Question to expert: How to care for skin with eczema
Text: Anastasia Andreeva
Eczema is a skin disease. treatment of which is associated with many restrictions in the choice of care products, as well as in lifestyle and diet. Dermatologist and venereologist Yana Chernigova told us what people absolutely cannot use with eczema and what regime should be followed in order for remission to come faster.
Yana Chernigov
dermatovenereologist, cosmetologist, trichologist
There is no agreement among dermatologists in the definition of eczema. Let's assume for simplicity that eczema is a definite stage of dermatitis. Dermatitis is manifested by redness, desquamation and itching. With such symptoms, no matter how innocent at first they may seem, you should immediately contact a dermatologist so that he diagnoses and in no case self-medicate. Sometimes everything develops so rapidly that bubbles form at the site of the lesion, and after combing them, sores and sores remain.
The sooner you come to the doctor, the more successful, more effective and cheaper the treatment will be. You do not need to use anything that the pharmacist, mother or grandmother advises - it will all smear the picture and prevent the doctor from making the correct diagnosis. You yourself will never distinguish the manifesto of psoriasis from eczema or different types of dermatitis. They, by the way, about fifteen in the official classification, they are treated differently, and the prognosis is also different. We need a differentiated diagnosis, which allows us to suggest different options and check each of them for certain signs and a set of symptoms.
As for skin care, first you need to remove all irritants. Both alkalinity and acidity of products are important, they must be pH-neutral. These are special products that can be found in the medical lines of cosmetics - they are called emoliants. It is necessary to exclude creams with acids, active serums and other cosmetics with potent components. It doesn’t matter whether a skin area is affected or not: it may be that a massive and unpleasant reaction occurs just on a clean skin area during the exacerbation period.
As for skin care, first you need to remove all irritants. Both alkalinity and acidity of products are important, they must be pH-neutral
It is also better to postpone primers, concealers and tonal resources that are not therapeutic. The fact is that any such product is oxidized under the influence of oxygen, sebum, bacteria, and thus can only worsen the situation when in contact with the skin. Nevertheless, individual manufacturers can find creams or powders with a tint effect - they are suitable for masking, but they are protected from oxidation processes. Do not forget about sunscreen. Sunbaths with seborrheic and microbial forms facilitate the condition, but with true eczema they can significantly worsen it - therefore it is better to always use SPF products.
When eczema is important to follow a diet. It is recommended to avoid dyes, preservatives, spicy, sour, salty, sweet, fatty, smoked, alcohol, nuts, soda, citrus and seafood. It is very important to observe the protective regime: exclude contacts with possible allergens, stressful situations, water procedures (it is completely forbidden to wash for the first seven to fourteen days after the start of treatment). You should sleep at least eight hours a day. Clinical recovery occurs approximately on the twentieth day after the start of treatment.
Eczema refers to chronic dermatoses with frequent relapses, therefore, maintenance therapy is necessary to bring the patient into stable remission. For this purpose, emollients are used, physiotherapy - narrow-band medium-wave UV-therapy, PUVA-therapy, baths with sedative and antihistamine components. In addition, there are cosmetic procedures that can reduce itching, inflammation and improve the blood supply to the affected areas: cryotherapy, darsonvalization, paraffin therapy, laser therapy, mesotherapy, enzyme peels. All this needs to be selected individually.
Photo:Anastasia Tsarskaya - stock.adobe.com, kolesnikovserg - stock.adobe.com