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Is It Just Dry Skin or Eczema?

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National Eczema Week Brings Attention to This Irritating and Often Painful Condition

MONTROSE, Calif., Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Unbearably hot and itchy, inflamed dry skin is a condition that affects one-fifth of school-age children and one in 12 adults. This affliction has been named eczema yet the exact cause is not known. Some patients have an idea of what triggers their ailment and doctors have established certain practices as eczema treatment that help alleviate the condition and avoid flare-ups.

National Eczema Week is an annual health awareness campaign organized by the National Eczema Society in Britain to raise awareness of the condition that affects so many also in the US and help those affected by the eczema to discover their solutions. Recently, a study was done and it was found that use of regular lotions can actually cause the skin to produce less natural oils, but a shielding lotion as a dry skin treatment bonds with the outer layer of the skin and protects it from irritants while locking in natural oils and moisture.

"We've found with our eczema patients using a shielding lotion like Gloves in a Bottle, that the healing time between eruptions is much shorter," says Dr. Lisa Benest, who has a successful dermatology practice in Burbank, Calif. "We've also seen the severe dry cracked skin associated with eczema is softened dramatically using a shielding lotion, reducing the discomfort and bleeding that some patients suffer."

The first dry skin care and treatment recommended by dermatologists is using a cream to lock in moisture, and a shielding lotion has long-lasting benefit. Also, limiting contact with irritants such as soaps, perfumes, cosmetics, detergents, strong liquids such as gasoline, turpentine, and alcohol-based solutions, wool, pet's fur, plants, jewelry, and many lotions even irritate. Cut out any possible irritants and add them in one at a time to find your cause of your condition.

Sweating and overheating tends to exacerbate eczema, as well. Use a cold compress when the itching starts, to avoid scratching and always keep fingernails short. Find a laundry soap that does not irritate your skin, double rinse the detergent out and remember to always launder newly purchased clothing before wearing. Many eczema sufferers find it best to wear only loose-fitting cotton and soft clothing, avoiding rough fabrics that further irritate the skin.

Individuals and families affected by eczema have found much relief using these dry skin care and treatment suggestions, and with the advent of shielding lotion in the past few years, relief can be more rapid and effective.