What Is Eczema And Its Medication?

Eczema is a general term for conditions that involve or develop to skin inflammation. From the Greek term meaning "to boil over", eczema is a form of dermatitis as well. In the medical terms, you can distinguish between dermatitis and eczema in that the former is an acute condition or one that has recently occurred and not yet grave and the latter is already chronic, meaning that the illness has been occurring for a long time already. There are actually different types of eczema. The types may range from contact dermatitis (a form of allergic reaction) to neurodermatitis (due to habitual rubbing and scratching). You may consult your doctor first so that proper diagnosis would be made and, consequently, the right treatment course.

There are many possible causes of eczema. You have to take note of all the risk factors so that you can keep your guard against them to prevent your skin from contacting the disease. One of the most common risk factors is allergy. As in atopic eczema, you are highly probable to contact eczema if your family history indicates hereditary allergic diseases like asthma. You also have to avoid being too exposed to allergens. Detergents are the most common allergen that can irritate your skin because of their large chemical content.

In other cases, the weather in your place of residency can also affect the condition of your skin. Depending on your skin reaction, cold dry weather can cause brittleness and cracks all over your skin. Warm weather, on the other hand, increases the risk of your hands catching eczema.

Voracious or varicose veins can also cause eczema because of the problems or hindrances posted against the circulation of your blood around the legs, ankles and feet. Parasites and fungi are also found to be bearers of bacteria that can cause the inflammation of your skin.

There are various medications that can help alleviate the itching and inflammation of your skin. But you may be surprised to know that there are really no well-defined treatment courses for eczema. Among popular medications are clobetasol, antifungal drugs and ointments, corticosteroids, antihistamines, immunosuppressant's and anti-itch medicines. Moisturizers can also be used over the brittle or cracked skin.

However, you are encouraged to still consult a dermatologist to know which practices can help you cope with the inflammation so that the inner layer of your skin would not be further damaged.

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Causes and Prevention of Flaky Skin

Are you suffering from flaky skin? Do you wish to know the causes? Are you looking forward to some measures that can help you in preventing flaky skin? If your answer is yes, then this article is meant for you! Read on to discover the various causes and preventive measures of flaky skin.

When there is low natural production of body oil, sebum, and lack of water in the body, skin gets dehydrated and looks parched and dull in appearance. When the dehydrated skin comes in contact with harsh weather, such as extremes of heat, wind or cold, it has a propensity to peel and develop flakes. The flaky skin is likely to develop wrinkles easily and hence, age prematurely. When the skin gets stripped of its natural oil and moisture it becomes prone to cracking, swelling, rashes, itching and inflammation.

Many people are under impression that it's the lack of natural oil alone that causes flaky skin. However, lack of water is equally responsible. Our skin is made up of several layers of cells and has thousands of oil glands. During winters, when humidity level is low, the skin is unable to moisture itself. Also, the skin's natural oil and moisture gets removed when we bathe with hot water. Under such weather conditions, sebum in the lower levels of the skin becomes less and in the upper levels moisture becomes less. This leads to formation of flakes. Thus, flaky skin is very common problem during winters. The skin becomes dry, dehydrated and flaky due to direct and prolonged exposure to sun as well. So, all these conditions together cause the formation of flakes on skin.

Though it is not a permanent problem, it needs to be dealt with extreme caution. However, there are certain simple preventive measures that you can adopt to keep your skin healthy and glowing. The first and foremost thing you can do to avoid flaky skin is to keep it well lubricated. Use of a good moisturizing lotion is recommended. Petroleum jelly will work well for lips and heels. It will replenish your skin by locking in the moisture. Do not use too much of soap on your skin. Milk cream based soaps are recommended to be used as they also nourish your skin. Avoid bathing with very hot water as it will dry out your skin. Use only lukewarm water. Also, do not rub towel against your skin, always pat dry it.

Do not go out in the direct sun without applying a good sunscreen lotion. To prevent chapping of lips, use a good lip balm. One must also pay considerable attention on one's diet. Avoid eating junk food and soft drinks. A diet consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables is very essential for maintain well hydrated and glowing skin. One must drink plenty of water every day to keep the skin hydrated and to maintain the moisture. Such simple measure on your part can help you in preventing flaky skin.

Learn more about getting rid of flaky skin at http://www.flakyskin.net/ which has more information about remedies for flaky skin.

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What Is Dermatitis and How Can You Treat It?

The simple definition of dermatitis is inflammation of the skin. Many people think of dermatitis as synonymous with eczema but this is actually not true. Almost any rash can be thought of as a dermatitis based on this definition - including psoriasis, seborrhoea, or even skin cancer. Not every rash appearing on the scalp is dermatitis.

I have come across many different types of skin conditions, and causes of dermatitis during my time working with hair and scalp problems.

How do you get Dermatitis?

Irritant contact dermatitis can flare up after a few contacts with strong chemicals like bleach. More commonly it develops gradually through frequent wet working or working with milder chemicals like shampoo.

Allergic contact dermatitis can develop quickly after only a few contacts with a substance like shampoos or colours. Or sometimes it can take months or even years for the allergy to develop. Once you are allergic, you are allergic for life and this could happen at any time, even if you have had no problems previously in your career.

With allergic contact dermatitis, the things you can become allergic to at work might well also be in things you use at home - like your shampoo, or your household cleaners. So if you become allergic to something in the salon it could well affect all aspects of your life.

How can you tell which form of dermatitis you are suffering from?

Contact Dermatitis is a condition that can affect a scalp which has been chemically over-treated. It can also be caused by allergies to soap perfumes, washing powder or washing liquid, etc. Recognised by a dampness or wetness, it is rather like a weeping eczema that congeals on the scalp making it feel tight. It will then begin to flake, rather like a dandruff condition.

Acute dermatitis has blisters;

Sub-acute dermatitis has scaling and crusting.

Chronic dermatitis has lichenification. Lichenification is the thickening and hardening of skin where it is constantly rubbed or scratched, and the skin then becomes leathery.

If you are unfortunate enough to suffer from a severe dermatitis condition, you must seek advice from a dermatologist or your local doctor. However, if you have a mild form you can also treat the condition yourself by bathing your scalp with a very dilute salt solution - 1 teaspoon of salt to 1 pint of distilled water, or a solution of cold milk and water diluted in equal parts.

Generally, dermatitis is diagnosed clinically, meaning based on the history and appearance of the rash. If possible, the exact type of dermatitis is defined, but sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between the dermatitis types. There are very few tests performed that help clarify the type of dermatitis.

Home treatments

Dermatitis is best treated at a clinic if the type is known. However, there are measures that can be taken to improve symptoms even if the exact dermatitis type is not known.
It's important to keep your skin moisturised, as dry skin condition causes cracks in the outer layer, inhibiting the barrier function of the skin.Try to reduce itching and scratching with topical medications or antihistamines.Avoid using drying substances that cause irritation, such as harsh detergents, bleach, or perfumes.Best to treat any other rashes, particularly fungal infections, even though they may not seem to be related.

An Important Tip

Since many people are now having their hair coloured, it's as well to remember that hair dyes are more likely to produce a dermatitis condition than bleach, because they contain chemicals called diamines. As many more people are becoming sensitive to these chemicals, it is very important to do a skin patch test with each product you use.

The way to do this is to take a small amount of the hair dye, which is darker than the one you are hoping to use, and mix it with peroxide. Dab it on the skin, usually on the inside of the arm or behind the ear. It must be left undisturbed for 24 to 48 hours. If you have an allergic reaction to that particular preparation you will develop a mild inflammation, or feel the patch becoming slightly warm and starting to irritate. If this happens do not have your hair coloured.

Remember that dermatitis is not catching. It cannot be passed from one person to another. It can develop at any time, or not. Everyone is different.

David Satchell, a Consultant Trichologist, formed his company, Eucaderm Ltd over 30 years ago. After a professional career as a top hair stylist with Vidal Sassoon, David and his team began ground breaking research into what causes many of the hair and scalp problems people experience resulting from today's hectic lifestyles. David has now formulated a completely new way of looking at hair care, including diagnosis and treatment of dermatitis of the scalp. http://davidsatchell-trichologist.com/

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