Tag: Eczema Treatment

Eczema Treatment, the Natural Way

Eczema has a nasty way of drying out your skin. That means the most upfront way of eczema treatment is to bring back all the moisture it lost, is still losing. But we all know that the moisturizers we see on flashing commercial ads will not do the job. As some people who have tried them for eczema treatments said, those products do not even work skin-deep.

Those much hyped lotions have chemical ingredients that even lead to eczema outbreaks. The reason? The ingredients that supposedly work do not get absorbed by your skin, or they do the opposite of moisturizing: they accelerate skin drying and even irritate it. So much for that. The best case scenario with these commercial lotions and moisturizers is that, when you rub them on your skin, you do get some rehydration, which just as soon leaves your skin.

So what you need is not a stop-gap treatment. Something that helps your skin heal enough so that, by itself, it could retain moisture without much or with no help at all from external applications. You need a substance like Shea Butter, which brings back skin elasticity. That means your skin gets healed not in the manner of a temporary rehydration, but at the cellular level. Elasticity returned means your skin can retain the vital moisture it needs.

Shea gets absorbed quickly deep into your skin, seeping down into the skin layers, and because it has a remarkably high level of fatty acids (a component that is crucial in bringing back skin elasticity and moisture retention), it is probably the best treatment for eczema not seen on ads and posters.

Although other kinds of butter may also have some fatty acid components, the fatty acid in Shea butter is remarkably higher than, say, cocoa butter, and other vegetable butter. This makes this butter catapult to the top of your list of butters to buy as natural treatment for your eczema.

The benefits of going all natural does not end there. Shea butter even helps your skin improve the rate at which it heals burns and wounds, and even curbs instances of ugly scars. This is because Shea has vitamins A and E plus anti-inflammatory capacities. Healing and scar prevention aside, She also provides your skin with UV protection, and a natural shield against air pollutants exposure to which, over time in smoggy cities, can damage your skin.

This natural ways of treating your eczema can also come in blends with other natural products, allowing you to enjoy more benefits from more natural ingredients. When you use Shea Butter in lotions that contain them (but without the ingredients that reduce their effects), you deliver on your skin the most natural eczema treatment there is. When you combine this with some essential oils, like calendula, chamomile, and lavender, the combination heightens the moisturizing effects and prevents skin inflammation.

So do be cautious with flashy commercials pitching moisturizers that promise heavenly moisturized skin, but brings nothing much. Yes, some products might have Shea Butter amounts, but that amount along with some other ingredients, may overall negate Shea’s effectiveness against eczema. Best to go pure and natural.

More medical professionals are getting wind of the effective eczema treatments via Shea Butter. The outcome is that word of mouth coupled with established studies about Shea’s effective and no side effect treatment spreads. This is effective eczema treatment, the natural way.

Eczema Treatment Whats a Pregnant Woman with Eczema to

Eczema Treatment Whats a Pregnant Woman with Eczema to Do?

A woman with eczema during pregnancy is swamped with a lot of concerns. Should she continue her typical eczema treatment? Will it not have some nasty effects on the baby shes carrying in her womb? Its normal for her to be concerned about both her and her babys health when it comes to taking medications, since side effects obviously expose the two of them to certain risks.

1. It is best to talk with your doctor before continuing to take any eczema medications. Some medications are safe for use during pregnancy, while others may cause birth defects. That is why medications are categorized based on their potential effects to a pregnant woman and the baby inside her. Her doctor can help weigh the benefits and risks of continuing with her eczema medications, and advise her accordingly should there be a need for alternative treatments instead.

2. One of the symptoms of eczema flare ups is itchiness. A pregnant woman should be able to rest and sleep a lot to ensure her healthy pregnancy. However, at night, a restful sleep may become extremely difficult to achieve because of severe itching. Because of this, she should ask her doctor for a medication that will relieve this dilemma a medication without any bad effects to her and her babys health.

3. There are many eczema remedies out there that claim to be herbal or all natural. A pregnant woman should not just take them right away without consulting her doctor first. Even though these kinds of medications sound like theyre safe for use, they do not come without side effects. She should never believe right away their claims that they do not endanger the health of a person in any way. The truth is some of these products have been linked to cases of miscarriages, premature births and birth defects.

4. The best thing a pregnant woman with eczema to do is prevent the occurrence of flare ups. She can achieve this by carefully sticking to good skin practices designed especially for eczematous skin. When taking a bath, she should use lukewarm water instead of hot water. A gentle soap should be used, the kind free of fragrances, colorants and other chemicals that may irritate her skin condition. She should remember to apply moisturizers onto the affected skin areas within 2-3 minutes after taking a bath. Moisturizing is a pregnant womans first line of defense against flare ups.

5. Stress reduction is advised for every pregnant woman not just for those with eczema. Of course pregnancy is a stressful phase in a womans life. However, she should find ways on how to effectively relax and get rid of thoughts that cause her stress. Stress will only aggravate her eczema. It also has some bad effects such as premature labor and birth, low birth weight and many others.

6. A pregnant woman should be able to point out the triggering factors for her flare ups, and try her best to stay away from them. Some of the most common triggering factors include perfumes, detergents, fabrics like polyester and wool, and others. Excessive heat and cold also causes flare ups. During summer, she should avoid sweating too much by staying in air-conditioned rooms with humidifiers installed. During winter, she should always apply moisturizers to prevent the skin from excessive drying.

Eczema treatment for a pregnant woman is really not at all that tricky, as long as she sticks to the pointers mentioned above, and with regular communication and checkup with her doctor.

Eczema Treatment Triggering Factors to Steer Clear Of

Whats better than employing an eczema treatment for the skin diseases many symptoms? Its staying away from the things that trigger such symptoms, that is. Although there are many ways of alleviating inflammation, itching and scaling of the eczematous skin during flare ups, preventing them from occurring is still the best management you can give to your self. Read on to learn about some of the known triggering factors of eczema flare ups.

Skin Irritants

Avoid the affected skin from coming in contact with fabrics such as nylon, polyester and wool. Unless lined with cotton material, do without clothing items that use latex, rubber and other synthetic materials. Fabrics that are less likely to trigger flare ups are cotton and linen. They are also best as beddings.

If doing housework is unavoidable, protect your hands. For doing the laundry, use PVC gloves to protect the skin from hard water and harsh detergents. For gardening and cleaning the house, use cotton gloves. They will prevent unnecessary cleaning of the hands with soap and water afterwards.

When buying cosmetics, you should opt for fragrance- and alcohol-free items. Try to apply the makeup on small areas of the unaffected skin before applying them on your face. Never apply make ups on lesions to hide them. They will only worsen and get more noticeable.

Skin dryness causes itchiness; that is why you should avoid contact with alkalis. They include soaps, shampoos, detergents, shaving creams and others. Try to look for items that are hypoallergenic and contain no harmful chemicals.

Sweat can irritate eczematous skin as well. If you need to perform an exercise regimen, try to do so in cool and well-ventilated areas. Also, doing them in short sessions will be a lot easier on your skin.

Weather and Allergens in the Air

There is a reason why eczema is more common in industrialized and urban areas. Exposure to air pollution and smog will only increase the risks of having flare ups. Skin dryness is also affected by extremes in temperature, such as a very cold, and hot and humid weather conditions. It is best if you install a humidifier if your house has central heating or air conditioner.

Try to keep the house free of dust; vacuuming of curtains and carpets must be done on a weekly basis. Steer away from house dust mites, molds, pollen grains and animal dander such as hair, feather and scales. For beddings, change or wash them weekly with mild detergent and rinse them thoroughly to help in lessening the occurrence of flare ups.

Food Restrictions

Researches have shown that certain foods, especially in infants and young children afflicted with the skin disease, have an adverse reaction on eczema. However, such adverse reactions tend to dissipate as they grow older.

The best way to find out which food items cause flare ups is to monitor daily what you put in your mouth. This way, you can avoid consuming them next time, so the eczema symptoms are put off as much as possible.

Some of the foods that tend to cause flare ups include milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat and sea foods. It has also been shown that certain food preservatives and additives such as sulfites and MSG may also contribute to flare ups.

The best eczema treatment around is the one which helps prevent the occurrence of flare ups. With lesser flare ups, the lesser you need to take prescribed medications for alleviating the symptoms and tolerate their side effects.

Eczema Treatment The Use of UV Light

There is a form of eczema treatment which does not require the patient suffering from the skin disease to take medications. Its called phototherapy or light therapy a treatment for certain skin conditions using artificial light wavelengths from the suns ultraviolet spectrum.

Phototherapy involves the use of two kinds of UV light: UVA and UVB. Sometimes only one kind of UV light is used; other times, a combination of both is employed, of course depending on the recommendation of a specialist. It is prescribed by some doctors for patients with eczema, particularly those with atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis. So when does a doctor advise a patient to undergo phototherapy? When the eczema is widespread and does not respond to any medications applied onto the affected areas.

How long does the treatment last before significant results are evident?

Treatment by exposure to UVB light is considered to be the safer form of phototherapy. It is recommended for a person afflicted with eczema to undergo 3-5 treatments per week. The amount of UVB light used is gradually increased depending on the diseases response and the type of skin of the patient. Usually, a noticeable improvement on the affected skin is observed within 1-3 months of therapy.

Are there any side effects when I undergo this treatment?

The UV light used in phototherapy, although artificial, is still much like the one emitted by the sun. That is why exposure to this kind of light must be carefully done under the supervision of a specialist in order to prevent sunburn and other potential effects on the body. What are these potential side effects? One is the possible development of cataracts a condition which involves the clouding of the normally clear lens of the eyes. During a phototherapy session, the patients eyes are protected by special goggles to prevent the UV light from harming the eyes and vision.

Premature skin aging may also be another potential side effect of phototherapy, although limited to prolonged treatments only. However, the patients exposure to UV light is administered in controlled doses by a specialist, so any skin damage that may arise is significantly kept at minimum.

Isnt it that exposure to UV light causes skin cancer?

We all know that prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can cause skin cancer. Sunlight has UV light; phototherapy uses the same kind of light as that emitted by the sun. Yes, this is very much true. But then again, phototherapy is controlled and administered by a specialist, and each phototherapy session does not take long hours of exposure to UV light. Usually, the first treatment only takes a few seconds, working up to a few minutes each side of the body as the treatment course progresses. Of course, much of it still depends on what the specialist deems appropriate.

How does UV light help relieve eczema symptoms?

You might have heard before that some dermatologists actually recommend their patients suffering from skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis to have their skin exposed to sunlight at times. So whats in sunlight that makes it beneficial to such skin conditions? Yes, its UV light.

UV light kills the T cells in the affected skin, resulting to reduction of redness and slowing down of the production of skin cells that cause scaling. Because of the same effects, phototherapy is considered as an effective eczema treatment, when other treatment methods fail to yield positive results.