Eczema? UPdated with question at bottom

Does anyones child have Eczema?
DD was just diagnosed and I have a few questions with regards to medication, soap, detergent etc.
TIA

Message edited 10/25/2013 8:45:16 PM.

Eczema?

my DS has eczema, since he was about a year old. 2 patches on the back of his legs. i was told by the ped and allergist (he sees an allergist for food allergies and asthma but they all seem to be related) to constantly moisturize, don't let it get dry. i use cetaphil lotion. if i apply it a few times a day, it keeps the eczema at bay but never totally gone. if i am not so great with it or he scratches it more than usual and it gets really inflamed, i have a prescription hydrocortizone that clears it up in a day or two. problem is, i don't want to use it long term so once you stop, it comes right back.

i also follow the advice of the ped to not bathe him every day (every other) and use a very mild soap. we use aquaphor body wash/shampoo.

you might have to do a little trial and error on the soaps and lotions to see which are least irritating for your DD.

Eczema?

My DS has it right above his knees. I use a regular hydrocortisone and Aquafor on the affected areas at night and it clears up quickly. If I miss a night though, it comes right back.

I use the Aquafor body wash as well and free and clear detergents (although I was doing that before DS snice I have sensitive skin and eczema too).

Re: Eczema?

Eczema?

yep.. in the crook of her arms.. (inside elbow) is the worse part.
Her back, upper arms, calves, thighs are all also areas..

wash every other day
I do NOT towel her dry, I slather her in Aquafor, rubbing it into her skin especially the problem areas.
She also has a steriod lotion for bad break outs. ($600) but we can only use that sparingly. I keep her nails trimmed and filed as she does significant damage to her skin.

ETA: AJ is 5.. . hasn't outgrown it yet.

Message edited 10/25/2013 4:02:13 PM.

Re: Eczema?

Thank you for all the information.
The dermatologist said to use a fragrance free bath soap and detergent. She also said not to use a wash clothe during bath time. She did not say anything about bathing DD every other day though.
My only main concern is she gave me a non-steroid cream to use 2 x a day for almost a month called Elidel but every time I do research on the medication, there are huge warnings about being associated with Cancer. This obviously does not sit well with me at all.
Does anyone have a prescription non-steroid cream that does not have crazy side effects?

Any other information would be great.

DD's eczema seems to be mainly on the back of her thighs and behind her knees. Much more mild on the back of her upper arms.

UGH, I hope she grows out of it.

Eczema? UPdated with question at bottom

We wash with cetaphil restoraderm. I used to order it online but now cvs sell it. It's different than just regular cetaphil. We also use cerave lotion in the tub (better than pump). We have used steroid creams and an antibiotic/steroid combo cream for bad areas.

Re: Eczema? UPdated with question at bottom

I bathe DD as often as needed. I use california baby super sensitive wash and shampoo which is unscented. DD does not react well to cetaphil. After her bath, I pat dry and slather her in babyganics bye bye dry as quickly as possible. You want short baths and then to immediately seal in the moisture. If she's having a flare up, I'll do aquaphor but I can't stand the stickiness. I have a steroid cream but only use it when really necessary.

Check out nationaleczema.org. It has some useful info.

Re: Eczema? UPdated with question at bottom

DD had it as a baby and has flare-ups every now and then. We didn't know it then, but she had some food allergies, which caused it. It was the worst on her face (b/c my breast milk was causing it ) but also some patches on her body. We were given a prescription cream but only used it when it was really bad, like when it was cracking and bleeding. And only for 2 or 3 days at a time - the creams really worked well, and as soon as the redness started to go away we'd go back to just moisturizer.

CeraVe was the best moisturizer we've found. Try putting it moisturizer on and then right away putting on pajamas - it'll keep the moisturizer from drying right away, keep the skin nice and moist, and work better.

Water can actually be very drying, that's why people are suggesting to only bathe every other day.

Re: Eczema? UPdated with question at bottom

I had it as a kid & still have skin conditions.
I never used anything except for A&E ointment.
Everything else has possible long term side effects.

Do not bathe the kid every day: you wash off the natural oils that way.

Re: Eczema? UPdated with question at bottom

Thank you for all the information!!!