Eczema - Ellensburg,WA

You have a lot of good advice here, but I would highly recommend that you see at pediatric allergist and dermatologist. You can continue to treat the symptoms, but it is more important to identify the underlying cause. It could be as simple as a food or topical allergy. If you live in the Portland area, there is a great ped allergist, Dr. Michael Osborne ###-###-####. Good luck!

You might want to get him tested for allergies. Northwest Asthma & Allergy on Sand Point Way is the best place out there. My daughter has peanut, diary & eggs allergy. She had eczema all over her face and it was worse in winter months. If you don't want to do that try taking him off diary and switch to soy milk, etc. and see if it helps. Good luck.

I have two sons that suffer from eczema. In both cases, we have had to resort to a prescription - triamcinalone. It has made a huge difference. They, too, were scratching until they bleed.

Other things to do:
* don't use any soap to wash them (other than shampoo for their hair)
* apply Eucerin morning and night.
* apply Aquafor (very greasy, but seems to help) after baths, or at least at night before bed. Pajamas will get dirty, but that's not a big deal.
* Join FEAST, a local group providing support for food allergy, eczema and asthma (all very related). Go to Yahoo and search for the FEAST group. Or visit www.washingtonfoodallergy.org. They have been HUGELY helpful with my son's food allergies and there are frequent strings about eczema. You could search the archives for ideas. There are a lot of people who have it way worse than I do with my kids who share a lot of ideas.

Good luck!
C.

I heard that Orange juice can be a culpret for eczema. For my son - he had this rash and couldn't figure out what it was and the doctor said it was a mild case of eczema and he said Hydrocortizone anti-itch creme to help clear it up. If he is bleeding though - I would call and ask a nurse or baby's doctor what to do with the open sores. Also, how about oatmeal baths. I have heard they help too. But definately, I would cut back on the OJ for a little while if you are giving them that. Good luck - I hope this helps.

My son used to have the same problem--with it on his legs and worse in the winter. The doctor suggested Cetaphil, which you can get at any drugstore. It's a very mild lotion. My son was pretty onery about me putting it on, though, so I can vouch for how well it works when used consistently. What ended up curing his excema was a change in diet--my son was diagonosed with celiac disease this summer and the gluten-free diet has completely cleared up his excema. (I know that's a little drastic, but it was definitely connected.)

Good luck!

Hi A.,

When my daughter was about 4 (she is now 17) she also suffered with eczema. We found that she had food allergies to dairy and wheat. We eliminated those foods from her diet and the skin cleared up. We were able to gradually add those foods back into her diet slowly about a year later. It was a real struggle in the beginning because just about everything seemed to have either dairy or wheat in it. We also didn't bathe her as frequently as this seemed to aggravate the condition. Keeping the area dry really helped. I think we used baby powder however I can't quite remember it was a long time ago. Lotions seemed to make the area burn. She doesn't seem to have any problems now that she is older. Good luck and I hope this helps.

A.,
My husband and some of my family members have eczema. Our oldest son has been "blessed" with this too. I have food allergies and sensitivities and thought that this might be his problem. I was right. I stopped giving him all grains except rice and cut out ALL dairy derived from cows. I gave him enriched soy milk, soy yogurt and soy cheese. I purchased meats only from the butcher, nothing processed all fresh.

After eliminating these products from all of our diets, my husband's eczema is gone and our sons too. We have since moved on to goat yogurt (I can't have soy) goat cheese and rice milk.

Our son is happy and eczema free. Not itching, scratching or flare ups.

Also, soaps with fragrance will cause skin issues too. Use unscented bath soap like Dove in the white box or Ivory, fragrance and dye free laundry detergent and unscented dryer sheets. Fragrance and dyes are a major issue in our house and without them, we are just fine.

Best of luck to you and your little one.

Hi A.,

I battled my son's eczema (He is 2) for months and did about everything you can think of including taking him to an allergist and trying a million lotions, prescription creams, over-the-counter creams, changing his diet, etc... I found that there are several different causes for eczema and that my son's was due to highly super-sensitive skin (not allergies). Everything and anything can cause a flare-up.

I now have it under control, but it is a daily regimen. I'm sure you will get numerous advice, so I will only share what worked with us.

1. No fragrance on his clothes. I use ALL free & clear for laundry and no dryer sheets in any loads as dryer sheets coat the inside of the dryer (allergist told me this).

2. No fragrance in soaps or lotions. If the ingredients say "frangrance" or the like I won't use it on him. I use only 100% natural products on his skin--no aveeno, eucerin, aquafor etc. Petroleums are bad for his skin as it actually "over-seals" the skin and causes worse flare-ups. For soap, I found this great product from Kettle Care (have to order online, but lasts a long time www.kettlecare.com) called sensitive cleansing gel. You can use it for hair also. The only lotion I use is an emu oil & shea butter cream from sheressence.com (I buy it off of ebay). Or just Emu oil--it works wonders--I even use it on myself!!! I lotion him up immediately after every bath and once during the day.

3. Fewer baths. May sound uncleanly, but I only give him a full bath once every three days (I'll wash just his dirty parts as necessary). No bubbles in the bath. If his skin is super itchy, I give him an oatmeal bath. I do use aveeno oatmeal bath--it is 100% colloidal oatmeal. This helps with the itching.

4. No steroid creams--this just makes skin worse in the long run, plus I found my son would be super itchy when not using it.

5. I do use a prescription protopic from the pediatrician once a day when he gets "open wounds" from itching. This helps heal them right up. I usually only have to use it maybe 3 days in a row. The emu oil also helps heal them up.

6. I supplemented his diet with fish oil. This is tricky as it tastes gross and he can't swallow caplets yet. I was using a product through Shaklee called Omegaguard which worked great for a while and then he decided he wouldn't take it anymore. I haven't had to use it since though, but I have heard of great success with cod liver oil. You can find it in different flavors like orange.

7. Humidifier in his room at night and making sure he doesn't get sweaty.

8. and most importantly, prayer, patience, & persistance! ;)

I hope that helps a little or just gives you some ideas. It is a battle but it can be won! Best of luck to you!!!

For me my eczema is a result of a vitamin D deficiency. Actually the doctor never connected the two, he said it was unrelated but when I started taking vit. D it went away! Mine was the same, great in summer but as winter comes...not so good. You might ask the doc. to check his vit. D levels. We also use a lotion by California Baby, you can buy it at target, I know it says it says baby in the title but really it's just for sensitive skin. NO formaldehyde, parabens, phthalates, ect. It's in the baby isle. Works great on soothing and dryness for eczema...at least it does for me. Good luck!!

Try U-Lactin lotion. It was worked wonders for us and was recommended by a dermatologist. It is not prescription but is sold behind the counter at any pharmacy. They may not know what it is when you mention it, but they can order it. I have been assured that there is nothing in it that can cause any problems.

Please consider zinc oxide cream to rub on the areas and have him take a good multivitamin and minerals with vitamin D, magnesium and calcium. Fatty oils with Vitamin A and E are also very much worth a try. Fresh air and getting outside in what little sunlight that there is is also important. SUGAR is a NO NO.

I am curious...exactly what does it look like and wear is the eczema located on his body. Are there patterns associated with the break out?

Chris

A., have you had him tested for allergies?

My youngest son at 4 weeks old was diagnosed with colic, but something inside of me just knew that wasn't the problem. Since I was nursing, a friend suggested I cut out dairy for a bit and see what happened. The next day he was less fussy. I cut out the afternoon walk down to the garden to snack on cherry tomatoes, stopped drinking pineapple juice, cut out the lunch meat and bacon (nitrates), and within two weeks I had the happiest baby on earth! As I learned what had what in it, it would become very clear what bothered his system. It was a challenge learning how to cook without all my favorite foods, but well worth it.

Years later,I was struggling with frequent migraines and we learned I was allergic to whole wheat, nitrites, dairy and eggs. <sigh> Today, I have very few migraines when I eat the way I should. My hubby thought he had acid reflux for years and was on meds for it. He went on that detox diet with me, and discovered dairy was causing his problems. Every time he'd get an upset tummy, he'd drink a big glass of milk! Now, no dairy, he feels great, with dairy, he's got issues.

R.

I would try Shea butter, get the 100% pure stuff vs. the regular lotions that contain it. You can find it at New Seasons, Whole Foods or Essential Oils. I've had eczema since I was 10 (Luckily no signs in my 3 yr old yet) and it's the only non-steroid / non-prescription thing that's ever helped me. Put it on his breakouts at least twice a day but definitely after his skin has been wet (after baths, swimming, hand washing, etc.)

Also, I know it's tough, but try to keep him from scratching too much because that'll make it spread.

Good luck, I hope this helps and his eczema clears up!

I got Vitamin E cream (Jason brand from Fred Meyer nutrition center), and I used Burt's Bees Beeyoutiful.com's miracle salve (Burt's Bees makes one two I just saw) also for the skin and omega 3 fish oil (little squish vitamin like pills they eat) has worked for us. Also, using fragrance free laundry soap. Within 2 weeks of these adjustments and my daughter's skin wasn't dry and itchy. The bumps are still present to a degree, but they do not itch.

Have you considered having him tested for allergies? My sisters son had eczema really bad and after discovering his allergies, it disappeared with adjustments to the diet. His primary allergies are dairy, egg and now pork (more rare but a common mean allergy).
Good luck!

This is going to sound odd probably - but there is this stuff that they sell on tv and at Walgreens - it's in a white tube with green lettering - something like miracle foot cream I know the word mircale is on the label. My boss has really bad exzema and this works wonders for him. It's about 10.00 per tube (medium size).

Hope this helps!

Those items can only suppress the symtpom rather than cure the reason for the eczema. Even items from the healthfood store can only partially help. There can be worse health issues later if you suppress skin issues as a baby...diaper rash, cradle cap, psoriasis, and this. Classical homeopathy can resolve the root of the problem safely and gently because it treats the whole person, individually. One-size-fits-all treatment as a rule is not able to succeed, safely, for any ailment.
Best of luck,
Liz
Classical Homeopath

My son has a horrible case of eczema in the back of his legs on his arms and on his head. I tried everything that I had thought of over the counter and what the doctor prescribed. Something you could try that worked wonders for us is oatmeal baths and Gold Bond Intensive Therapy Lotion. This seemed to work out pretty well. His eczema hasn't gotten worse and seems to be healing. I also try to stay away from any material that is hard on sensitive skin, like wool. I give my son a bath only every other night so I don't dry out his skin. I pat down his skin rather than wipe. These things have helped tremendously for us. Hope this helps!

You're right to suspect an increase in dairy as the culprit. Eczema is often an indication of food allergies. I'd consider testing for all the biggies (wheat, dairy, corn, eggs). Though I'm not sure about topical treatments I will say that my friend's daughter suffered from eczema for years and after all sorts of diet restrictions etc., it turned out she was allergic to Dr. Bronner's soap which my friend had been using because it was so mild! Ugh, it can be hard to find the culprit - good luck.

Wow! Lots of responses! This may have already been said, but here it is:
Bag Balm works great on my eczema.
Also, eczema is a symptom of an allergy. What is your son reacting to? For me and my family it is mostly milk products. So, yes, the increased yogurt intake could definitely be contributing to the eczema!
Good luck!

Hi A.,

My suggestions are a bit out of the ordinary, so please just take them or leave them as you see fit. First, try to get your son to take in more water (drink it or eat more broth based soups - whatever you can think of) in the winter as the dryer warmer air indoors means more water loss from the skin. Also try to incorporate more vegetables into his diet. Vegetables contain biotin which is great for the skin. My son isn't that picky and eats them but if have a picky eater that can be hard. If you are interested you in a fairly quick recipe that most kids like as long as you don't tell them what is in it. I put it at the end.

Second, get rid of the bath products that have sodium lauryl (or laureth) sulfate in them. It is a very common ingredient in bath and cosmetic products including toothpastes, soaps/cleansers, shampoos and even lotions. It is very drying the skin and can make the eczema worse even in small doses. I use the Jason brand just for kids shampoo for my son's shampoo and body soap. Your small health food may have that as it is really popular brand.

Third, try using just purified water on a wash cloth or something along those lines and letting it sit the area for as long as you can to let the skin soak up the water. Then use a lotion or something along those lines immediately after to help seal in the water. Eczema is a lack of water in the skin (no matter what the underlying cause may be) so putting a bunch of oils or creams on the skin without giving it water just makes things worse. If possible use water that does not have chlorine in it for this and avoid letting him bathe in water with chlorine as it is also drying. (You can buy filters for the tub water if you are on a water system that chlorinates the water.) I used Penta water, which is expensive, but seemed to work so much better than just regular distilled or purified water for us, but depending on where you live Penta water may be hard to come by.

Fourth, I have used aloe to help keep the water in the skin, but I found that it itched something fierce if the skin was not well hydrated first so just be aware that could happen. It could have just been me and my son that had that experience, but just in case.

Fifth, when things got worse for us I crushed up a 5mg zinc tablet and mixed it with lotion we used each day (the whole bottle). I soaked the affected skin with Penta water and then applied the lotion with zinc in it. After about a week the eczema was no longer itchy and almost completely healed. I had double checked my supplements and realized that I wasn't getting much zinc, but even after changing my supplements it was the topical treatments that really made a difference for us.

Sixth, you may need a steroid cream just to take the edge off the itching for your kiddo, they really can't control the scratching sometimes and obviously once they start it is hard to stop. I really dislike steroids, hence why I tried all the other things. But if you need it you need it and it could really be helpful when the eczema is just really itchy. I would still suggest really hydrating the skin with water first and then applying the steroid cream though.

I know that some docs do relate eczema to food allergies and recommend elimination diets to try to figure out what is causing eczema. Others are more inclined toward sensitivities or allergies to things that directly contact the skin. So the underlying cause could be any number of things. Like you, mine and my son's was worse in the winter and better in the summer, which apparently is pretty common and has more to do with being inside more in warm dry air from heaters. Neither of us have it anymore, so something that we changed worked as the long term "cure".

Good luck!
S.

Roasted Veggie Spread
Roast a variety of cut up veggies on a cookie that has been lightly sprayed with olive oil. Lightly spray the tops of the veggies with olive oil as well. Roast until tender and then blending them up with 1 package of cream cheese or goat cheese or whatever your diet allows. Then use the spread on toasted bread, crackers, instead of cheese on sandwiches, etc. Mine varies every time because I just use whatever veggies we have on hand. I do recommend adding some garlic to it but don't have to. And you can obviously add seasonings as needed.

I had really bad eczema (on my right foot) that progressed into psoriasis . It would itch and crack and bleed - I was completely miserable. It was much worse in the non-summer months. I waited too long but I finally saw a dermatologist (Dr. Hu in Seattle). I was uninsured at that point, and it was a bit expensive, but it was totally worth it. He prescribed Dovonex, and Ultravate. Dovonex is a synthetic form of vitamin D. It took some time but the eczema and psoriasis eventually went away and has never returned.

When I developed it, I was suspicious that I wasn't getting enough vitamin D from natural sunlight. Once I realized there might be a connection between vitamin D and my skin problem I started watching my vitamin D intake and exposure to sunlight. Increasing my vitamin D intake has really improved my skin quality in general.

I would suggest adjusting his vitamin D intake if you think he isn't getting enough, get him out into the sun when its available and take him to the dermatologist if you can. Dr Hu was recommended to me by a close friend who also had eczema. He treated her eczema differently than mine, but he cured her of eczema also.

A.-

My little girl, now almost 10!, has had eczema since she was 18 months. Winter is always worse because of the dryness of teh indoor air and the cold of the outdoor air-- they just can't win.

Somtimes food allergies can increase the symptoms. Dairy is usually a huge culprit in the eczema dilemna.
We had to go to an allergy med and a prescription cream; her hands were raw:(.
But one of the great over-the-counter remedies has been a Eucerin/Aquaphor product-ointment NOT cream, it is sort of vaseline-like in consistancy. When she comes out of the bath she gets just a very light toweling and then gets smothered in this. When we are consistant about this the incidents of flare-ups goes way down.

Good luck!

Hello, many people that suffer from this horrible condition are finding relief with a product that you cannot find in the stores. The Melaleuca line of products are natural and guaranteed or all of your money back. Try the Renew lotion and it will change your life.

If you would like to order contact me at ###-###-####.

R. D.

I suffered major big time from eczema as a young child...and now I am very allergic to dairy. In fact, I have done a lot of research on the correlation with dairy (cow's dairy) and skin irritations. Also, sugar can be a factor as well. I don't know if you can get him checked out from an allergist, but that may help. Also, there is goat yogert that is way yummy (vanilla) that you may try and see if you have any improvement. Yes, sunshine, in the summer helps tremendously. So, you may think of getting full spectrum lamp bulbs for your house. They are spendy, but helpful. Eczema is truly painful, I hope that you can have him get help.

We have a terrible family history of eczema on my husband's side. My 2 yr old niece gets it really badly and the only thing that has helped is called Rex Eme Cream. Here is their website http://www.rexeme.com/

Good luck!

Many times eczema is caused by allergies. Rather than treating the symptom maybe there is an underlying cause. Have you tried an allergist or naturopath?

Have you heard of or tried Arbonne? I have 3 friends who have children with eczema and all of them had pretty amazing results using their baby care line. You can't tell any of them have had eczema.

Good morning! I'm writing in regards to your son's eczema situation. Have you tried the baby line from Arbonne yet? It is very mild, yet effective. Arbonne's products contain no chemical fragrances, mineral oil or animal products, all of which can irritate already sensitive skin. I would recommend the ABC wash for sure and then either the ABC body oil or body lotion. I even know adults who use this line to care for their excema. I would be happy to send you a sample of this line if you're interested. Good luck!

:)Y.

My daughter also has it and we haven't found a miracle, but some things that work well combined. We use California Baby Super Sensitive bath and lotion. We lotion her every day and sometimes during the day. If it gets irritated, we use unscented Neutrogena hand cream. If it gets REALLY bad, we use hydrocortizone cream. We use that maybe once every other month because it can thin the skin if used too much. We've also been told to expose the irritated parts of her skin to sunlight a little each day. That's pretty hard to do in the winter months, but we just let her run around in her diaper at home for a little while. It lets her skin breathe and seems to help! If it's possible, talk with your pediatrician and ask them for suggestions.

Hi A.,
My daughter who is now 12 has suffered w/ eczema since she was a baby. At that time we needed to put mits on her hands when she slept so she wouldn't scratch. The Dr. finally put her on Eladil which is a topical prescription med to treat eczema and that works well. Unfortunately, it is an immune supressive medication so I don't like her to use it all the time. The trick once the rash clears is to keep the affected areas well hydrated. The recommendations of flaxseed/fish oils is great but you also need something topical. I'm a consultant w/ Arbonne international so we have a number of Pure, Safe and Beneficial products that work to hydrate the skin. On a daily basis, my daughter uses a sugar crub w/ essential oils to exfoliate the dead skin from the area. She follows that with the Intelligence Rejuvinating cream which is a thick emollient cream that keeps the skin well hydrated. During the day, if ske starts feeling dry, she also adds in the Intelligence Skin Conditioning Oil which has essential oils that penetrate deep into the skin. She rarely needs to use Eladil any more.
You will not want to use baby oil, mineral oil, or anything w/ a petroleum base. These types of oils are a byproduct of gasoline and oil production and are very damaging to the skin. The molecule is too large to penetrate into the skin so it just sits on the top of the skin like seran wrap. It actually prevents the the skin from breathing and traps toxins in the body. Unfortunately, the majority of skin care products have a mineral oil base so you need to check labels.
If you would like more info on Arbonne's product line, you may go to my webpage at www.nursekerry.myarbonne.com.
Good Luck!

Hi A.,
I'm not an expert, but Aquaphor has been a lifesaver for skin problems in our house. It's sold at the grocery store, Walgreens, Target, Walmart, etc. A little bit goes a long way. It looks just like vaseline, but it has something else to it. Our doctor recommended it to us and it's the only thing that has worked for us! It's good for dry skin, lips, raw bottoms, cuts, etc. Good luck! B.

my daughter has eczema but we have it under control now. 1st thing we had to do was find the what made her eczema worse. Turns out milk products will make her break out even worse. So we limit her milk intake. WE also found that that gentle natures eczema bubble bath worked really well for itchy days. We foudn the products at walmart, and safeway. It is not expensive. This is what works for us. Good luck to you.

My son has the same thing...we use the baby poducts from Arbonne. They have baby wash, baby oil and lotion. All hypo-allergenic and natural. Worked like a charm. :-) www.arbonne.com

hi!
I have eczema that can get pretty severe and it is exacerbated when I eat something I am alergic to (I have celiac sprue). On a visit to the dermatologist I learned that the best way to keep it under control is to ensure that I continue to use moisturizers when it is most mild, as eczema is just severe dry skin. When I am not breaking out, I use Eucerin, Cetaphil, and Aveeno lotions (which ever I get at the store) and it works like a charm - a dermatologist also once recomended Neutrogena hand creme and I liked it too, I find it is a little harder to find in Yakima. Before I started in with the lotions, I used over the counter hydrocortozones and at one point had a very strong perscription steroid. According to my pediatrician the .5% hydrocortozone is ok to use on young ones, but, if that does not work I would suggest takin your munchkin over to the dermatologist (Valley Dermatology will see kids). These little tubes of hydrocortozone were magic in a bottle and it did not matter if I bought the cheap store brand or the expensive ones.

Good luck, as a person that "enjoys" it myself I understand the discomfort!!

*K

Hi A. - Our son is plagued with eczema too. We use flax seed oil daily to help get oil into his skin. You can mix it in with foods if that helps. Also DHA Fish Oil caps that have a strawberry flavor (we switched to flax from fish oil and both work). It takes about a month to kick in. (you can take it with him -- really helps at giving the skin a soft feel!) ALso, we bath him in epsom salt baths. Sounds kooky, but it really helps to calm down the redness. Hope you get relief soon.

my 15 year old daughter has it and she uses baby oil as soon as she gets out of the shower when her skin is still moiste.hope this helps.

I would lube him up with aquaphor (thick vasiline consistency) 2 times a day. My son has the worse excema, and I was using all the steroids and started reading up on them and they freaked me out, So i started just lotioning him up, giving oatmeal baths and he has very few patches that occasionlaly flare up. Much better for him and his skin!! Good Luck to you!
Also tea tree oil is amazing, stinks but clear up most irritated patches in less than a day.

I have the eczema that itches and can look like it bleeds. My almost 5 and 3-year olds also suffers from the horible thing. I use Oh So Savvy lotion- a mom created it after having her daughter. It is amazing! There's a sugar exfoliating scrub, a lotion, and a thick cream for spot problems.
I highly recommend it- it's not expensive, the stuff really works, smells great, and helps another mom that is the sole brains behind the products (she is super nice too....)
http://ohsosavvyskincare.com/

Vitamin D and sunshine is the reason it's better during the summer. Could be it psorasis and not eczema, so the UV from the sun probably does help. My brother in law has psorasis and they sent him to tanning beds to get relief. Yes it worked. Some prescription drugs are now available. You may want to try A and D ointment. I would be talking to my pediatrician about food allergies and the possibility of psorasis rather than seeking out the person behind the counter at the healthfood store.

a lot of cases of eczema can be linked to food allergies. sweat can also trigger it or make it worse.. or look at what he is wearing - cotton clothes are best. Take him to your pediatrician and ask for them to look for fungus infection too. He may need an anti-fungal medicine as well.

keeping skin dry is important. Short baths (water can actually dry out the skin) and putting thin film of vaseline over the patches will help too.

some of those creams can do wonders.. but you'll want to find the cause first then you can reduce the flare ups.

take a look at what your child's skin is exposed to also - drying soaps, or what you put in your laundry (detergent and sofetners) and so on.

and yes... milk is a very common trigger for eczema.

you may want to consider some allergy testing. If you see an allergist ask them about patch testing.

Jennifer

I would try giving him Omega 3 oils in some form. This will help his skin from the inside. I took fish oil capsules during my pregnancy/breastfeeding, and I now give my son (18 months) cod liver oil. He has amazing skin, in contrast to several relatives who have very bad eczema. There are a lot of brands out there that are very mild in flavor. My son actually likes to take it.

You could also try:

--rubbing cold-pressed olive oil on the affected area. Very soothing and no side effects other than being a bit messy

--changing your laundry detergent. Find a frangrance free product made for sensitive skin.

--Switch to an all-natural soap made for babies. I believe that Trader Joe's has a brand called Dr. Bronner's that also makes a soap for children.

--Use a humidifier in the winter. The air in the house is drier because of being heated. Dry air can make the problem worse

Hope these tips help.

Hi A.,
My granddaughter would rub & scratch her legs raw until I found some products that I started using which were from Melaleuca. I was totally amazed at the difference in her legs in just a few hours. Just send me message and I can give you the name of the products we are now using.

For eczema, I would definitely recommend seeking some professional alternative medicine advice. Homeopathy, Chinese medicine (acupuncture) or naturopathy are all good choices. The reason I say this is bc eczema, especially of the severity you describe, actually indicates an underlying imbalance that in your son is probably pretty extreme.

At the age of 3 it should actually be able to be corrected fairly easily, but less easily as time goes on. Also, eczema correlates w/ asthma (ie kids w/ e. tend to develop a.) so if resolved now, it could prevent future problems as well.

Unfortunately, western medicine can really only control the symptoms, not resolve the root of the problem. Cortisone creams can be very effective, but long-term use weakens connective tissue (skin, tendons, fascia, bones) and does not resolve the problem.

Also, try adding cod liver oil to his diet. It is naturally high in vit. D and will moisten from the inside out. Carlson's makes one w/ a "great lemon taste" that my daughter actually asks to take (and will throw a bit of a fit if she can't have any right now!)

Just wanted to throw this out.. Myself and my daughter are sensitive to different laundry soaps, body lotions, shampoo's,(myself eye-shadow & halloween costume makeup) and the symptom is eczema. My baby on the other hand gets eczema from vitamin C. She is not allergic just sensitive when she eats to much she breaks out in eczema.

In my experience with myself and different family members.. eczema is always related to a cause. You should definatly talk to your Pediatrician and possibly an Allergist who specializes in children.

If he is breaking out more in the winter.. you may experiment with different clothes- some "breath" better than other.

Hope this helps

Hey A.,

You've already received many requests. I'll just reiterate that eczema is an allergic reaction. If you and dad have allergies/asthma, then it's very likely your kids will get it. Keep his skin really moisturized (hard in the winter time with indoor heating), you may consider getting a humidifier to help keep his skin moist. Also, make sure that this is truly eczema and not something like psoriasis- which all the cream in the world won't work because it's an immune disorder that manifests on the skin and NOT purely a skin disorder like eczema. Good luck!

A.

Food allergies are a BIG cause of exczema. It's easier to treat the food allergy than using creme. Dairy is the highest allergen on the list. Have your son checked by a naturopath.

A.,

I have a product that I started using on my daughter at the age of 1 month for cradle cap and use it myself for eczema and it works wonderful! It's soothes and moisturizes without the burning that some lotions can cause.It's a natural based product from Sensaria called Nourishing Moisturizer. I have a few samples that I could send you to try on your son. Just let me know. Good luck

Eczema can be caused by many things often involving immuno-suppression of some kind. Definitely look into the dietary issue as well as the chemicals you all are confronted with on a daily basis. Look into switching what you use on your laundry. Free & clear detergent is an option but still has many chemicals in it that can aggravate the problem. We use soap nuts which are a great natural alternative for washing clothes. Here's a link if you want to find out more about them: http://www.buysoapnuts.com/
Often, eczema can also be related to having too much acidity in the body. Diseases of all kinds flourish in an acidic environment and balancing the body's Ph level will help in many areas. What we have found great success with for our daughter's eczema is for her to wear a hazelwood necklace. Apparently hazelwood has the natural property of absorbing the body's excess acidity when it touches the skin. My friend told me it radically helped her baby's acid reflux to the point where she was able to take him off his Zantac, so we decided to give it a try with our daughter. Within 2 weeks of my little one wearing the necklace, her eczema had pretty much completely gone away, and it has stayed away since then. The crazy part: When I take off her necklace or if it stops working (the wood can only absorb so much acid before it needs to be replaced) her eczema comes right back! so, needless to say, we are sold! you can look into them at www.hazelaid.com
So I would look into making some of these changes and perhaps also go to cafemom or another forum like that; I know they have groups for kids with eczema & food allergies and they have tons of experience and helpful suggestions. Hopefully you can find some answers soon. Good luck.

I had eczema when I was a baby and the problem I had was sensitivity to laundry soaps, lotions and even bath products.

Good Morning A..

First of all, I am NOT a consultant but would highly recommend Arbonne. About 2 yrs ago, I developed eczema on my cheek and eyelid. Went to the doctor and we tried several different options that only seemed to make it worse. Finally the doctor told me that the only other thing that she would have me try is Crisco on my face. I told her "No Way".

Then someone told me about Arbonne. I tried it and within about 10 days my face had cleared up and all is well to this day.

They have some outstanding Baby Care products as well. In fact I did buy a tube of the diaper rash cream to use on my elbow which had a small patch on it as well. I only used it a couple of times and it went away. It's worth checking in to.

If you don't know of an Arbonne consultant, let me know. I know 5 or 6 that would love to talk to you.

Hope this is helpful.

Warmly,

Deb

My two children and I both suffer from eczema. It is an allergy (usually to dust mites, but can also be foods), in fact eczema and asthma are linked together because asthma is just eczema on the lungs. It is best to see an allergist and/or a dermatologist. Steroids thin the skin and usually aren't recommended anymore, it is what they gave me as a child. A humidifier in winter can help. One very cheap and effective product to use....vaseline! Slather it on, put some long legged pj's on (don't want to mess up those clean sheets) and let it work itself in overnight. I use it with gloves for my hands and socks for my feet too, really helps with the dryness and there's nothing cheaper out there! I know it's hard, but eczema generally improves with age, especially if it's food related. Anyway, get thee to the allergist! They can make a dramatic difference.

Hi there!

I had terrible eczema as a baby/toddler, and I have had bad flareups as an adult. I HIGHLY recommend seeing a naturopath for allergy testing and also possibly seeing an acupuncturist. I have had a lot of success with both of those. I finally got this special blood test done for my allergies, and I am EXTREMELY allergic to dairy, so the yogurt could be a culprit.

My naturopath is wonderful, and her name is Dr. Tanya Hudson: ###-###-#### or ____@____.com.

I would not recommend cortisones, as they really are not a long-term fix. Had I had the more natural treatments, I may have been able to avoid having asthma too, so do look into it. :) Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Best,
L.

My two year had terrible eczema from birth until over one years old. Try not too often luke warm baths with no soap. Add pulvarized (cusinart or blender) oatmeal in an old clean sock and let him soak in the oatmeal water. Pat him dry gently and if aquafor is ok for him, rub it on his skin then put on his pjs. Try not to let him itch. Often eczema is related to allergies - either food or environmental. Try washing all of his bedding, clothes (ideally the entire family's things) in perfume free detergent. We like 7th generation. Use a small amount of detergent and double rinse. You can try removing foods from his diet for a few weeks to see if he gets better too. Dairy was a trigger for both of my kids. I also highly recommend chiropractic - to improve his overall health. You can discuss his skin issues with your chiropractor too. For us eczema was always worse and night, which interrupted our daughters sleep and as a result all of us. The sooner you can get it under control hopefully bad sleep habits and waking won't result. Good luck!

There is an over the counter product called resinol that has been wonderful on my eczema. I also used a moisturizer in between flare ups called Aveeno "cream" (the lotion is worthless but the overnight or healing cream is amazing). Good luck and I hope this helps. Limit the length of baths but do them every day to every other day. Avoiding for any longer than that will actually make it worse.

Hi A.,
I suffered with eczema as well until I started taking sulfur. Many skin conditions are linked to a sulfur deficiency. I would ask your pediatrician if it would be appropriate to a young child to take. They are tiny little pills that taste like sugar when you chew them. The other thing I did was to add a whole food supplement to my diet that has been proven through research to balance the immune system and help us to be healthy on a cellular level. It's called Juice Plus. You can check it out at my website, I was so impressed with it, that I chose to be a rep for the company. Just go to www.dblairjuiceplus.com and you can look at the research. We have gummies for the little guys, though my 20 year old son loves them as well! You can contact me as well if you would like to talk. My phone number is listed on my website. Good luck!
D.

Mangosteen juice has cleared up my eczema. I know it sounds bizarre, but it is true! I use the "Xango" brand, which I have been told is also coming out with skin care products. I also agree with what others have said about avoiding scented products, as well as trying to live as healthy a lifestyle as possible. (That takes care of eczema, plus a whole lot more!) Blessings to you and yours! :)

Your son needs to see a dermatologist. My daughter and son both have exzema and no OTC medication helped them. Your derm. will have many options for you to choose from. You will want to go ASAP because it sounds like your son is already uncomfortable and it will only get worse as the season moves on. Good luck!

I have known two little boys this happened to and it turned out that they both had food allergies that was causing at least part of the problem. If you are worried about the dairy in the yogurt you could always just go with probiotics...sorry I don't have more help!

L.

A. -
I am a mom who grew up with very bad eczema. Try a tepid bath/shower each day followed by some kind of greasy moisturizer. Unfortunately, winter time is not our friend as my skin always gets worse this time of year (better as an adult than as a child, though). For those nasty cracks, I use a topical steroid ointment - it works for me like a miracle. Always use lotion from head to toe to keep his skin as moist as possible. I don't know about yogurt having an impact either way - I had a few skin allergies as a kid, but they all have gone away by puberty. I have a niece with my type of skin, and we always talk about new ways she can help herself with the latest, greatest lotions on the market.
Try to network -- and find a good dermatologist --- both ways will be your key to good skin for your little boy.
Best of luck to you, A..

Hi A. - I haven't had a chance to read through all the responses, but I'm sure you've received some great advice! Allergies are certainly the first thing to look at in terms of going to the root cause of the eczema.

In the meantime, to help you son alleviate the symptoms and get him comfortable again, I'd recommend Arbonne products. They're fragrance free and paraben free, and very gentle, and the Baby Care line (called ABC) has been known to alleviate and eliminate symptoms of eczema for not only babies, but adults too. It's very effective. The ABC Baby Wash is great for hair and body, and then followed by the ABC Baby oil (which uses only essential oils, not mineral oil like lots of products out there which are petroleum derived and don't easily penetrate the skin). Then followed by the ABC Body Lotion. It's worth giving it a try. Lots of Arbonne clients have had wonderful success with it, even when prescription creams wouldn't work.

Email me your address offline and I'd be happy to send you a free sample to try. Sorry you are having to go through this with your little guy...

P. Greb
Exec. Area Manager
www.pamelagreb.myarbonne.com
###-###-#### (c)

My husband has extremely itchy legs in the winter and I was reading on the internet about using a dehumidifier. One point about them claims that winter humidity causes very itchy skin. Just a suggestion. I. Jensen

I've been living with it for years. I have a lot of skin allergies. The main thing is to treat it and try to get so its not itchy so it can heal. Burt's Bee's products help some. I don't know if they still make the ones without almond oil in them but when my daughter was little we used a honey-vanilla lotion on her that worked quite well. I've found small amounts of Vaseline intensive care lotion helps through-out the day. If I do it all at once (and slather it on) it just stings, so it usually works better in small amounts. I put lotion on my hands sometimes four or five times a day. I have found that apple cider vinegar helps a little. It seems to lengthen the time between breakouts. The other thing that helped me when I was a kid was to go swimming in a chlorinated pool. It made my eczema dry up in a matter of a couple of days.

Maybe a food allergie....or immunse system is not strong. I would suggest Ambrotose if you would like to strenghten his immune system. Our whole family uses it daily, works with our cells. I know of one child who had horrible eczema and when they addressed his immune system it went away. Let me know if you are interested - W.

my daughter had eczema as a baby, caused by food allergies. luckily her allergies went away but she still tends towards itchy spots, mostly in the winter. winter is worse because the heater is running more, drying out the air and her skin.

since it sounds like it's mostly happening in the winter, i'd recommend you put a humidifier in his room to return the moisture to the air that the heater is taking out. there are some cute animal and character ones at bed bath and beyond tho honestly none of them has lasted for more than one winter.

as for lotion, we use http://www.amazon.com/Jason-Natural-Cosmetics-Earths-Ther.... (it's expensive but works for us.) whatever you choose, make sure to check out the ingredients at www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. a lot of products out there aren't good for you at all.

we bathe the least often as possible and always lotion up after getting out of the tub, sealing in moisture.

just to be on the safe side, i use a sensitive-skin laundry soap.

it's always possible that he has some sort of food allergy and maybe the dry air in the winter is just too much for his body to adjust to. in any case, it's all trial and error as you know.

good luck

My son too has eczema not as severe as you've described, but none the less he has it. He is almost 3 and my doctor recommended we bathe him daily (or close to it) although I thought that would dry out his skin, he assured me it would do the opposite. Also, he said after his bath to apply lotion head to toe, either Eucerin or one like it, then when the dry, red spots occur apply cortizone ointment (make sure it's the ointment) to the spot, that should clear it up fairly quickly. Good luck!

My son has eczema. We don't put any store-bought products on him because of the chemicals that are in them. www.cosmeticdatabase.com will help you. Some people don't listen to advice so I won't give any. Cetaphil and other lotions have not worked for my son (6). If you want to know the real truth about eczema and other ailments I can tell you. I have the experience. My son has not had any eczema problems for years.

A. you can reach me at ____@____.com
No, I'm not trying to sell you anything. I'm trying to help your little boy.