DH has terrible excema --- any thoughts on how to manage it?

[OhBling]

It's on his body and his face. And it's consistent. He's got steroid creams but the moment he stops using it, it comes right back.

We think he must be allergic to something that's making it flare up and it must be something he eats/touches/uses every day as it's so consistent, but we don't know what. It's really getting him down so any thoughts gratefully appreciated.

My sister and my father are both eczema and asthma sufferers and both have learnt, through trial and error, how to keep it under control.

Both of them moisturise all over like crazy - my sister sits around in a dressing gown slathered in moisturiser after her bath every day in order to ensure that her skin is sufficiently moisturised.

dh and I have eczema (and dh has asthma with it).

Dh's worst trigger is egg (he is fully allergic to this) and chicken so he can't have either. He always has eczema on him and sometimes it gets so bad that he has open sores (I forget what it's called - type of eczema) and cellulitis.

He can get the strongest steroids on prescription but he reckons the best thing to do is use a lower (v much lower) strength steroid straight away (so something like eumovate), the MINUTE he suspects he's about to get a bad outbreak. If he does this, it shortens the time of the outbreak considerably. If he leaves it, the chances of needing the highest strength steroid go up.

His skin is v v thin in some parts from over use of steroids as a child (this before allergy testing and knowledge of testing so he was regularly given egg and chicken!).

I use Epaderm on my skin but he has always struggled with any sort of moisturising cream. If his skin is v bad, he will use something like that as soap in the bath but he won't put it on his skin (he is also hairy tbh, and those creams are impossible if you are hairy).

Good luck to dh and I hope the derm comes up with something.

It's possible that it is something he's eating or it could be dust/animals (if you have any). Both dh and I have had quite bad skin over the last few weeks and it often corresponds with changes in the weather too!

and if I change the washing powder, both dd and dh's skin goes totally mad (though weirdly it has no effect on mine or ds's). So check what you are using (we use non bio though sometimes use filetti if one of the children is struggling with their skin).

also, 100% cotton sheets and duvet covers and hypo allergenic pillows (always a good excuse to get more bed linen )

ditto much of what has been suggested..

oats in a sock in the bath.

decent emollient after bath.

bath not too hot or to often.

steroid for flare ups, use it past when the red scaliness goes then wean off.

soapnuts for washing all clothes, towels, bedding etc.

he MAY find his skin will tolerate halos and horns wash stuff (made for kids) if he wants a proper hair wash product. dd is ok with this but nothing else. couldn't get away with not washing her hair with something, though i expect your dh's hair is somewhat shorter!