How Eczema Affects the Face
One of the worst places for an eczema sufferer to develop eczema is on their face because everybody sees other people’s faces. Having to cope with the dryness, itchiness, redness and inflammation of eczema is difficult enough but having it front and center on your face often causes problems with a person’s self image and level of self confidence which makes it an even more dismal skin disorder.
Eczema that affects the face has similar symptoms to when eczema affects other parts of the body. There is often dryness of the skin, redness, and on occasion if the eczema is severe enough, cracking of the skin, scabbing, scaling and oozing (or weeping) of fluid. Some patients suffer with eczema just on their faces while others experience it on other parts of their bodies as well.
Atopic eczema is the most widespread type of eczema and it commonly begins in infancy and childhood. Many babies develop it between the ages of one to six months. Frequently the forehead and cheeks are affected first but then it can spread to other parts of the face and sometimes to the body as well. Some children have a localized form of eczema (i.e. just on their face) while others have a more generalized type that affects them all over.
The three main symptoms of facial eczema are redness, dryness and constant itchiness. Not resisting the urge to scratch could lead to the affected skin becoming thicker and in some people, especially those with a darker skin tone, to the skin actually becoming darker due to the skin disorder. When facial skin become thicker the normal markings of the skin often become more visible and this leads to the skin’s appearance being described as “lichenification.” The eyelids of the sufferer are often a target for problems when this happens. Thickening of the eyelids (or blepharitis) can be a persistent recurring problem for those afflicted by facial eczema.
Seborrhoeic eczema is often another common reason for facial eczema to plague both many adults as well as many children. When adults develop it the areas affected are the scalp, the inner eyebrows and the creases beside the nose. Sometimes the eyelids (blepharitis) are affected as well. The scalp in this instance sheds dandruff and the facial skin is red and shows yellowish types of flakes. Seborrhoeic eczema is believed to be connected to an allergy of a yeast that is naturally found in the seborrhoeic or greasy areas of both the scalp as well as the face. This kind of eczema tends to be very frustrating and commonly recurs time and time again.
Seborrhoeic eczema is slightly different in babies than it is in adults. If an infant is going to develop this kind of eczema he or she generally will get it before they turn three months old. This type, often referred to as “cradle cap” causes flakes behind the ears as well as thick yellowish flakes on the baby’s scalp but rarely affects any other part of the face. The good news about this form of eczema is that it generally goes away in the child’s first year of life and it is not itchy. However approximately one quarter of children who develop seborrhoeic eczema will be at a higher risk of developing atopic eczema down the line.
A Hand Up Caring for Eczema Hands
The best advice for those with eczema on their hands is to keep your hands well moisturized and do your best to avoid anything that could irritate your skin. This is not always a simple task but avoiding irritants to the best of your ability will keep keep red, swollen, itchy and cracked skin at bay.
Many things around your home and workplace could serve to bother the sensitive skin on your hands. Some of these could include, but not be limited to detergents, household cleaners, air fresheners or sprays, soap, cosmetic products, perfume, aftershave lotion, turpentine, gasoline, pain stripper and other solvents and a variety of chemicals. Skin is likely to break out the more often you find yourself in close proximity to any of these substances. Having your hands in and out of water too much and washing them excessively with soap is a no no as it can serve to dry your skin out ten times faster. However when you do wash your hands, always dry them thoroughly and that includes between the fingers as well. Also make sure all soap residue has been rinsed away before you dry your hands off.
Wear a pair of vinyl or plastic gloves that fit properly at work or at home whenever it is absolutely necessary for you to have your hands in and out of water. If you suspect but don’t know for sure that a substance will irritate your skin then wear gloves to prevent anything bad from happening. The more you protect your hands the better. It is a good idea to wear a pair of thin cotton gloves under a pair of plastic gloves in order for the cotton gloves to soak up the sweating you are bound to do because you are wearing gloves in the first place. Always take breaks from the task at hand and when you do so, take off both pairs of gloves and give your hands some air. This prevents too much sweat from building up in the gloves, which can trigger a flare-up of eczema. Wear a pair of regular gloves whenever you step outside during the winter months. The cold air, blustery wind and low humidity of the winter season can dry the hands out tremendously, even on days when the temperature is moderate and there is no wind.
Moisturize your skin every day without fail, in the morning and before you go to bed, regardless of what time of day you bathe. That includes your hands as well. Moisturizers keep the skin supple and hydrated and prevent skin from cracking, as well as keeping flare-ups at bay. Well-moisturized skin does not age as quickly either. A very basis “no frill” kind of moisturizer is best. Avoid anything with alcohol or fragrance in it and choose one that is more on the greasy side as opposed to the creamy side. Regular petroleum jelly is an excellent choice for hands, whether it is a brand name like Vaseline or a generic form. Another excellent hand cream for eczema skin is Eucerin 5% Urea Hand Cream which has a light texture and is both free of fragrance and color. This moisturizer is suitable for everyday use and cuts down on the tightness of skin that plagues some eczema sufferers.
Skin Care Eczema Style
Those who have eczema have skin that is extra sensitive to everything. Eczema skin therefore must be treated as gently as a baby’s skin would be. This means be careful with it when you bathe, dry off, when you moisturize and be extra special and so picky about what products you use on your skin. Even if you only have eczema in one place on your face or body it can easily spread. Learning the proper skin care regime is half the battle. Let’s take a closer look.
Eczema is at its most general level defined as a skin condition that is “a form of dermatitis, a skin irritation characterized by red, flaky skin, sometimes with cracks or tiny blisters.” Eczema can be mild, moderate or severe and it has the frustrating ability to flare-up and then go away, only to flare-up again, perhaps in days, weeks or months.
Keeping your skin clean and well moisturized is the most important skin care tip there is for eczema patients. Well-hydrated skin is healthy skin while dry skin is parched skin in need of more lubrication. When your skin has adequate moisture in it, it tends to hold in natural moisture that is added to it to a much greater extent than does drier skin. Also, well-moisturized skin heals much quicker than does skin that is drier. Any toiletry or cosmetic product that takes natural oils from the skin should be avoided at all costs. This includes bubble baths and many types of body washes. Read labels carefully to determine what is okay to use and what is not.
The kind of cleanser and/or soap you use plays a big role in your daily skin care regime. What you use can make or break your eczema flare-ups. Choose a gently product such as one from Dove or Neutrogena but use a modest amount. When your eczema is at its very worse you might want to consider using a no-soap kind of cleanser such as Cetaphil or even just plain soap and water. Also when you are suffering a flare-up and your skin is very itchy, washing with sorbolene cream is an excellent option. Experiment with different mild cleansers to see which ones work the best with your skin. Not everyone’s eczema is the same therefore not all patients will find relief with the same products.
The best type of moisturizer for an eczema sufferer is one classified as being an emollient. An emollient is greasier in its consistency than a regular moisturizer and therefore the best choices for ultra sensitive eczema prone skin. When you take a bath, always run lukewarm water (not hot- ouch!) and add a generous amount of emollient bath oil to the water. Then after getting out of the bath, while your skin is still damp, apply an appropriate moisturizer. Some of the most well known emollients on the market today include Aqueous Cream (UEA), Lipobase with Cetomacrogol, Emulsifying Ointment (HEB), Epaderm, White Soft Paraffin and Oilatum Cream. Oilatum Plus is a fantastic choice to use in the bathtub and two other emollients that are successful at doing their job include Aveeno and Balneum.
Top Places where Eczema Appears on the Body
According to the National Institute of Health, approximately fifteen million people in the United States are affected by eczema in one form or another on a yearly basis. Approximately ten to twenty percent of all babies develop eczema although the good news is that many will outgrow it any time between the ages of five and sixteen years old. Research studies have shown that an average of sixty to seventy percent of children will be free of eczema by the time they reach their teenage years or early adulthood. However some children will be afflicted with the condition for their entire life. Many who have a moderate to severe case of eczema as a youngster will have a milder case, as they get older.
No two cases of eczema are the same. Some individuals experience one set of symptoms while others experience a different set. Eczema is usually manifested by red, dry, inflamed and itchy skin. Some individuals refer to eczema as “the itch that rashes.” The reason for this is that often the itch of eczema comes first. When the sufferer gives in to the urge to scratch, the result is usually a rash, and often a serious rash.
Eczema is not specific to any area of the body, and can make an appearance practically on any spot of the skin. In babies the most popular spots for eczema to erupt are on the scalp, forehead, cheeks, neck, forearms and legs. Children and adults are most likely to develop the skin condition on their faces, necks, the knees, the ankles and the inside of the elbows. There is no way for anyone to know ahead of time where the eczema will develop on the body.
Some people will only battle eczema on one part of their body while other will battle it in a multitude of places. Some eczema patients are covered from head to toe and know well how bad the suffering and discomfort can get. As well, for some reason it is possible to have it moderate to severe in one of more areas but have a milder case of it in other places on the body. For example, mild eczema on the face but moderate eczema on the arms and knees. A number of people have eczema so severe that it scales, bleeds and in some cases, bubbles and weeps fluid. In a great deal of cases the skin problem can appear as flaky, scaly skin that is red, dry, and very scratchy.
With excessive scratching cracks in the skin can make the skin very susceptible to secondary viral or bacterial infections. Other times extreme scratching can lead to the thickening of the affected skin where the skin becomes leathery in appearance and then thickens. This skin thickening process is known as “lichenification.” Anything you can do in regards to the management of your eczema to prevent this problem from occurring is a worthwhile investment in your skin. Always keep your doctor informed about any changes that you note in your skin condition and also about whether the meds you are using are showing improvement or not.
