Chronic eczema
Chronic eczema is a very frequent type of dermatitis. It is also called a wear and tear eczema. This eczema develops gradually when the skin comes regularly into contact with various soaps, detergents, and chemicals.
The skin loses its protective mechanisms, weakens, is dry, tight, flaky, reddened, prone to crack. The chronic eczema appears commonly on hands – on the backs, palms, fingers. But it can also appear on face due to frequent application of makeup, cosmetics and makeup removers. The manifestation of the chronic eczema is very similar to other types of dermatitis such as allergic contact or atopic eczema. Unlike them, however, the chronic eczema commonly does not progress to oozing phases. With proper skin care, this type of eczema does not require medical attention and corticosteroid treatment.
How to care for the chronically damaged skin?
The essential step in this process is the strengthening and regeneration of the protective barrier function of the skin. The regeneration takes about one month. If the hands are affected, it is necessary to wear gloves or to apply barrier creams each time you work with more aggressive substances. This concerns especially washing, laundry and cleaning products, coatings, paints, gardenwork and kitchen work (plant and animal juices, acids, starch). If the chronic eczema appeared on the face, it is necessary to stop using cosmetics, let the skin regenerate and then start to use cosmetics intended for hypersensitive skin.
Skin washing and cleaning: it is not suitable for a weakened skin to be washed too often. If it is possible, wash the hands and face with mineral or infant non-chlorinated water. The water must not be hot (skin would dry) but lukewarm. The cleaning should be done with fragrance-free hand wash gels and soaps with pH of 5.5 to maintain the natural acidity of skin., such as Sonett Liquid Soap, Linola hands wash gel, etc. The advantage is, if the product contains a moisturizing oil (Protopan, A derma). Do not use any abrasive washing pastes, brushes or peelings. The skin should not be scrubbed or rubbed after washing, prefer drying in air or by softly shaking the hands. Apply a moisturizing cream to the skin after drying, preferably fragrance-free (Protopan, Basic, Epaderm) Greasy creams are not recommended, unless they contain a moisturizing ingredient as well. The hands can be treated with paraffin wrap that benefits the skin. Apply the moisturizing creams at least every 2–3 hours and after each washing.
The chronic eczema can be treated with barrier cream Dermaguard. Although you cannot feel or see the cream on the skin, it creates a microfilm barrier against the majority of aggressive substances and thus fulfills the function of protective gloves. Simultaneously, the Dermaguard cream effectively moisturizes the skin. It is functional for up to 6 hours and even after washing, therefore, the skin does not have to be moisturized repeatedly. The cream is not greasy and is fragrance-free. It can be applied on any part of the body except for mucous membranes and eyelids.
