Eczema Friendly Skincare

Eczema or Atopic Dermatitis is a very common skin condition that causes itchy, red, dry, inflamed and irritated skin. Typically, eczema occurs from birth or early childhood and can continue into adulthood or clear up, however eczema can begin at any age.

Eczema often tend to run in families, and is usually due to overactive inflammatory responses to a sufferer's environment. These environmental factors can include scented products, detergent, food and fabrics.

There are several types of eczema but the most prevalent type is atopic eczema or atopic dermatitis.

There are a number of different types of eczema, and your symptoms, causes and prevention methods may vary depending on which type you have.

• Atopic Dermatitis: The most common type of eczema, it causes dry, itchy skin that often presents with a red rash
• Contact Dermatitis: A less persistent type which can happen as an isolated incident and is caused by exposure to something that irritates the skin or triggers an allergic reaction
• Dyshidrotic Dermatitis: This is a form of eczema most common in women which affects fingers, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet. It typically presents as itchy, scaly patches of skin that flake or become red, cracked, and painful
• Nummular Dermatitis: Typically seen on the lower legs, this form of eczema presents as round, red, very itchy scaly patches
• Stasis Dermatitis: Similar to the above nummular dermatitits, it is typically seen on the lower legs and is caused by poor blood flow

The most common symptoms of eczema are itchy, dry, crusty, rough, flaky, inflamed, and irritated skin.

Eczema can appear anywhere on the body but usually affects the arms, inner elbows, back of the knees, cheeks, and scalp. It often will go through flare-up periods due to environmetal factors and then subside before flaring-up again.

Other symptoms may include thickened scaly skin, raw-feeling skin, red or brown patches and intense itching.

Eczema is often seen in sufferers who have an overactive immune system, which causes an over-reactive inflammatory response when your skin is exposed to external irritants.

Some typical triggers for an eczema flare-up are:

• Washing detergents
• Food allergies
• Animal dander
• Sythethic fabrics
• Scented products
• Some chemicals or preservatives in cleanser and other topical products
• External allergens such as dust mites, pollen or mold
• Cigarette smoke
• Irritating or scratchy fabric such as wool
• Stress