Atopic eczema
Many children are born with a tendency to allergies from their parents. It can manifest itself, for example, in asthma, food, pollen or contact allergies. Some people develop allergies soon after birth, others may not develop them until adulthood. In a small proportion of atopics, it may never manifest because they do not encounter "their" allergen. An example is the aggressive ragweed pollen. Skin tests will show that the test subject would have a problem with its pollen. But because its occurrence in the Czech Republic is limited to a few places, they may never encounter it.
Atopic eczema, causes
Atopic eczema is the most common manifestation in atopics. This is because the skin of people with allergic dispositions is innately dry, fragile and easily irritated.
Atopic eczema manifests itself at different ages with different symptoms. In infants, atopic eczema most often appears on the face and head. Scaly skin on the head, dry reddened patches of skin form on the cheeks and forehead. In toddlers, atopic eczema appears on the hands and feet, especially in the bends. Again, these are red, dry and peeling inflamed deposits. With increasing contact with the environment, it tends to affect the palms and interdigital areas. Atopic eczema in adults often appears on the face around the lips, around the eyes and on the neck.
What to do for atopic eczema
For prevention, use products with a PH of around 5-6, with moisturising and oil-based ingredients for washing and showering. The skin needs to be frequently lubricated with moisturising creams. If you can, use barrier creams that help weakened skin by blocking irritants from reaching the skin.
What to do for atopic eczema at the time of a flare-up?
Do not use oily creams on dry and itchy deposits, but moisturizing creams without perfumes, ideally with a longer duration of action. Zinc, tar and sulphur ointments heal well.
Wet deposits: we use, for example, zinc oil and drying compresses of yarrow decoction, black tea or a strongly diluted hypermanganese solution. For this stage, it is more effective to use corticosteroids prescribed by a doctor in the form of sprays and foams.
The best cream for atopic eczema
There are enough products on the market and it is necessary for the atopic person to find his own. With products for atopics, the simpler the formulation, the better. This will mitigate the possibility of an ingredient being irritating to the skin. Don't buy whole packs at once, but ask for samples. Try them on sensitive parts of the body such as the neck or elbow socket or wrists, for several days in a row.
Atopic eczema cream for children
When choosing a cream for children, the same rules apply, with the proviso that the cream should be specifically designed for children. Products for children have their own criteria that are supervised.
What to choose atopic eczema products for
Try samples first. Read the ingredients. The simpler the better. Be careful with natural products. Plants contain dozens of different substances and essential oils that are not yet well mapped and can irritate an atopic person. Examples are chamomile or calendula. Sheep fat lanolin or lard tends to be equally irritating. Do not use perfumed products at all.
