Self conscious about eczema

[21mumof3]

My 6 yr old son has had eczema for just over a year now and at the moment it's not too bad, he just had some redness on his elbows and knees. He doesn't usually get too bothered about it as we regularly put on his cream to reduce any soreness, however he seems to be affected more by the appearance of it. He refuses to wear school shorts and he gets really upset if he has to take his PE kit in. He hasn't actually said why but other things I've picked up on makes me feel like he's trying to cover it up from his friends.
Any tips on how to make him less self conscious about it? It's really barely noticeable but clearly to him it's bothering him

If it’s bothering him then I would guess the cream isn’t working. What are you using and how often?

He has cetraben twice a day. He's not bothered by it in terms of it being itchy or sore, most of the time it's just a little red and doesn't cause him any problems, but he seems to be more concerned about the appearance and he's feeling self conscious more and more. The rash itself is really small, when he doesn't use the cream is does spread and become sore

Cetraben is an emollient. If it’s red and people can see the eczema then that alone isn’t working. You may need some steroid cream such as hydrocortisone. He shouldn’t have to worry about how his skin looks.

OP my daughter is the exact same. Her eczema is so bad on her arms, back of legs and knees - she will scratch sometimes to the point it is bleeding and gets infected. The only thing I find helps is steroid creams.