Treatment for eczema is complicated and challenging. Treatment for eczema aims to modify or alter a health problem. If you are looking for the best eczema treatment, it is better to first understand what type of eczema you are suffering from and what causes it.

When suffering from eczema, the best treatment is to avoid scratching to trigger the itchiness of the skin. A cold compress can help relieve itching.

Listed below are the Treatments for eczema

Eczema medication

Medicines for eczema are added to your daily skincare when itching and rash from atopic dermatitis are poorly controlled. Medication is also required if there is an infection. Listed below are medicines for eczema

Topical steroids

Topical steroids are medicines for eczema that fight inflammation. They are beneficial when the rash is not well controlled. Topical steroids, such as ointments, creams, lotions, gels, and even tape, are available in many forms for treating facial eczema. Steroid pills or liquids, such as prednisone, should be avoided because of side effects and because the rash often comes back after they are stopped.

Topical Calcineurin Inhibitors (TCIs)

TCIs are also medicines for eczema, and treatments for eczema are on hand. They also treat inflammation but are not steroids. TCIs don’t cause steroid side effects. A common side effect of this is skin burning.

Tar-based soaps and shampoos for Eczema

Coal-tar extracts have long been used to treat eczema on the scalp. Tar shampoos, such as T-Gel, are often helpful for red and itchy scalps. For scalp scaling or flaking, T-Sal may be helpful.

Antihistamines

Antihistamines taken by mouth control allergy symptoms and can help reduce itching from atopic dermatitis. Some antihistamines cause drowsiness. This can make you feel less itchy and help you sleep.

Note: Due to the side effects caused by some of the eczema medicines, many people are looking into natural treatments for eczema.

Treatment for eczema on the hands.

Treatment for eczema on the hands involves, first of all, avoiding the cause. Finding the cause often takes time, detective work, and expertise.

However, finding the cause of eczema is essential to getting relief from the treatment of eczema on the hands. Once you know what is causing hand eczema, treatment can bring relief. Treatment involves avoiding what is causing the hand eczema. To help your hands heal, your dermatologist may include a moisturizer, barrier repair cream, or cortisone cream in your treatment plan.

A dermatologist can also tell you how to avoid what is causing eczema on your hands.

Even though it seems unlikely that you can avoid specific tasks, such as dipping your hands in water throughout the day or putting on a pair of latex gloves, a dermatologist can help.

Dermatologists have developed strategies to help their patients continue to work and avoid what is causing their hand eczema.

Treatment for eczema on the face.

Eczema on the face, aka atopic dermatitis, can be persistent. It may be necessary to continue various treatments over several months to control it.

It is essential to recognize the condition early to start treatment.

Treatments for facial eczema may include:

Identifying and preventing skin irritants
Avoid extreme temperatures
Lubricate your face skin with bath oils, creams, or ointments.
Use a humidifier. Warm indoor air can dry out sensitive skin, making itching and flaking worse. A portable home humidifier or oven connection adds moisture to the air inside your home.
Wear fresh, smooth-textured clothing. Reduce irritation by avoiding rough, tight, or rough clothing. Also, wear suitable clothing in hot climates or during exercise to avoid excessive sweating.
Treat stress and anxiety. Stress and other emotional disorders can make atopic dermatitis worse. Recognizing this and trying to improve your emotional health can help.

And even if the treatment for eczema on the face is successful, the signs and symptoms can return.

What is eczema?

Many ask what eczema is and what the difference is between eczema and dermatitis. In this article, we’ll discuss the causes, symptoms, types of eczema, and, of course, the most effective, safe, and best treatments.

Eczema is a typical skin condition that many people suffer from. The skin is often itchy, red, and flaky due to the physical and environmental irritants that affect the skin. Eczema can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or race. Research, however, has shown that it is most common in infants. It is also said that people with eczema often have a short family history of the condition or other allergic issues.

As stated, eczema can occur in infants, children, and adults on any body part. In an infant, you can see an outbreak of eczema on the forehead, cheeks, legs, scalp, and neck, while in adults, these red scaly spots appear on the neck, face, knees, and ankles. Eczema can also be a lifelong condition that occurs at different times in an individual’s life.

The word eczema can even be interchanged with dermatitis. However, dermatitis commonly implies that eczema results from contact with some substance or item.

It’s a condition where patches of your skin become rough, cracked, red, itchy, and inflamed, and occasionally, blisters can also form. ‘Eczema’ mainly refers to atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema. ‘Atopic’ describes various diseases that affect your immune system, such as hay fever, asthma, and dermatitis. Dermatitis is skin inflammation.

It usually develops in early childhood. Some people outgrow this skin condition, whereas others live with it for the rest of their lives. Eczema symptoms can vary according to the age of the person. Generally, atopic dermatitis develops by the age of 5. If you have eczema, you may experience periods of flare-up and periods where the symptoms worsen or improve.

The symptoms of eczema vary greatly. However, some common symptoms include:

Areas of swelling
Crusting or oozing
Scaly, leathery, or rough patches of skin
Dark patches of skin
Severe itching
Red, inflamed skin
Sensitive and dry skin

If you’re showing similar symptoms, you must visit a doctor and determine if you have eczema. If you have this skin condition, various home remedies for eczema can effectively mitigate the symptoms.

Eczema vs. dermatitis

There is no difference between dermatitis and eczema, as both are generic terms for “inflammation of the skin.” Both describe several types of skin conditions, consisting of red, dry patches of skin and rashes.

Generally, “eczema” and “dermatitis” are used interchangeably, although certain conditions are often referred to as one or the other.

Causes of eczema

We don’t know precisely what causes eczema. However, researchers believe that a combination of genes and triggers is involved in most types of eczema.
People with eczema tend to have an overreactive immune system that, when triggered by a substance outside the body, causes inflammation. This inflammation causes red, itchy, and painful skin symptoms common with most types of eczema.

Clinical studies also discovered that a mutation in the gene responsible for creating filaggrin could increase the risk of eczema in some people. Filaggrin is a protein that helps our body maintain a healthy protective barrier on the top layer of the skin. Without enough filaggrin to build a strong skin barrier, moisture can escape, and bacteria, viruses, and the like can enter. This is why many people with eczema have dehydrated skin and are prone to infections.

Listed below are some of the most common causes of eczema

Genetic Condition

Research indicates that the cause of atopic eczema is primarily genetic. Unfortunately, the precise genetic cause has not yet been discovered.

If someone with atopic eczema has a child, that child will likely develop the condition well. It has been shown in studies that almost two-thirds of children born to a parent with atopic eczema will then go on to develop the condition themselves. If both parents have the condition, then there’s about a 4 in 5 chance that the child will have it.

Allergies

Several environmental factors can make atopic eczema worse. For example, if a person is allergic to a particular substance, this can cause an allergic reaction, which causes the body to react abnormally. Examples of common allergens are pollen, pets, and dust mites.

Several food allergies have been known to aggravate atopic eczema. These include milk, nuts, eggs, wheat, and soy. About one in ten children reacts badly to such foods, although it is rare for foods to trigger eczema in adults.

Other Factors that Can Cause Eczema

Hormones

Changes in hormones during a woman’s menstrual cycle can cause a flare-up of eczema. Nearly a third of women experience eczema symptoms in the days leading up to menstruation. Also, about half of all pregnant women find that their eczema worsens while pregnant.

Stress

It is known that stress can contribute to eczema, although exactly how is unknown. However, sometimes it can also be the other way around, in that eczema can cause a person to feel stressed.

Exercise

Some people find that intense exercise can worsen their eczema symptoms due to sweat irritating the skin.

The Seasons

Many people find their eczema symptoms worse in the winter but better in the summer.

Types of eczema

The most common type of eczema is atopic dermatitis, but several different types of eczema affect people in many ways.

The different types are listed below.

Atopic eczema

This is the most common form, believed to be genetic. It is the form that is usually seen in children. If a parent suffers from asthma, hay fever, or eczema, the child will also suffer from eczema. Atopic eczema is characterized by itchy, inflamed skin. Atopic eczema will come and go depending on exposure to several factors, including things in their environment like pollen and mold, contact with certain soaps and detergents, contact with nickel in jewelry and perfumes, food allergies, or other allergies. There is strong evidence that a weak immune system worsens this condition. So, it will probably help to strengthen your immune system as much as possible.

Contact Dermatitis

This is a localized form of eczema. There are two types of contact dermatitis. The first is irritant contact dermatitis, where the skin is exposed to a chemical substance such as that found in cleaning agents. The second is known as allergen contact dermatitis. This is where the person suffers a reaction to an allergen like pollen, cosmetics, perfumes, or fabrics. It can be challenging to discover the trigger for contact dermatitis due to the large number of things that people come into contact with daily.

Seborrheic eczema

The typical symptoms of seborrheic eczema are scaly, oily, and yellowish patches usually found on the face and scalp. The most common places to find it are around the cheeks and nose creases. This type of eczema is usually not associated with itching. Oily skin, infrequent shampooing, and weather conditions can increase the chance of eczema developing.

Stasis Dermatitis

This condition generally affects people over fifty years old. It affects the lower legs and ankles and is associated with impaired circulation. The key symptoms for this area are dry, rough, scaly, red rash-like patches of skin and, in the worst cases, itching and swelling to the lower leg and ankle. This eczema can sometimes lead to leg ulcers, so it is best to seek medical advice.

Neurodermatitis

This is a chronic skin inflammation that starts with an itch, such as an insect bite. Once you start to scratch the itch, it results in a flare-up of this eczema. Women are generally affected more than men, and it usually affects people in the twenty- to fifty-year-old age group. The best cure for this type of eczema is not to scratch it in the first place.

Xerotic Eczema

This is a rare variety of cracked, frequently seasonal eczema. It is usually found on the limbs and torso and develops in older people.

Dyshidrotic Eczema (Pompholyx)

This eczema only occurs on the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands. Its characteristics are deep blisters that become itchy at night. It often gets worse in the spring and summer.

Discoid eczema

In contrast to dyshidrotic, discoid eczema is a condition that gets worse in the winter, identified by round red lesions, usually on the lower leg, which can either be excessively dry or oozing.

Nummular Eczema

This is a rare form and generally affects elderly men. Round patches of irritated skin are usually found on the back, buttocks, lower legs, and arms.

What are eczema triggers?

Eczema influences everyone differently. Someone’s triggers might not coincide with one another’s. You could experience eczema symptoms at certain times of the year or in various locations of your body.

The most common eczema triggers are:

Dry skin. When your skin is completely dry, it can quickly become weak, scaly, rough, or tight, resulting in a flare-up of dermatitis.
Learn more about the importance of moisturizing the skin for eczema flares.
Toxic irritants. Day-to-day products and all-natural materials can cause your skin to burn and itch or to become completely dry and red. These can include items you use on your body or at home—hand and meal soap, washing detergent, shampoo, bubble bath, body laundry, surface cleaners, and anti-bacterial. Also, some all-natural fluids, like the juice from fresh fruit, veggies, or meats, can aggravate your skin when you touch them.

- Steels.
- Cigarette smoke.
- Soaps and household cleansers.
- Particular textiles like wool and polyester.
- Antibacterial ointments like neomycin and bacitracin.
- Formaldehyde is anti-bacterial, with some injections and adhesives.
- Isothiazolinone is an antibacterial found in individual care products like infant wipes.
- Cocamidopropyl betaine is utilized to enlarge hair shampoos and lotions.
- Paraphenylenediamine is used in leather dyes and short-lived tattoos, among others.
- Tension. Psychological tension can be an eczema trigger. However, it’s not precisely known why. Some individuals’ eczema signs worsen when they’re feeling “worried.” Others might come to be stressed out, feeling in one’s bones they have dermatitis, which can make their skin flare up.

Symptoms of eczema

The symptoms of eczema are different for everyone. Eczema is usually itchy. For many people, the itch can range from mild to moderate. But in some cases, it can worsen, and you might develop extremely inflamed skin. Sometimes, the itch gets so bad that people scratch it until it bleeds, worsening your eczema. This is called the “itch-scratch cycle.”

Listed below are the common symptoms of eczema

Dry, sensitive skin
Inflamed, discolored skin
Rough, leathery, or scaly patches of skin
Oozing or crusting
Areas of swelling
Itching

You might have all of these symptoms of eczema or only a few. You might have some flare-ups, or your symptoms could go away entirely. The best way to find out if you have eczema is to consult a medical professional who can look at your skin and ask about your symptoms.

Home remedies for eczema—the most common natural treatment for eczema

Many creams are available for treating different types of eczema; however, these creams often only provide a temporary solution to the problem. Research has suggested that the best and most effective way to cure eczema quickly is to use natural remedies.

A natural treatment for eczema can help manage the symptoms of eczema without causing more damage or any side effects. Listed below are natural Treatments for eczema

Home remedies for eczema are safe and effective. In the United States, an estimated 35 million Americans suffer from eczema, with 10–20% being children. It might not be life-threatening; however, the red, itchy skin can be excruciatingly uncomfortable. Prescription and over-the-counter medications are generally prescribed but often lead to adverse effects such as dry skin and irritation.

home remedies for eczema

If you’re suffering from eczema, don’t worry. Various natural and home remedies for eczema can provide you with relief. They have fewer side effects and are also significantly cheaper than conventional methods.

The home remedies for eczema listed below are easily accessible, and results can often be more impressive than those of steroids and other pharmaceutical drugs.

Colloidal Oatmeal is one of the most common home remedies for eczema

Colloidal oatmeal has calming and soothing properties that can help with inflamed skin. It’s available in powder and cream form. If you want this natural treatment for eczema, mix the powder with lukewarm bathwater and soak it for about 10–15 minutes. After your bath, gently pat your skin dry and apply a generous amount of hypoallergenic moisturizer.

Colloidal oatmeal, also known as Avena sativa, is made from oats that have been ground and boiled to extract their skin-healing properties.

A study reports that colloidal oatmeal lotion has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, resulting in improved:

Skin dryness
Scaling
Roughness
Itch intensity

Coconut Oil tops the list of most popular home remedies for eczema.

If you’re looking for gentle home remedies for eczema, coconut oil is an effective natural moisturizer. Thanks to its anti-bacterial properties, coconut oil can minimize staph bacteria, preventing infection. This is highly beneficial for people with eczema, as irritated and inflamed skin patches can crack and ooze, increasing the chances of bacterial infection.

Coconut oil contains healthy fatty acids that can add moisture to the skin, which can help people with dry skin and eczema.

Also, virgin coconut oil may protect the skin by helping combat inflammation and improving the skin barrier’s health. Note: Using coconut oil can improve the symptoms of eczema better than mineral oil.

Aloe vera gel is an effective home-based treatment for eczema.

Aloe vera gel is derived from the leaves of the aloe plant. People have used aloe vera gel for centuries to treat various ailments. One everyday use is to soothe eczema. The fluids in Aloe vera form a thin film on the skin’s surface. Dry skin can aggravate eczema, so anything that adds moisture will help reduce the redness and dry patches typical of eczema.

A review carried out shows the effects of aloe vera on human health. The researchers reported that the gel has the following types of properties:

Antibacterial
Antimicrobial
Immune system-boosting
Wound-healing

The antibacterial and antimicrobial effects can prevent skin infections, which are more likely to occur when a person has dry, cracked skin. Aloe’s wound-healing properties may soothe broken skin and promote healing.

Sunflower Oil is another famous home remedy for eczema.

Studies show that sunflower oil is very effective in protecting the skin’s outer layer, retaining moisture, and preventing the entry of bacteria. It can also reduce inflammation and itching and provide hydration for your skin. The best way to apply this natural treatment for eczema is directly to your skin, undiluted, preferably after a shower or bath when your skin is still damp.

Along with these home remedies for eczema, various alternative treatments like homeopathy, acupuncture, and herbs for eczema can provide beautiful results.

Honey is an excellent home remedy for eczema.

Honey is a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent, and people have used it to heal wounds for centuries. Honey can help heal wounds and boost immune system function, which means that it can help the body fight off infections.

Honey helps treat various skin ailments, including burns and wounds, and has antibacterial capabilities. Applied directly to eczema, honey could help prevent infections while moisturizing the skin and speeding healing.

Alternative treatments for eczema.

Many people with eczema use products and practices outside of Western or conventional medicine to help manage their symptoms. If you use these natural therapies and medications a doctor prescribes, you use a “complementary” method of managing your eczema. If you use natural therapies instead of conventional medicine, you use an “alternative” method.
Before considering any treatment, it is essential to understand what is triggering your eczema. Knowing about the irritants in your daily environment can help you manage the condition better, whether using traditional medications, alternative therapies, or both.

Homeopathy for Eczema: The #1 natural treatment for eczema

Homeopathy for eczema provides a holistic approach. After an exhaustive evaluation, medications are personalized according to your symptoms, making them an effective eczema treatment. Homeopathy doesn’t have a single remedy but has various natural remedies for eczema, some of which include:

Sulphur: This homeopathic remedy can provide effective results if your eczema is dry and inflamed, particularly after a bath.
Graphites: If eczema mainly prevails in your groin, knees, and elbows and is painful, itchy, red, cracked, and very dry, graphite can be an excellent remedy.
Calcarea carbonica: If you’re suffering from moist and discharging eczema, particularly on your scalp, this homeopathic remedy can be helpful. It’s particularly effective for young children.

Homeopathy for eczema is a safe and effective approach with little to no side effects. Combined with other natural remedies for eczema, the results can be even more profound.

Acupuncture for Eczema: A Chinese ancient natural treatment for eczema

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an ancient wellness practice that balances all aspects of human health. Practitioners believe in a life force called qi that permeates the body, and when qi becomes unbalanced, it can lead to illness or disease.
TCM includes several treatments tailored to individual needs. This can be acupuncture or inserting thin needles at strategic points on the body; massage techniques such as acupressure, cupping, and Gua Sha; mental-bodily practices; and traditional Chinese herbs. TCM’s herbal arsenal includes more than 10,000 herbs, mainly found in some plants’ leaves, stems, and roots, and can take the form of powders, liquids, or topical agents.

Acupuncture for eczema offers a natural and effective treatment and can dramatically reduce the symptoms. This ancient Chinese method inserts very thin needles into your skin, affecting your nervous system, and helps with eczema by influencing the pathway of itching. It can be particularly effective for inflammation and itchiness. By calming down the itchiness, acupuncture also minimizes your chances of infection and skin damage.

There are various acupuncture points for treating eczema; for example, the ‘Bai Chong Wa’ point can be effectively utilized for dealing with itchiness, which can, in turn, prevent thinning or thickening, darkness, or redness, and discoloration of your skin. Acupuncture can achieve this by promoting blood circulation and encouraging your body’s natural repair and healing mechanisms.

Additionally, acupuncture for eczema can help increase sleep quality and decrease emotional stress. It can also regulate cortisol levels and detoxify your body, preventing future flare-ups.

Herbs for eczema: popular natural remedies for eczema

If you’re looking for alternative treatments, consider herbs for eczema. Various herbs can provide relief from symptoms.

Turmeric, with its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is one of the most popular herbs for eczema. It soothes your skin, minimizes digestive tract inflammation, and enhances liver detoxification.

Many herbalists swear by calendula for skin inflammation. When you apply it topically on your skin, this herb provides instant relief, is nourishing, anti-inflammatory, and promotes natural healing.

If you’re considering herbs for eczema, you should consult a herbalist to choose the right herb for your symptoms. You can also combine it with other natural and home remedies for eczema to increase its effectiveness.

Ayurveda – an ancient Indian herbal treatment for eczema

Ayurveda, which translates from Sanskrit as “knowledge of life,” is a system of medicine that originated in India over 5000 years ago. Like traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine seeks to balance the body through a specially selected toolbox that includes herbs, oils, dietary changes, massage, and body and mind practices such as yoga and meditation.

In the Ayurvedic system, people have ” doshas ” life forces that help determine what type of imbalance of mind and body they may be prone to. Ayurvedic practitioners use these doshas to describe how the body functions and how it can respond to various factors, such as what you eat or put on your skin.

Conclusion

For some people, eczema can be a life-long chronic condition. It might not be dangerous, but the symptoms can often be unbearable and make life difficult. Medications are costly and can come with adverse effects. The natural remedies for eczema mentioned above can be very beneficial in managing the symptoms and providing results. They have little or no side effects and are significantly more affordable. They can even be used alongside each other or with conventional treatment for increased effectiveness.

For your appointment for evaluation and natural treatment for eczema, contact our clinic and meet Dr. Tsan.