition. Certain fabrics, such as synthetic ones, could cause flare ups. People with eczema should wear cotton. You should also be sure that all new clothing you purchase is washed before you put it on. To accomplish this, use a mild liquid detergent that is unscented, and do not use fabric softener.
A warm bath may give you some relief from itching skin. The water shouldn’t be exceptionally cold or hot. Put oatmeal on the surface of your skin. You can also add half a cup of some bleach to a 40-gallon bath. This may get rid of the bad bacteria on the skin.
Maintain the temperature in your home. Extreme temperatures can really irritate your skin and cause your symptoms to flare up. Use your air condition when it’s warm, and use your humidifier when it is cold. The humidifier will allow your skin not to dry out too much.
Learn to identify the triggers for your eczema. You may have to look at the colognes, soap, even your laundry soap, all the way to the material you wear to determine what causes problems. Other possibilities are sweat and stress. After you learn what the triggers are, you can avoid them when you can.
Choose an ointment over a lotion. They add a protecting layer to your skin, locking in moisture. Creams and lotions aren’t going to do this. For this reason, when the skin is cracked open because of the eczema, then ointments are much better to use.
Atopic Dermatitis
Excessive sweat kept on the body can cause eczema flare ups. It can cause your eczema symptoms to get much worse. If you enjoy working out, make an effort to cool off your skin immediately following your activities. Get into the shower as soon as you can.
Giving yourself text message reminders helps treat atopic dermatitis. The most common type of eczema is atopic dermatitis. Research that the Harvard Medical School did said that text messages gave people 14 or older success in this sort of thing. Patients in their study did better keeping up with their treatments and had fewer symptoms than the control group. Most patients wanted to continue receiving these text messages.
Text messages used as reminders can actually be extremely useful. Atopic dermatitis is the form of eczema that is the most common. Harvard Medical School research has shown that in patients aged 14 and up had great success with text messaging. This method helped patients adhere to their treatments, which resulted in less eczema after 6 weeks. Many of these same patients chose to stick with text messages permanently.
Use a humidifier in your room. Humidifiers release clean steam into the home. This moisture will stop dry air causing eczema flair ups. This helps keep the skin hydrated and comfortable, regardless of the weather conditions. Make sure that you clean your skin often to sustain its health.
A humidifier may help if your eczema is extremely patchy. These appliances release steam into the air. This creates a moist environment because the steam contains droplets of water. This can help your skin in any season. Clean it often to avoid buildup of mold and mildew.
What are your triggers? For example, dust mites could be to blame. For others, scented soaps are the problem. Identifying your triggers can help you learn to avoid them. You may have to alter some of your habits that interfere with your eczema, but most are a small sacrifice.
No one knows exactly what causes eczema or how to permanently get rid of it. Still, you can reduce your symptoms and flare-ups. The phenomenon known as “dishpan hands” is a type of eczema known for causing cracked, dry skin. Wear rubber gloves whenever washing dishes. If you have latex sensitivity, protect your skin by wearing thin cotton gloves under the rubber gloves. When you are finished washing the dishes, use moisturizer.
Use a cleaning cloth that is damp with water or cleaning solution. This keeps dust on the cloth. When you use a dry cloth, it just moves the dust around.
If you have eczema occasionally, an outbreak may be related to other things that cause allergies. Keep the use of chemicals down in the house, and steer clear of anything perfumed, like detergents and creams. Do you see anything being a trigger for your outbreaks?
Avoid carpeting, if you can. Much like people who suffer from allergies, eczema sufferers can face issues with carpeting and rugs. These items retain a lot of dirt and dust which trigger flare-ups. You would fare better with tile or wood floors.
While this may sound silly, if eczema is something that afflicts you, keep your nails short and clean. Scratching is one natural reaction to eczema. However, if you are using nails that are dirty and long, your skin can get infected when you scratch it. You can prevent these situations with clean, shortened nails.
You don’t want to allow itchy clothes tags and also seams to bother you throughout your day. These items can make the eczema worse by scratching skin. Buy clothes with no tags in them or cut them out. Pay attention to the seams that might add discomfort after wearing it for awhile. If undergarments have seams, try wearing them inside-out.
Avoid itchy tags and seams in your clothes. Clothing that scratches your skin can make eczema worse. Cut all tags out of your clothes, or buy clothes that don’t have any tags to begin with. Watch out for seams that may cause irritation after a while. If they are located in your undergarments, try turning them inside out.
You might have heard somewhere to avoid the sun if you have a problem with eczema. Too much sun isn’t generally healthy for anyone. It can cause burns and lead to more serious health conditions. Even so, vitamin D deficiency and eczema are related. This type of deficiency is because of not enough sun exposure. Aim to expose your skin to the sun for 10 to 15 minutes daily.
Make sure you moisturize your skin after a shower. You need to trap moisture into your skin when you have the chance. A shower will open skin pores, leaving you damp. The body better retains moisture until about three minutes after a shower. This is the prime time add moisturizer and increase the level of moisture to problem areas.
There are many ways to control this condition. What you’ve just read will get you started. Remember the advice you have gained and begin taking control.
You can add one of several natural ingredients to your bath to help soothe your skin. Sea salt, table salt and Epsom salt are good bath additives. You can also use baking soda. Another suggestion is to add white vinegar, just a few cups will do, to the bath. This can help with pH balances and soothe your skin at the same time.