Battling Eczema? Win The Fight With These Tips!
Battling Eczema? Win The Fight With These Tips!
Eczema can be a chronic condition that comes and goes. But during the times when you are experiencing a flair-up, it can disrupt your life in many ways. So learning the triggers and what you can do to keep it from taking over is essential. So here are some proven ways to help you keep your breakouts to a minimum.
Keep the temperature constant in your house. That means you will have to use your air conditioning system at different points throughout the year. If the temperature fluctuates too much, that can be a trigger for your eczema. During the winter, it may be best to get a cool mist humidifier as well, so that your skin does not dry out.
Be careful when you put on sunscreen. You never know what may cause you to have an outbreak of eczema. The higher the SPF, the more likely it is that the sunscreen may cause you to have an issue. Try and find something with an SPF of around 35. That should protect your skin from the sun and keep it in good shape overall.
Use an antibiotic ointment on severely cracked skin. This can prevent infections from forming. It also serves as a moisturizer. Do this sparingly though; prolonged use of antibiotic ointments can render them ineffective. If you do have an infection, you should consult your doctor, who may give you an oral antibiotic.
Moisturize immediately following bathing. This is the best time to do it because your skin is still damp. Make sure to only pat dry your skin between showering and moisturizing. You don't want to remove any moisture that your skin has already absorbed; that is counterproductive to treating your eczema.
In areas which have cold weather during the winter, those who have eczema need to take special care to prevent flare-ups. When dressing for cold temperatures, it is important to dress in a way which does not promote overheating and sweating since both of these trigger the itching and scratching cycle. If one dresses in layers, the removal of extra garments can prevent overheating.
Keep your skin moisturized to prevent eczema. Moisturized skin that stays soft and flexible is not as likely to crack. Petroleum jelly or unscented moisturizers with a few simple ingredients are best. Chemicals and fragrances that are used in certain moisturizers can aggravate eczema instead of preventing or soothing it.
If you have any of the many types of eczema, you should keep your fingernails cut short. Although individuals try to refrain from scratching the patches of dry, itchy skin, sometimes scratching is done as a reflex without conscious though. With shortened nails, it's less likely that the dry, delicate skin will be punctured when you scratch it.
As you can see, there are many things that you can do to help you in your battle with eczema. Many of them are simple things, while others require changing some of your habits and environment. But making these changes can help keep your eczema under control and you will find that your breakouts may occur less frequently and be less severe.