What is eczema & dermatitis?

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a condition that causes dry, itchy and inflamed skin. It’s common in young children but can occur at any age. Eczema damages the skin barrier, making the skin prone to skin irritation, skin inflammation and extreme dryness. Atopic dermatitis is long-lasting (chronic) and tends to flare sometimes. It can be irritating but it’s not contagious.

People with eczema-prone skin are at risk of developing food allergies, hay fever and asthma.

Moisturising regularly with DU’IT products and following other skin care habits can relieve itchy skin and prevent new outbreaks (eczema flare-ups). Eczema treatment may also include medicated ointments or eczema creams.

What are eczema & dermatitis symptoms?

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) symptoms can appear anywhere on the body and vary widely from person to person. They may include:

• Dry skin
• Skin cracking
• Itchiness (pruritus)
• Rash on swollen skin that varies in colour depending on your skin colour
• Small, raised bumps, on brown or black skin
• Oozing and crusting
• Thickened skin
• Darkening of the skin around the eyes
• Raw, sensitive skin from scratching

Eczema (atopic dermatitis) often begins before age 5 and may continue into the teen and adult years. For some people, it flares and then clears up for a time, even for several years.

How to manage Eczema & Dermatitis

There is currently no cure for eczema and dermatitis. You may have heard that your eczema/dermatitis or your child’s eczema/dermatitis will go away as you get older, but this does not happen for everyone.

The good news is that there is lots you can do to manage eczema and dermatitis. It does not have to stop you or your child from enjoying life and doing the things you all want to do.

There are two treatments that work well together to manage eczema and dermatitis.

1. Moisturising creams (’emollients’) to keep control.
2. Flare control creams (usually topical corticosteroids, also refered to as steroid creams) to get control.

Both treatments are needed. This is because they help control eczema and dermatitis in different ways.