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Parenting

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At my wits end with face eczema

9 replies

Pen89ox · 05/12/2022 21:29

My toddler is almost 3, he’s had sensitive skin from the day he was born with one thing or another. I’d say since he was 1 he has had some kind of eczema
intermittently in various places on his body (genetic i think - my sister and dad had it), we’ve been able to treat this with a mix of steroids and moisturiser it responds well pretty quickly.

In September I dared to use baby wipes which were a slight variation of our usual ones (still a fortune and allergy approved etc but clearly this didn’t matter) and he got an angry red rash around his mouth, since then this has come and gone and displays in various forms each day, sometimes it’s quite widespread, some days it looks less angry, some days it’s spotty, other days it’s blotchy.

We rang the docs back in Sep and they gave us hydrocortisone to use for 7 days and this cleared it up, but then it came back within a week. We tried a second course of hydrocortisone in Nov, cleared up great but again came back within 10 days or so.

The issue is getting the cream on his face, he’s now an independent, strong-willed toddler and absolutely hates creams of any sort, even more so on the face. I try to do it when he’s napping and when he’s in bed, but he’s now started waking up when I do that (and he’s stopped napping most days). If I try to do it when he’s awake he screams and screaming and his tears mix up most of the cream anyway, or as soon as I stop he’ll rub his face on his hand/sleeve/the sofa/carpet which I feel undoes the goodness of the cream and a bit more probably.

I know the cold weather would bring it’s skin implications (he had a very very mild episode of this last year) but I’m honestly lost on where to go next, I don’t know what creams to use (i have a small fortune of various ones in the cupboard), when to use them and most important, how to get them on him. I feel like as his mum I should’ve sorted this out for him by now but I’m just so stuck and I feel like I can’t really ring my GP again (almost impossible to get an app anyway).

OP posts:
KangarooKenny · 05/12/2022 21:30

What are you washing his bedding and towels in ?

Pen89ox · 05/12/2022 21:35

KangarooKenny · 05/12/2022 21:30

What are you washing his bedding and towels in ?

a non-bio fragranced free liquid, i used to use nimble so maybe i should go back to that.

OP posts:
KangarooKenny · 05/12/2022 21:38

I used to use Surcare, that’s all he would tolerate.
I used Elena’s Nature Collection on his skin, that’s all that worked. He eventually grew out of it, hope yours does too.
Could you try putting his face cream on when you put your moisturiser on, so he’s copying you ?

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Rinatinabina · 05/12/2022 21:42

I found with DD that if she had a flare up her skin would be even more sensitive and it would feel,like burning with many moisturisers, could it be hurting him?

We found cerave worked really well for DD and it’s soothing but she has dyshidrotic eczema so not sure if thats helpful for you. She has got itching and dryness all over as well.

Ubbee · 05/12/2022 21:46

Can you encourage him to do it himself? And then help to rub it in a little? Let him put it on you while you do him? Apply really thin amounts regularly so he hardly feels it. Getting it moisturised regularly is key so think you need to get him on board even if you need to bribe him or something.
Big fans of Aveeno over here :)

TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 05/12/2022 21:56

Get a referral to dermatology. Its the only thing that has got my 4 year old son's under control.

lorisparkle · 05/12/2022 22:21

I have found the eczema on my face really hard to treat and I am an adult! I find moisturisers really sting and tried a wide selection. My eczema responds best to a lightweight but not 'runny' moisturiser. It hates e45 but aveeno seems ok at the moment. It is very much trial and error.

What are you using in the bath? The stuff I use can be used as a moisturiser. However my eczema hates water too!

Your ds has my sympathy

MellowMelly · 05/12/2022 22:40

Op is that definitely still eczema round his mouth or could it possibly be perioral dermatitis? This could be mistaken for eczema and often is treated as eczema except it’s not and will therefore return after treatment with hydrocortisone and the rash itself will wax and wane much like you describe. Just a thought!

PritiPatelsMaker · 05/12/2022 23:04

Can I ask what you're washing his face with? A DF had the exact problem with her DS and it stopped after she stopped using any wipes on his face.

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