How Is Eczema Treated
Treatment for eczema can vary from home treatments to prescription medications. Still, in many cases, people get maximum relief from a prescription treatment combined with home skincare methods and avoidance of irritants. Ways people can treat eczema include:
- Biological medications that help manage the immune system
- Steroid creams or pills to control inflammation
- Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream for itching
- Regular baths and application of a gentle, unscented lotion
- Avoidance of scented or harsh products as well as known irritants
Treatments like oatmeal and aloe vera may help soothe the skin of people with eczema but will probably not get rid of the problem by themselves.
How To Remove Dark Spots From Your Body: Causes And Prevention
When it comes to dark spots removal from the skin, there are many options out there. And it can be quite challenging to know where to start or which treatments to go for.
Dark spots or hyperpigmentation ruins a persons complexion. Thus, many people have tried several lighting products to treat their uneven skin tone.
While the market has numerous skin lightening creams, some work and others dont even cause more harm than good. Knowing the right and the safest products to use for dark spots is vital.
This piece explains how to get rid of dark spots from your body according to specialists but first, lets look at how dark spots form and what causes them.
Things To Avoid For Eczema Scars
Apple cider vinegar, or ACV, has antiseptic properties and is rich in vitamins and minerals. Its also able to remove dead skin cells when applied directly to the skin, since it has an exfoliating effect.
However, we don t recommend using it on the skin to help treat eczema scarring since it can be very harsh and can strip the skin of beneficial oils.
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How To Choose The Best Stretch Mark Cream
How do you choose the best stretch mark cream during pregnancy? Good formula. Since you apply this cream on your body every day, you should look for a cream with a good formula. High-quality ingredients. It goes without saying that quality ingredients should be the most important factor when buying cream for stretch marks. Hypoallergenic. Easy and safe to use.
Recommended Reading: Best Body Wash For Dry Eczema Skin
Other Types Of Eczema
Eczema is the name for a group of skin conditions that cause dry, irritated skin. Other types of eczema include:
- atopic eczema the most common type of eczema, it often runs in families and is linked to other conditions such as asthma and hay fever
- contact dermatitis a type of eczema that happens when the skin comes into contact with a particular substance
- varicose eczema a type of eczema that usually affects the lower legs and is caused by problems with the flow of blood through the leg veins
Page last reviewed: 30 October 2019 Next review due: 30 October 2022
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What Questions Should I Ask My Healthcare Provider
- What type of dermatitis do I have?
- How can you tell that its that type of dermatitis?
- If I dont have dermatitis, what other skin condition might I have?
- Is there a specific brand of moisturizer that you recommend?
- Is there a prescription shampoo, cream or lotion that you can prescribe?
- How often should I see a dermatologist regarding this condition?
- What soaps, lotions, makeup, etc. should I avoid?
- What medications do you recommend?
- What at-home treatments do you recommend?
A note from Cleveland Clinic
See your healthcare provider as soon as you start to see symptoms of dermatitis. Feeling itchy and/or in pain all the time affects your quality of life. Its distracting, uncomfortable and can even keep you from having a good nights sleep.
Dermatitis is very normal, but it may make you feel self-conscious in public. It can affect your self-esteem and your social life or relationships. But remember that as many as 15% to 20% of people experience some form of dermatitis at some point in time, so know that youre not alone!
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 10/29/2020.
References
What Colour Are Eczema Scars
Wounds that have healed will usually leave some level of scarring, that over time, tends to blend in with our skin tone. But eczema scars can behave differently, with different levels of pigmentation, causing eczema scarring to appear more visible than the surrounding skin.
Eczema scars can appear darker if they have more pigmentation, or hyperpigmentation, or lighter if they have less pigmentation, or hypopigmentation.
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Darkening Of Underarms Neck Knees And Elbows
Summers are the time to wear sleeveless, short dresses, and flaunt your bare arms and legs. However, you will notice that your underarms look dark and rough, while your knees also look darker than the rest of your body. Why does this happen?
Darkening of underarms, back of the neck, knees and elbows is often due to a skin condition called Acanthosis Nigricans. This skin condition causes your skin to thicken and darken in the folds around the body.
People with melanin-rich or darker-toned skin tend to have this darkening of skin folds.
Ultraviolet Radiation Therapy For Eczema
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation can help reduce the symptoms of chronic eczema. Exposure under medical supervision can be carefully monitored with the use of specially designed cabinets the person stands naked in the cabinet and fluorescent tubes emit ultraviolet radiation.A person with stubborn eczema may need up to 30 sessions. The risks of unsupervised ultraviolet radiation therapy can be the same as for sunbathing faster ageing of the skin and greater risk of skin cancer.
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Where Does Dermatitis Form On The Body
The location of your dermatitis depends on the type. For example, atopic dermatitis can appear anywhere on your skin. But, in teens and adults, its typically on the hands, inner elbows, neck, knees, ankles, feet and around the eyes. Seborrheic dermatitis and cradle cap are typically on your scalp, face and ears. Periorificial dermatitis is found around your eyes, mouth, nostrils and sometimes the genitals.
When To Seek Medical Advice
See a pharmacist or GP if you think you may have discoid eczema. They can recommend a suitable treatment.
You should also seek medical advice if you think your skin may be infected. You may need to use an antibiotic cream or, in severe cases, take antibiotics as a tablet or capsule.
A GP should be able to make a diagnosis just by examining the affected areas of skin. In some cases they may also ask questions or arrange some tests to rule out other conditions.
A GP may refer you to a doctor who specialises in skin conditions if they’re unsure of the diagnosis or if you need a patch test.
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How You Get Eczema
Eczema is a chronic, or lifelong, health condition connected to your immune system and its inflammatory response. Ordinary substances we encounter in our everyday lives, such as dust, mold, animal dander or certain chemicals, seem to trigger an allergic response in people with eczema causing their skin to flare up in an itchy, dry or painful rash.
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Use Turmeric To Even Skin Tone
For ages, people in India, parts of Central America, and other subtropical areas have looked to turmeric for its many healing properties, from reducing inflammation to aiding the digestive process. Turmerics benefits also extend to the area of skincare, and its been shown to inhibit the skin’s melanin production, which results in spots due to hyperpigmentation.To fade dark spots with turmeric, make a mask using one part turmeric to one part honey. If you wish, you can enhance the lightening process with a few drops of lemon juice, as long as your skin isnt too sensitive, and the citrus wont come into contact with open skin, like recently broken pimples.
Key Ingredients
Turmeric powder is made from the root of Curcuma zedoaria, a form of ginger native to Southeast Asia. Its active ingredient, curcumin, is what gives it that yellow-orange tinge it’s also what makes it such a potent anti-inflammatory. Turmeric is also found to lighten hyperpigmentation.
Youre A Bit Aggro When Dealing With Your Skin
Im not just talking about picking at your pimples . Doing the most with your skincare routine can cause irritation, which, in turn, can trigger excess melanin production. Before adding a product to your skincare lineup, ask yourself a couple of questions: Do I really need this? Could this ingredient be too harsh for my skin type? What do I expect this to do for me?
The best, most effective routine at fading dark spots is a targeted one. When you use too many products without a clear idea of what theyre even doing, you could stress out your skin, causing inflammation and irritation. Aim for a routine that is concise and features products that work well together .
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How Long Does It Take To Get Rid It
The standard treatment for eczema are cortisone creams and you may see results within 5-10 days of using it. However it may take longer for your skin to clear depending on how severe the inflammation on the skin.
Studies suggest that a trigger identification and avoidance strategy can help most people see clear skin in 7-14 days. This involves actively avoiding the thing or trigger thats causing the breakout. Because you remove whats causing the red itchy skin, results can last a long time.
The good news about eczema is that it normally doesnt affect your everyday life, and most people wont even notice it.
If you have a flareup right now youre probably wondering how long it takes to get rid of it. The most common treatments , are cortisone or steroid creams.
However, recent studies suggest that topical steroid creams should only be used occasionally and not as long-term treatment.
Personally I found that while cortisone creams work in a couple of days, the effects dont last forever as promised. Once you stop using the cream, the eczema may come back. Did this ever happen to you?
Those of us who are looking for a more permanent solution to eczema, may benefit from doing a trigger identification and avoidance strategy. Basically, identifying what the thing is that is making you break-out, and then taking measures to avoid it .
In my video I talk about how I used this strategy!
Reduce Scarring With Aloe
For some people, dark spots arent the result of hyperpigmentation, but scarring, which can be especially apparent on those with more melanin-rich skin: Scars are unpredictable, which can make them difficult to treat. The most important thing is to treat right away, Engleman explains. The more pliable your skin is, the less chance there is that scars will occur, so adding moisture back into the skin with oils and lotions can reduce the appearance and prevent new ones from forming. A tried and true ingredient that may be used to improve your skins health from the inside, or outside, is aloe. Aloe can be ingested in the form of aloe drinks, or applied to the skin as a moisturizer or skin healer by breaking the leaf of an aloe plant and dabbing the sticky substance onto your scar. Dont have an aloe plant on hand? Aloe vera gel can be applied directly to the face, as can many cleansers or moisturizers that contain aloe, like the , which promises to reduce redness.
Key Ingredients
Aloe vera is a naturally derived ingredient known for its soothing and moisturizing properties.The aloe plant’s inner gel mucilage is made up of 99.5 percent water.
Read Also: Things To Avoid When You Have Eczema
Symptoms Of Discoid Eczema
Discoid eczema causes distinctive circular or oval patches of eczema. It can affect any part of the body, although it does not usually affect the face or scalp.
The first sign of discoid eczema is usually a group of small spots or bumps on the skin. These then quickly join up to form larger patches that can range from a few millimetres to several centimetres in size.
On lighter skin these patches will be pink or red. On darker skin these patches can be a dark brown or they can be paler than the skin around them.
Initially, these patches are often swollen, blistered and ooze fluid. They also tend to be very itchy, particularly at night.
Over time, the patches may become dry, crusty, cracked and flaky. The centre of the patch also sometimes clears, leaving a ring of discoloured skin that can be mistaken for ringworm.
You may just have 1 patch of discoid eczema, but most people get several patches. The skin between the patches is often dry.
Patches of discoid eczema can sometimes become infected. Signs of an infection can include:
- the patches oozing a lot of fluid
- a yellow crust developing over the patches
- the skin around the patches becoming hot, swollen and tender or painful
- feeling sick
- feeling unwell
Easy Ways To Improve Hand Breakouts
Covering your hands with gloves before coming into contact with chemicals and irritants can help to get rid of eczema on the hands. You can also try soaking your hands in saline solution to get rid of excess bacteria that may be aggravating the skin.
Additionally, a daily routine using a moisturizer with calming ingredients such as colloidal oatmeal works wonders to soothe any rash on the hands.
Here is the link to a lotion I use when my hands get dry and rough: Skin Fix Hand Repair. It works great!
Hand eczema is usually rough, dry and inflamed. It can also appear as small filled blisters known as dyshidrotic eczema.
What causes eczema on the hands can be things like bacteria, chemicals and/or irritants such as harsh sulfates in hand soap and chemicals in tap water. Studies suggest that hand eczema may be more common with people in specific occupational groups, such as hairdressers, bakers, and nurses. Possibly due to the high exposure of irritants.
If you struggle with breakouts on the hands, it can be very beneficial to do a trigger avoidance strategy as well as a daily skin routine!
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How Is Dermatitis Treated What Medications Are Used
The type of treatment depends on the type of dermatitis and its location. Step number one is to avoid whatever triggers the dermatitis. That may be stress, a chemical, tobacco smoke and/or a number of other irritants that cause or worsen your dermatitis. Step number two is to try remedies on your own. Step number three is medication prescribed by your healthcare provider.
Can Home Remedies Help
If youre hoping to address eczema discoloration at home or searching for gentler alternatives to prescription treatment, you have a few options.
Fishman suggests considering skin care products with botanical ingredients known to promote lightening by slowing down melanin production. These include ingredients like:
- arbutin
She notes that youll likely need to use these products for at least 3 months in order to get results.
Another brightening skin care ingredient that may help lighten hyperpigmentation? Vitamin C.
According to Green, vitamin C can have benefit because it:
- has anti-inflammatory properties
- helps reduce the production of melanin
- has antioxidant properties that help neutralize free radicals from sun exposure
Vitamin B-3, which you might know as niacinamide, may also help prevent darker areas of pigmentation from rising to the top layer of your skin, where theyre visible.
Green also emphasizes the importance of using a moisturizer that repairs the skins natural protective barrier, which can promote healing and minimize discoloration. She recommends trying one with ingredients known to help to lock in moisture and repair the skin, including:
Experts agree that sun protection is key in preventing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Green recommends applying sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 50 daily and reapplying every 90 minutes.
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What Are The Best Creams/oils For Reducing Stretch Marks
These oils definitely work in tandem with argan oil. Argan oil is extracted from argan seeds. Gotu Kola. Gotu Kola is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda to treat various skin conditions. Rosehip oil. Rosehip oil is made from rose fruits or seeds. Bitter almond oil. Pomegranate oil and dragons blood extract.
How Eczema Affects The Skin
Eczema looks different depending on a persons skin type.
On light skin, eczema typically causes inflamed pink or red patches that are dry and itchy. These lesions are harder to detect on dark skin tones.
When people with light skin scratch eczema lesions, hyper and hypopigmentation can occur. Skin pigmentation can progress gradually, and its subtle changes make it hard to detect.
People with dark skin tones are more likely to get hyper and hypopigmentation. They are also more likely to have follicular prominence, which is when eczema presents as small, itchy bumps called papules. These mainly appear on the forearms and torso.
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