Ezcema advice please

[Thurlow]

6mo DS had ezcema. It's not terrible but we're still struggling to find the right cream to manage it on a daily basis.

The worst area is his chest, where he has several patches that just won't completely disappear even with hydrocortisone. His nipples are the worst and it seems the moment we think it's mostly cleared up and stop using the hydrocortisone (as the GP said not to use it too much) it comes right back and one starts weeping immediately. He is also old enough to start scratching it, which doesn't help.

I did see a GP the other week who just shrugged it off, said it really wasn't bad ezcema so there was nothing we could do and that he'd grow out of it eventually.

I know it's not bad ezcema in the wider scheme of things but surely it's not right that his chest should flare up so instantly and that his vest often ends up sticking to it. Should I persevere and see another GP or was the other one right?

[Bubblysqueak]

Moo goo cream is amazing. Usually when ds (3) has a bad flair up only steroid cream will work, but we were recommended moogoo cream and it cleared the eczema within 48 hrs. After 24 hours the soreness and redness had disappeared and the following day it was like looking at a different child. If you look on their website it lists all of the ingredients and what they do. It's amazing.

[Wolfiefan]

You might need a stronger steroid for a short time. What do you use when you're not using steroids? The key for us was finding a decent emollient that stopped it getting bad. (Diprobase for me and Dermol for the kids.)

[Cakescakescakes]

DS was under a consultant dermatologist for his eczema as a baby and he said it was better to blitz it with steroids e.g. Twice a week for a week than use it in dribs and drabs. Also you need to be moisturising it numerous times a day e.g. every time you change a nappy. At one point we were applying aveeno 10-12 times daily and steroids twice daily during flare ups.

DS ended up on stronger steroids but 1% hydrocortisone is fine. If you only have the 0.5% one then you can buy the 1% one over the counter. It's really fine especially for use on the torso. Don't listen to naysayers. Eczema is miserable for babies and better to blitz it and get on top of it than leave them itchy.

[Cakescakescakes]

Also google Scratch Sleeves which were a life saver for us as DS had terrible eczema on his face too.

[Thurlow]

Thanks. Dermol is working best for us but still not amazing. We use Aveeno oil in our hard water bath and moisturize regularly which seems to keep mainly on top of the patches on his legs, arms and face. It just the weeping torso that is the worst.

I might go to the GP tomorrow to see if we need a stronger steroid for a week or so.

[EatsShitAndLeaves]

Oat baths can help before bed time.

I put a few scoops of porridge oats in a muslin bag (I made it out of a cleansing cloth) and let the water run through it.

Also medication aside I found buying a washing machine with a hypo allergenic cycle made a big difference.

Last one when it gets bad for me and my DS an anti histamine tablet/syrup can help a lot - especially for night scratching.

[EatsShitAndLeaves]

Oops - just seen 6 months (my mind said 6 years) so you can't use anti histamine without medical advice at that age.

Oat baths are great though at that or any age.

[Thurlow]

We've already worked out that anything not washed in non-bio or even new clothes sets him off so I'm doing a LOT of washing of all the clothes we've been given!

I will try the pat bath, thanks. I just want to try and get it under control before he gets old enough for it to really annoy him.

[Count2three]

Another recommendation for scratchsleeves, DS wears them every night.
DS becomes immune to creams quite quickly so I alternate once a pot is finished. The ones prescribed I've found to be useless (dermal etc). Aveeno, coconut oil and Lush's Dream Cream I've found to be the best. However, no matter how good they are, they don't control flair ups completely, which is when I use steroid cream.

[EatsShitAndLeaves]

Some other general thoughts.

Where areas are very sore, try not to towel dry. I just used a hairdryer on a cool setting.

A lot of sufferers get eczema on "crease points" inside elbows, backs of the knees etc.

This can be caused by being irritated by your own skin "sticking" together. So think about barrier creams in those areas - Dermalex is good and they do one specifically for babies with eczema.

Sun is great for eczema - I used to let my DS out in the garden in his nappy in good weather. Make sure you use sunscreen for sensitive skin. Even inside, letting the air get to his skin is a good thing.

Try and cut down on chemicals in the home. So many cleaning products are really bad for sensitive skin. For example if you clean the bath with something - residual product can still be in the water. Touching tabletops that have just been polished etc.

E-cloths are great. Use one damp to clean and the other to polish. Try where you can to use natural cleaning products (loads of tips on line using lemons, vinegar, bicarbonate etc) or brands like Method who focus on non-toxic plant based ingredients.

Dust/pollen/animal dander can be a common trigger - I have an air purifier in DS's room and use ecloths to clean surfaces regularly.

Clothes in cotton/jersey fabrics. Wool is guaranteed to get me and DS scratching - be mindful of people holding your LO wearing woollen clothing especially if being cuddled with his face resting on them.

Good luck

[Mrsmorton]

I find/hear that using far more emollient than you think you should is helpful. Epaderm is quite a sticky, persistent emollient and I literally spoon it into my eczema which helps a lot. Must be very hard with such a youngster.

[AnoiseAnnoysanOyster]

Make sure you use the emollient and the steroids at separate times so you don't dilute the steroid effect. At least half an hour gap and moisturise as much as you can.


GPs always just hand out hydrocortisone. We saw a dermatologist and got specific steroids for face and body which worked almost immediately.

[Blumkin]

We found that a lot of bathing products would make dds eczema react, conditioner esp is like pouring acid on her affected skin. Some suncreams would cause massive flare ups too. It's a bit better now that she has less frequent and colder baths but short with no bubbles, sls free shampoo, etc. Avoid towel drying the area if poss.

She seems ok with brands of moisturizers for a while, then will start to go red and angry as soon as we apply it one day. We've been through all of them pretty much, aveeno, doublebase, diprobase, etc. She's currently using my super expensive clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion which is working magic on her elbows.

[April229]

Tea tree oil?

[McMumface]

My dd has suffered from severe eczema since she was 9 weeks old(she is almost 9 and still suffers badly but is more controlled).We kept going back and forth to the GP but it was a case of 'poke and hope'and she was suffering terribly.We ended up going private as we were so desperate(eczema was infected-it improved almost immediately).The Consultant Dermatologist recommended that we ask the GP to refer us to a specialist pediatric dermatology unit,which he did and we received special care plans etc which were so much better as so many parts of her body were affected,she needed different creams for different body parts.We also found out that she had many allergies( a severe nut allergy being the main one),but her skin was also allergic to certain foods/dust mites/chemicals etc,so being in contact with these would exacerbate her skin.Eczema is a minefield,and no disrespect to GP's but sometimes standard hydrocortisone and emollients just aren't enough.Please ask to be referred.I hope this helps and that the situation can be eased for your ds.xx

[LatinForTelly]

Hope's relief cream worked for my DS when he was young and has just recently cleared up a bit of facial eczema on my 11 yo DD.

The site itchybaby.co.uk is great for lots of different eczema products including scratchsleeves and all natural suncream (badgers used to be one I used for DS IIRC)

My DS had quite bad eczema (along with allergies) and was one of the few whose eczema got worse in the summer and I genuinely couldn't believe how effective Hope's Relief was. It is natural, which I'm normally highly sceptical about, but I think has large doses of manuka honey and other recognised effective ingredients in it. I half wondered if it had steroids in it, it was so good, but thought DS's skin would be damaged now with the amount we used, if it had had.

The best 'inert' cream for DS we found to be Epaderm. Also second the oats in the bath thing.

[Thurlow]

Thanks all for the advice. I went to the GP this morning and thankfully he didn't brush me off - DS's chest is infected and he has impetigo, so we have a 10 day course of antibiotics to clear it up properly. We might try blitzing it with with stronger steroid if it's still there after.

I will look into the creams mentioned above as a more natural route does sound nicer.

[TurquoiseDress]

Interesting to read about others experiences with trying to manage eczema in their children.

Our LO and has eczema that comes and goes, but is currently going through a massive flare up & he is waking himself up in the night with all the scratching. Not to mention the broken and bleeding skin as a result of this.

Doublebase is an emollient that seems to work ok- I think it's a case of finding the right one for the individual.

For example, Epaderm was dreadful for LO's skin- made it all red and flared up, it was so sticky & heavy it didn't feel very nice (think we had the ointment).

Seeing the GP this week and going to ask for paediatric dermatology referral- how long is it likely to take for an appointment to come through? (I realise this is like asking how long is a piece of string!)