Excema-advice please.

[gibba8]

My 4 year old DD has always had excema but I have managed to keep it under control with all the creams etc. However it is especially bad at the moment. Her whole body is covered in little scratches and some open areas. She scratches most of the night in her sleep and her pj's are spotted with blood every morning.
I just wondered if anyone is in a similar situation? What washing powder do you use as I wondered if this was irritating her although I have always used the same powder(fairy)
Does anyone else use Diprobase and if so do you use it before the bath to keep skin from drying out or after the bath?
Any advice would be apreciated.

My dd is only 11 mths but has had excema since 6 weeks. It is under control now (with seroids, I tried everything else). I use diprobase as soap in the bath and after the bath as moisturiser and throughout the day. I used to use fairy and it was fine, use Persil small and mighty non bio now and this is also fine. If she is scratched and bleeding, she may get infected so it is worth seeing the doctor for a course of antibiotics to knock that on the head.

Poor you, its a complete nightmare isn't it? I'm just hoping she'll grow out of it like I did and in the meantime it's constant emmoliating.

I only bath dd every day if she has been especially grubby, otherwise I wash her down with a sponge and diprobase (and cortisone) morning and night and bath her every 3rd day.

DD2 has excema and it is a nightmare! She was diagnosed at 5 months when it was very bad - it took steroids and antibiotic cream to clear it up - I had to use these creams for a period of 15 months and now at 20 months thing seemed to have improved. I stopped using all fabric conditioners, cotton sheets only and loose fitting clothes. I kept her nail very short and rubbed on the cream at every nappy change.

I realise that your dd is older but I have heard that aloe vera is meant to work wonders!

My dd10 has always had excema, although it is beginning to ease off now. Have you tried a dairy free/reduced dairy diet? As K999 said, ALoe vera gel (from Holland and Barrett) works quite well. The diprobase we used to put on after a bath, but it did stop being effective after a while. We now use Cetroben which is very good, but you will have to ask your GP for it as it is available on prescription is not often prescribed (more expensive?) We also try to use soap product with no parabens or Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) in them - available in BOots and online. HTH!!

That's my 10 year old dd by the way, not my tenth one!