Americans are no strangers to eczema — the skin condition affects about 1 in 10 people in the United States, often peaking in childhood. But if it followed you into adulthood, or you have adult-onset eczema, there’s good news and bad.
The bad news is that adult eczema can be more severe. The good news is that you’re not without solutions that will keep your skin healthy and you more comfortable.
In this blog post, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Bruce Saal and our team here at Los Gatos Dermatology share some of these strategies for managing eczema. Let’s take a look.
If you’re reading this, we’re going to assume that you know a little bit about eczema, but we want to quickly review what you're up against with this common skin condition.
The average adult skin covers an impressive 22 square feet, making it the body’s largest organ. The primary role of your skin is protective. It acts as a shield against potential dangers, both real and perceived.
Eczema is one of those perceived dangers. Your skin reacts to an allergen or irritant, which leads to inflammation in the form of atopic dermatitis.
As we mentioned, eczema commonly develops in childhood, and many kids grow out of the condition. That said, some carry eczema into adulthood, and 1 in 4 adults with eczema report late onset.
No matter how you ended up with eczema, we understand how frustrating and uncomfortable the condition can be. While there is no cure for eczema, there are some effective management tools that we want to review here:
Eczema often flares up under certain circumstances that range from weather to the clothes you wear. One of the best ways to keep your eczema from flaring is to figure out your particular triggers.
One way to do this is to keep a diary. Anytime you see a change in your eczema, note the circumstances (what you ate, the weather, what you came into contact with) so we can track trends and patterns.
Using this diary technique, we can quickly identify what triggers your eczema, which allows us to help you come up with a trigger avoidance plan.
When you have eczema, give your skin a little extra TLC. First, keep your skin well-moisturized with gentle lotions that don’t contain any extras, such as fragrances and other additives that can irritate your skin.
You should also hydrate your skin from the inside and drink plenty of water throughout the day.
People with eczema need to be very careful about heating up their skin, so be mindful of protecting yourself against the sun and avoid using hot water during a bath or shower.
Another good practice is to figure out which fabrics work best with your skin, such as cotton. Often, synthetic fabrics and wool can irritate your skin and lead to an eczema flareup.
While we’re on the topic of clothing, use only gentle detergents that don’t have unnecessary additives.
You need an experienced dermatology team in your corner, such as the one that Dr. Saal heads up here at Los Gatos Dermatology. Through our oversight, we can make sure you have the right prescription medications to manage your eczema, and we can work with you on figuring out your triggers.
While our treatments are designed to prevent your eczema from flaring, we're here to help you manage any flare-ups with light therapy treatments and topical medications.
With a little planning, expert oversight, and some lifestyle tweaks, we have every confidence that you can gain the upper hand on your eczema.
For experienced and expert eczema care, please contact our office in Los Gatos, California, today to set up a consultation.
