Thread: Eczema - it's not just for kids

After months of wishing away this red, flaky, itchy skin, I finally broke down and saw my Doc. She took one look and said "oh, eczema", promptly prescribed a steroid cream, lectured me on the side affects of overuse and sent me on my not-so-merry way.
I would normally be happy to just have some cream to make the symptoms subside, but get this, this eczema is on my eyelids! ICK! I certainly am not thrilled with rubbing a steroid cream that close to my eyes as they are a delicate and precious commodity.
Lastly - I niavely thought eczema was for kids and those with uber sensitive skin. Silly me. I'm, well, just out of my 20s - not a kid, and my skin is finicky, but this is the first I've seen of eczema.
All my anxiousness aside - I have to ask: is there a cure for eczema? The doc seemed to think I had two choices - zap it with steroid cream or if it turns into a chronic condition switch to a lotion safe for long term use. I tend to believe that nutrition and diet can heal most ills, so is there a special diet that works to battle and heal this stuff?
Does anyone have any experience with eczema? Care to share what works/doesn't work for you?
My eyelids thank you in advance...

My daughter has it on her eyelids as well and uses a special wash she got from the eye doctor to control it. That said, she can no longer wear contact lenses and has to wear minimal eye make-up. She doesn't wear make-up everyday now but saves it for special occasions.

My son has fought this on his hands for years. Hot showers and cold weather are especially bad for the eczema.

My daughter suffers from this intermittently and had her worst episodes in childhood, including having it on her eyelids. We concluded it's triggered by exposure to particulate allergens that she's inhaling as well as getting directly on her skin or in her eyes, and then once triggered it will tend to persist. Dust mites for one thing. And one of the worst and longest episodes she ever went through was started by being in a shop class where the room was full of pine sawdust, which she was obviously allergic to given that she would cough and sneeze violently on entering the shop room. That episode included months of itchy red scaly eyelids. She has always gotten these rashes when staying in places with forced hot air heating systems (where blowers down on the floor keep lots of dust airborne). Things you could try: vacuum your environment a lot, or much better yet, get someone else to do it. Change your pillowcase often and keep your bed covered with a bedspread during the day. Think about what you might be sensitive to that's getting in your eyes or on your face and try to eliminate or reduce exposure. House dust, sawdust, dog/cat dander, cigarette smoke residue, toiletries? Residues from laundry detergent or dryer sheets on your pillowcase? You might also think about whether exposure to something new happened just before the eczema appeared.
Good luck!
Rosette

i had it for a long time. it was coupled with a grass allergy and a lot of mosquito bites so that i would scratch in my sleep and woke up with raw skin that got the lint from my bedding stuck to it, occasionally i drew blood. it was in my elbow pits, knee pits and along the underwear line under my tush.
i used the steroid cream for a long time, several years, and it was probably not a good idea seeing as my doc thinks i now have polycystic ovarian syndrome T_T but it did help, didn't fix it for me but it helped. (of course correlation isn't causation, but i wonder). what ended up "fixing it" was time. i had it from birth until college and it shows up when it gets hot and humid (i just got back from Mexico and swimming in the salt water brought it back really bad) stress also amplifies it some.
aveeno was very good for me for a while, i use kiss my face almost butter or badger evolving body on my face (dry skin means early wrinkles), and avalon organics unscented body lotion for my legs and elbow pits, where the rash comes in.
my host brother had it from head to toe, his eye lids and privates. it was so sad, but he couldn't give up swimming because he wants to swim in the olympics, i think the chlorine pool everyday played a big roll (and the stress of training for the olympics when you're 8 yrs old....)
put the lotion on IMMEDIATELY after you get out of the shower. i wouldn't even dry off first, just wring out my hair and start slathering. this is because the heat opens your pours and lets the medication in better. it stings more but a sting right after the shower is better than hours of itching and bleeding. keep moisturized and if it shows up anywhere else keep it ventilated.
good luck, im sorry you have to deal with it.

I have it too. On my scalp and one patch on my right shin that have both persisted for years. I have steroid cream which I got last summer when it was diagnosed. I only use the cream on occasion since the eczema does clear up from time to time. I try not to use it often since it doesn't really seem to help me. The only thing that usually clears it up is will power not to scratch. I am vegan and gluten free and extremely careful about what products I use on my body so I'm pretty sure stress causes it for me because I don't think I am allergic to any products that I use. I guess I'm not much help, I just wanted to say you aren't alone. Eczema is really irritating. I hope the cream works for you and clears it up!

I would like to try this cream if I wasn't unemployed, it seems more natural :(
Peaceful Mtn. Eczederm Rescue :: Vegan Store.com - Pangea Vegan Products. The Best in Vegan Shopping.

Originally Posted by Morena

All my anxiousness aside - I have to ask: is there a cure for eczema?

No permanent cure, but stress can aggravate it, so some docs suggest meditation and other relaxation therapies to help manage it, in addition to obvious things like switching to mild soaps, minimal washing, and lots of moisturizing. Is it possible you're irritating your eyelids with old/contaminated eye makeup or harsh makeup removers? It might be a good time to reassess your cosmetic bag.

Care to share what works/doesn't work for you?

Aquaphor is often recommended for extremely dry, irritated skin on babies. It's OTC, nonsteroidal, and very safe to use on eyelids.

oh! i almost forgot! unscented dove soap and baby oil for makeup remover ^_^

Well at age 36 I have got Eczema for the first time. Got the steroid cream which worked initial but then had a relaspe.

Friend of a friend who is a naturopath reckoned it is a Liver problem and the skin is allegeric to whatever toxins is still in the blood.

I've had to use the cream again. I did something silly and went and exfoliated which caused the skin to break and I had weeping wounds.

I have some dead sea salt I want to try. I'm also on an exercise and diet change to clean out my insides and make my liver more efficient by lose the fat around my internal organs.

If anyone has any success stories with beating eczema I'd love to hear it.

Ok, these will sound weird, but if there's any chance it might help someone I am willing to risk looking like a wacko.

1. I had this problem on my eyelids as a young child, the doctor had my mother swab them with milk (of course it was whole milk at the time, no one used low or non-fat). I have no idea why, I think it softened up the scaly dead skin and enabled removal (my parents are no longer here or I would ask them for you) If this were happening to me now, I'd at least give it a try.

2. My son had eczema on his face (cheeks) at about age 3; it persisted for months and nothing I could do would make it go away, changing diet, etc., and cortisone ointment helped, but I was very concerned about using cortisone on his face for any extended period. I took him to an amazing chiropractor in San Diego who had a huge following (very old man whose name I don't remember, I can't imagine he is still around) who was an expert in sensing energy blockages. The doc said my son's problem was due to less-than-ideal function of his pituitary gland, he did a minor adjustment and I swear the eczema went away within a couple of weeks and never returned.

-Devora

Im battling it with my kids. My eldest daughter had it in the creases of her arms, so bad she needed antibiotics. Weirdly it just disapeared suddenly. And the only thing we did differently is cut out balsamic vinigar. Not sure if thats the reason why.

My second daughter had it as a baby and her skin was weeping with pus. We used steriod cream a few times and wet bandages and oneday it was gone, never to come back. Shes now turning nine. She has allergies to egg, milk, nuts,seafood.

My youngest is still battling, worse than the others. Has it all over her body. Sometimes it weeps pus. shes been to hospitial because of it and has had antibiotics twice. We use steriod cream and dermese ointment all over. Also wet bandage help alot. We use qv oil in the bath and I bath her twice a day in a bit warmer than luke warm water. Moisturising is so important. Just found out she is allergic to egg and borderline wheat.

Excema is related to asthma, hayfever and food allergies. Im glad my kids dont have asthma. The doctors said its likely they will get it but they havnt and Im keeping positive that they wont.

I get excema in the creases when Im pregnant and breastfeeding which leads me to think it has something to do with hormones. Also have heard its related to liver. Also heard UV rays from the sun can help but dont know much about that. Im allegic to rye grass and get hayfever(not so much now tho)I never had excema as a kid.

Have tried sea salt, didnt see much or any improvement although when we went to the beach my babys skin improved slightly.

I would love to hear of a cure....

I have it everywhere. Skin folds, wrists, scalp. Eyelid too.
I've always had one or two strange spots, but this is the first year that it's so horribly bad.

My dermatologist gave me a cream with urea. It does help.
Be careful with make up.

I second that one thing that definitely helps, is no scratching. Usually I don't have the will power though ..c::

I have psoriasis and the Other Half has eczema, at the minute it's just on his hands but with the cold weather it's cracking, bleeding and itching like crazy. I've tried two natural creams that have worked on both my psoriasis and his sore paws- first see if you can find Kigelia Africana (sausage tree) cream online, it's a natural cream that sort of teaches your skin to re-moisturise itself, apparently a lot of these things replace the moisturiser so the natural mechanisms think all's well...vicious circle!
The other was absolutely incredible- Pot of Gold balm managed to get rid of my first patch of facial psoriasis (right in the corner of the eye, so the glittery eyeliner was out of bounds!) that I developed in November, and also an ugly little wodge of the rotten stuff on top of my foot which I've had since I was about 9- haha, blasted after 21 years! It's also working wonders on Other Half's poorly mitts! I get it from Home of Poi - including Fire,Led and Glow twirling/juggling community , which is based in New Zealand but the shipping (I buy my poi stuff there as well!) is possibly even cheaper than postage within the UK- if you want to PM me I'll dig out my loyalty code and I think you get 10% off or something.
Hope it settles soon- the worst patch I ever had was a 6in crust between my shoulder blades which had me convinced I was turning into a Ninja Turtle... :(

Originally Posted by Avradoorn

I have psoriasis and the Other Half has eczema, at the minute it's just on his hands but with the cold weather it's cracking, bleeding and itching like crazy. I've tried two natural creams that have worked on both my psoriasis and his sore paws- first see if you can find Kigelia Africana (sausage tree) cream online, it's a natural cream that sort of teaches your skin to re-moisturise itself, apparently a lot of these things replace the moisturiser so the natural mechanisms think all's well...vicious circle!
The other was absolutely incredible- Pot of Gold balm managed to get rid of my first patch of facial psoriasis (right in the corner of the eye, so the glittery eyeliner was out of bounds!) that I developed in November, and also an ugly little wodge of the rotten stuff on top of my foot which I've had since I was about 9- haha, blasted after 21 years! It's also working wonders on Other Half's poorly mitts! I get it from Home of Poi - including Fire,Led and Glow twirling/juggling community , which is based in New Zealand but the shipping (I buy my poi stuff there as well!) is possibly even cheaper than postage within the UK- if you want to PM me I'll dig out my loyalty code and I think you get 10% off or something.
Hope it settles soon- the worst patch I ever had was a 6in crust between my shoulder blades which had me convinced I was turning into a Ninja Turtle... :(

Well those 2 creams are next on the shopping list.

So with the Kigelia Africana creme, is there a particular brand you can recommend?

My Eczema showed up suddenly a few months ago for the first time as small blisters which I thought might have be caused by detergent of the hands. Then when the skin went scaley we immediately thought it was ringworm.

Tried the anti fugals which didn't work. Coconut oil only helped a bit. Manuka honey was looking like it would work but as soon as you washed it off it went red again.

Cut a long story short I ultimately went to a dermatologist. Forked out $185 for a 5 min consultation before being diagnosed with Eczema.

For the life of me I can't figure out what the trigger could have been. There were two new Japanese restaurant I went to around that time and Subway introduced multi grain bread so I'm avoiding those things now.

Originally Posted by HubicRuzz

My Eczema showed up suddenly a few months ago for the first time as small blisters which I thought might have be caused by detergent of the hands. Then when the skin went scaley we immediately thought it was ringworm.

The small blisters you mention make it sound like [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyshidrosis"]dyshidrosis[/ame]. I have it pretty bad on both hand palms. I don't know if it's related to my 'regular' eczema, the only thing I do know is that it itches, scales and cracks even more. Plus, anyone who happens to see it, is grossed out and thinks I'm a freak.
I haven't found anything that relieves it.

Eczema can be a symptom of other conditions as well. I am 37 and had it for the first time ever this summer. It was quite persistant. When I was finally diagnosed with Lymes and subsequently treated for that, the eczema also went away (and apparently its been know to creep up before with Lymes and other issues). If you start having other symptoms that you didnt have before, you might want to ask your doc to investigate further.

The Kigelia Africana cream I use is Zambezia Botanica- I got mine at a local heath food shop but you should be able to get some online. I use the scalp application rather than a cream as there's no difference bar the texture and I'm happy enough to use something a bit sloppier on other bits of me if I can use the same tube of stuff in my hair!
If it hasn't made it's way as far as the scalp yet I'd go for the Pot of Gold first- I have psoriasis (hold on- got to count...) on my scalp, which I find the POG too greasy for, inside both ear canals, and...yay, having banished the corner-of-eye, top-of-foot, knee and middle-of-shoulderblades batches, that seems to be it atm!
Mine usually starts with little blisters- certainly I thought the new patch next to the eye was a spot or something at first (right until it went crusty ....looooovelllyyy...) and I gather that the whole Psoriasis Experience can be different for everybody- a pal had nasty cracked bits that wept honey-like goo.
Queenie- I think anybody who's got a skin lurgy somewhere visible feels your pain- the ninja-turtle look had me wearing cardigans in sweltering heat for years, and I was petrified that the eye thing was going to establish itself before Christmas. You can't help but feel crap when somebody you hardly know recoils as if you're a leper... ..cr.:
Maybe we should have a Flaky Dancers Support Group...

Oh yeah, and keep off the steroid creams other than as a last resort. I was left on them (ie repeatedly prescribed without being checked on, because the patch was still there, because the rotten cream didn't damn well work!) for several years. The skin on the back of my head is like paper now and the hair there is pretty pathetic really, and...still I scratch...aaargh!

One of my Goddaughters has has eczema all her life. What finally brought it under control was a cream we had made of Tea Tree oil and Shea butter. The tea Tree Oil works as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. We went to a compacting pharmacist to get it made. She rarely has outbreaks now and when she does, this still works well.

Her twin, who has never had an out break, used straight Shea butter. Those girls are going to have the most amazing skin when they get older!

Oh, and the twin with eczema, she was in the PICU for 4 weeks after birth. Her sister was only there for about 5 days. So we believe that it may have had something to do with her experience there.

{{{HUGS}}}

oh wow, thank you for all the great information! I am going to be doing some product research over the next few days...and evaluating my diet, and cleaning my house and linens...oh my. Really though, thank you all for the great tips. Especially the warning about the steroid cream - my Dr. also mentioned skin thinning - EEEEK! I am so glad you all have listed so many other options.
You all are the best!

I have had eczema on my face/neck for most of my life but I have it under control pretty well. I also feel like I am growing out of it as I grow older.

I never ever ever ever use any soap on my face except for basis and neutrogena in the summer. Most of the time I use Cetaphil and a luke-warm washcloth. sometimes I used cold cream. I avoid rinsing excessively or staying in water for any period of time (I've found this to be very important) and of course no hot water. I find that Eucerin or vaseline unscented for sensitive skin works well as my facial moisturizer.
other things I try to follow....
No talc (watch for this in makeup especially powder + eye shadow)
Foundation should be emollient, no 'stay put' makeups
Keep the area covered in really cold dry weather.
Keep yours hands really clean

as far as diet, stay away from the obvious inflammatory foods like too much caffeine, spicy foods, too much salt, drink lots of water and oh yes one of the best foods for your skin..... avocados! I eat an avocado 2-3 times a week and it really helps my skin, also olive oil is good.

Stress can trigger eczema so yoga and lots of bellydancing can help with that :)

So by doing all the above I've kept flakiness and redness to the minimum and even have made it disappear entirely. I've done the steroid creams with little success. good luck!

I really like having the 99% aloe gel around. When I get a flare, I like to use a bit calamine lotion for itching and then put aloe gel on it. The aloe really seems to soothe redness and irritation.

I also started taking burdock supplements a while back. Burdock is an old remedy for various skin conditions ranging from eczema to rosacia to acne. The naturopathic idea is that skin condition can result from suboptimal liver function (someone previously mentioned this) burdock is believed to help. I think it's the only natural supplement that I noticed actually helped my skin.

Something else I read is that Eczema can also be a sign that you are deficient in Essential Fatty Acids. So I'm taking Udo's Oil. You can also use fish oil or flak seed oil for the same purpose.

Well I had something strange happen last night. I had a blister the size of a match head spring up. Next morning it was still there but sometime before lunch the fluid disappeared, no breakage.

I was unexpectedly at an Arabic nightclub last night because I found out the violinst who plays there and is a friend is moving interstate. I got there 11pm, which is when the band starts up. I'm normally in bed at that stage.

So I'm at the table nibbling on mezza like hommus, nuts, carrots, lebanese bread and a tiny bit of soft drink. No dramas apart from trying to stay awake after a hard week in the gym.

12:15am in the early hours of the morning the mains came out. Grilled chicken with some kind of sauce, potatoes, brocoli, carrot. I wipe off as much of the sauce as I can with the knife.

About 12:50 I am dead tired. I look at my right hand at there is the blister. A bit freaked out I made a quick farewell.

So it seems either sleep deprivation can cause the eczema to flare up. Quite possibly what I ate could have caused it but it seems strange to me if I am allergic only a very small part of the body is showing a reaction.

Originally Posted by Avradoorn

Maybe we should have a Flaky Dancers Support Group...

I will join up.
My psoriosis started in high school. I have used every cream known to man either prescribed or OTC. I even use to do UV treatments twice a week. NOTHING has worked. What has worked for me is embrel. It is injected twice a week and not only has it helped my skin, but the arthritis that is linked with this most lovely disease. Please note tho, that unlike ez. psoriosis is actually an autoimune disease, not a skin disease although most of the treatments only address the skin symptoms.

My sister has ez. and since she has stopped working in a coffee shop where she had to constantly be washing her hands and moving to a slightly drier environment, her hands and what not have improved immensely.

Good luck with this. I know it can be hard and the itching is enough to drive anyone to the nutt house. I use to hide my skin, but after years of it, I just don't care anymore. If people want to stare, let them, it's on them, not you!

I had one bout of eczema in high school. I could pat my cheek and skin would fall like. It was all over my body. My back, my legs, etc.

I used Cetaphil right after a shower. It cleared up my skin well. I was also told not to take very hot showers. It was luckily just that one time.

I have had it off and on since I was a baby (was sent home from school quite a few times till I got a doctors note that I wasn't contagious,f::). Can be quite painful. Try to avoid things you might be allergic to, maybe your getting a reaction from your eye makeup. The last few times, I have had it on my lips, which gets very painful. I'm allergic too almost all chapsticks. I feel for you. Eczema does better with warmer weather/sunlight, so maybe summer time it might clear up. So best of luck.
Tammy

I had eczema for years when I was younger. I finally found out why there is no cure per se.

The skin is the biggest elimination organ. The other ones are the colon, kidneys, and the liver. Whenever something gets in your body that it can't handle, those organs do their best to get it out. So when you have rashes or outbreaks on your skin, it's your body's way of telling you that "Something is in here that I don't like and I'm trying to get it out. Can you help me?"

Creams and steroids and other topicals relieve the discomfort, but you have to help your body get the toxins out. Eliminate things you are allergic to whether it's food, chemicals, or pets (right now, my dad has really severe eczema because he is very allergic to my cats). Help your other elimination organs to by drinking water, having bowel movements regularly (if you eat 3 meals a day, your bowels need to move 3 times a day), stay away from alcohol, and you must do exercise that makes you sweat for 30 mins everyday. Keep stress at bay and get enough sleep. Lack of sleep throws the body off majorly, because the body likes a time table. Change it, and the body gets confused about when it's suppose to do it's functions. Another form of stress.

....

Hey Morena,

What is the status of your eczema?

I had a bad flare up a few weeks back after a half a glass of red wine, lack of sleep and grilled food.

I did resort to the cortisone creme for 5 days and now it is cleared up for the first time in 6 months.

I also have been in the gym to lose 5% bodyfat and clean up my diet since January to improve my inner health. I'm assuming my liver and kidneys are functioning better now than in January. I'm now at 20% bodyfat which is considered average. In January it was over 25% which was borderline overweight.

I thought I would update this. I still have eczema. Most affected areas at the hands and underarms. 2 weeks ago I got it around my right eye. I have only use the steroid cream on my hands and I reckon it comes back worse so I treated the eye with a lot of natural therapies.

For weepy wounds I found that silica gel is great. It provides instant relief and heals the wound. This is a must have for me. I also ingest it, 1 tablespoon in water daily.

Silicea Body Gel

I also stumbled across a herbal pharmacy near my office. Place is amazing. They recommended something called chickweed cream which they make up themselves, 10%. Not sure what else is in it but has a medicated smell to it. Not sure if it does anything but I use it like a moisturiser on the eczema.

Newtons pharmacy, natural cream, ointment, compounding, organic, miessence, karpati

I also concentrated on improving inner health. I did a mini detox, with more raw vegetables and dietary fibre, then making sure I went to sleep at a reasonable time.

I also took these herb skin tonic tablets.

http://www.fusionhealth.com.au/ecomm...ywords=&page=1

Amazing the eczema around the eye cleared up. I was a bit worried because at its worst it looked like I had a black eye.

Now I just have to be as diligent with the eczema on my hands. Couldn't find a shop that sold the pot of gold balm so might order it from the internet and give it a go. I did get some kind of cream at the health shop. I should try that as well but didn't use it as regularly as the chickweed cream. I might try the steroid cream again on the hands to speed up recovery then keep treating the area with silica and chickweed cream.