Preventative Measures to Keep from Making your Eczema Worse

Unfortunately there is to date no cure for eczema therefore treatment is geared towards preventive measures. Preventative measures mean finding ways to avoid specific triggers as well as ways to manage or completely alleviate the redness, inflammation and itchiness that accompany the skin condition.

One of the most important preventative measures to discourage eczema from getting worse or flaring up often is to always keep your skin well moisturized. Use a moisturizer designed for eczema prone skin at least twice a day, morning and night, and more often if you feel your skin is really parched. Never use a moisturizer with alcohol or scent in it and bear in mind that cream moisturizers are thicker in consistency than are lotion moisturizers.

Resist the urge to try one of the new scented body butters. Although they are nourishing to skin they are not good for those suffering from eczema. Examples are good choices of moisturizers for eczema sufferers include Aquaphor, Alpha Keri, Curel, Eucerin, Moisturel and Lubriderm.

Don’t take long luxurious soaks in the bathtub with bubble bath for company, as it can be very drying to the skin. Equally harmful is a long period spent standing under a scalding shower. Instead get in quickly and then get out quickly. Never rub your body with a washcloth but instead pat your skin with a gentle washcloth or a bath sponge.

Use a gentle soap or cleanser such as one made by Neutrogena or Dove or if your skin is extremely sensitive, try a non-soap cleanser such as Cetaphil, which is very mild on sore skin. Once you get out of the shower, apply moisturizer while your skin is still damp and dewy as it will be more responsive to the moisturizer at this time and will soak into your pores much better.

Stress is a major factor when it comes to flare-ups of eczema so do everything you can to reduce and/or alleviate negative stress from your life. It helps to surround yourself with people who love you and understand what you are going through. Seek out your most trusted confidante and discuss your problem with him or her as often as you can.

If you do not have anyone in your family unit or anyone amongst your friends whom you can talk with about your skin condition, consider joining a support group of likeminded people who know all too well what you are living with. An excellent support group to check into is the National Eczema Association for Science and Education (NEASE).

If scratching is one of your worst eczema problems then a preventative measure you should take is to cut your fingernails to a short, comfortable length as long fingernails can do a great deal of damage to skin that is already red and swollen.

Scratching damaged skin can lead to more damage as the more an area with eczema is scratched the more chance it can open the door to any number of viral or bacterial infections. You might want to carry a small tube of antibiotic cream or hydrocortisone cream with you on the days when you fear your skin will itch the worst and apply it as needed.

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