Managing Eczema's Appearance

Eczema is a disease in which the immune system sets off inflammatory processes that attack the skin. It’s a common skin condition that affects approximately 31 million people in the United States.

Eczema can cause a great deal of discomfort including severe dryness, intense itching, and pain. The skin can swell, thicken, and scale or develop cracks, crusting, oozing, or scarring.

Eczema and eczema scars are commonly a source of self consciousness and frustration. Here are a few tips to help manage and reduce the appearance of eczema on your skin.

Moisturize Well

Well moisturized skin can help decrease eczema symptoms. Moisturizing regularly creates an artificial barrier on the skin that prevents water loss and also keeps out foreign agents like bacteria, viruses, and other irritants. Keeping your skin well hydrated helps prevent dryness and cracking.

Apply a gentle, but rich, moisturizing product regularly, at least twice a day for best results. Reach for creams and ointments, which contain more oil than water and generally go a good job of sealing in moisture. Lotions have more water than oil and don’t tend to get the job done on skin with eczema. Pay attention to what your skin needs and adjust accordingly. For instance, during the winter the air is drier, so you may need to apply moisturizer more frequently or switch to something with a higher oil content.

Avoid Scratching

As hard as it may seem sometimes, try not to scratch the affected skin. Excessive scratching can cause more rashes, more areas of thickened skin, and puts you at greater risk of infections if you break the skin, which can also lead to scarring.

The best way to reduce the urge to scratch is to keep your eczema well controlled by following your treatment plan and making the recommended lifestyle changes for your eczema.

To deal with the itchiness when it does arise, try these strategies. Avoid anything that you know may irritate your skin, such as certain foods, materials, or stressful situations. Also dress in soft, breathable clothing — fabrics like wool can be itchy and may further irritate your eczema. It’s also helpful to find alternatives to scratching that can relieve itch without damaging your skin, such as gently patting the itchy area or putting a cool cloth or ice pack on it. Wear cotton gloves or cut your fingernails short to reduce the impact of nighttime scratching.

Minimize Scars

Scars are the natural result of the body repairing damage to the skin from wounds or scrapes. How you care for a wound, including inflamed or broken skin, affects how your skin heals. With good wound care, you can minimize or even prevent scarring.

If you already have scars from your eczema, keep them well moisturized and use sunscreen to avoid discoloration and help the scars fade.

Although treatment can help, prevention is always better than a cure when it comes to scars. To avoid scarring, be sure to keep any injured skin clean, then apply a moisturizer to avoid scabbing. Using a bandage over the affected skin will help keep it protected and clean so that it heals properly.

References

1. What Is Eczema - National Eczema Association

2. Minimizing Eczema Scars - MyEczemaTeam

3. Bathing, Moisturizing, and Wet Wraps - National Eczema Association

4. Eczema Treatment - National Eczema Association

5. Proper wound care: How to minimize a scar

By Nyaka Mwanza