'I'm a doctor - these four common eczema myths are completely untrue'

There are tons of misconceptions astir eczema, from mediocre hygiene to the tegument information disappearing connected its ain - determination is simply a batch to beryllium learnt by everyone, adjacent those who person the condition

Eczema is 1 of the astir communal tegument conditions successful the UK, affecting some adults and children.

Despite this, determination are galore misconceptions astir it. To acceptable the grounds straight, Glamour spoke with Dr Donald Grant, a GP and Senior Clinical Advisor astatine The Independent Pharmacy, who helps debunk myths astir the condition. Misconceptions astir the information tin marque it hard for those who person to unrecorded it - from those dealing with random flare-ups to longer-term issues, the champion mode to tackle this information is to find the champion treatment.

According to the NHS website: “Atopic eczema (atopic dermatitis) is simply a communal tegument information that causes itchy skin. It affects radical of each ages but is astir communal successful young children. It cannot beryllium cured, but attraction tin assistance negociate the symptoms.” It’s a information that tin look “in antithetic areas of the body, but it's communal connected the elbows, knees and hands. In babies and toddlers, it's besides communal connected the face.”

It’s a puerility condition

Many radical mistakenly deliberation eczema is thing that lone affects children. While eczema is often archetypal diagnosed successful childhood, it tin look astatine immoderate age. Dr Grant explains, “While it’s communal for the information to beryllium diagnosed during childhood, eczema tin beryllium brought connected astatine immoderate age. Adult-onset eczema is reasonably communal and tin beryllium caused by vulnerability to antithetic irritants oregon hormonal changes.” So really adjacent if you didn’t person eczema arsenic a kid you tin inactive make it arsenic an adult.

Hygiene

Another wide story is that eczema is caused by mediocre hygiene. Dr Grant disagrees, she says it’s a premix of factors similar genetics, biology irritants and stress.

While keeping your tegument cleanable is important, over-washing oregon utilizing harsh soaps tin really worsen eczema. Excessive sanitising during the pandemic triggered a emergence successful eczema flare-ups, arsenic harsh manus gels and predominant washing dried retired the skin. She advises utilizing gentle products.

Eczema volition resoluteness itself

It’s a communal content that eczema volition yet spell distant without treatment. However, Dr Grant warns, not to disregard the condition. “Firstly, with the skin’s earthy obstruction broken, bacteria could rapidly pb to infections. Additionally, ignoring eczema tin dramatically interaction people’s prime of beingness – itchiness tin interaction slumber quality, starring to fatigue and raised accent levels.” This information is champion acknowledged and past treated.

Dry tegument and eczema are not the same

Eczema is much than conscionable adust skin. While dryness is simply a symptom, the information besides causes inflammation, itching, and successful terrible cases, blisters. Eczema disrupts the skin’s protective obstruction and is much superior than adust skin. Dr Grant encourages seeing your GP if you aren’t definite what information you have.

Dr Grant says being capable to spot the signs, and negociate flare-ups is the champion mode to dainty eczema.