I have a question for the users of Noxema. Do you just wash the area with the Noxema or do you rub it in and leave it on? I too have tried all the cortisone creams and even prednisone (which I had a bad reaction to) so I am willing to try anything that is not going to thin my skin or drive my crazy. Thanks!
Kelly from Miami
I have eczema too and have since I was a teenager. In seeing numerous doctors and using lots of creams I finally ran into a doctor that treated the problem not just with topical creams. What you need to look at is food allergies. Wheat and dairy are a major trigger for eczema, it's also considered an autoimmune disease. When I finally was diagnosed with celiac disease (wheat intolerance that 1 in 5 people have, but don't know it) and dairy allergy my eczema seemed to go away. I'm also an esthetician and run into this problem with clients all the time. Try Cetiphil cleanser, stay away from almost all drug store brands. They all contain high levels of alcohol that will just irritate the eczema. The tanning bed does usually work for someone with psoriasis, but not usually eczema. The other thing is that you need to treat it from the inside out and that means taking supplements like fish oil (pure that you have to refrigerate and not from Costco), evening primrose oil, and borage oil. A lot of companies sell it as a trio so you only have to take one pill. You could also try www.eminence.com they have the most amazing Hungarian organic skin care products. They smell amazing and most of them won't irritate your skin. (07/05/2007)
By Brianne
I've had eczema my whole life. I suggest Melaleuca brand lotion. I've tried various melaleuca (tea tree oil) products, but this lotion works wonders. It is all natural and is long-lasting. They have a website, I think it's Melaleuca.com.
Anyway, I had a horrible outbreak of eczema a couple years ago (brought on by my allergies to cats and cigarette smoke) and it took me a year to get it under control. I tried steroids and everything, but this Melaleuca lotion was the only thing that actually worked and kept working. I still use it every day.
Other tips: avoid hot water, heat, sweat, anything that you have allergies to, itchy materials, etc. I found that I'm not allergic to our dogs, but one of them has a short, prickly coat. If I hold or play with him too long my arms start to get little bumps on them and itch. His rough coat just irritates my skin. (11/09/2007)
By Rose
I am 46 years old and have had allergic eczema forever. I never had any breakouts, I have only had the itching from the inside of my skin until a month ago. For the first time I broke out in weeping eczema (like poison ivy). I itched for a month. It was awful. I had allergy testing done again and the derm did an environmental allergy test (still waiting for the results on that).
I stopped taking my vitamins. They are red and I don't eat anything that has red dye in it. The itching has stopped dramatically! Also, I started using Cerave. You can get it at CVS or Walgreens, or you can go to their website and find the stores in your area. Cerave is different from Eucerin or Cetaphil in that it helps to repair and rebuild the skin barrier that is problematic for people with eczema. It has made a huge difference! The skin that had the little bumps on it is now smooth after two days of using it. They have a cleanser, lotion, and cream. I use the cream on the parts of my body that have the weeping eczema. I use the cleanser all over, except for my hair, and I use the lotion all over, even my face. The price is $11.99-$12.99 for a 12 oz bottle. It is fantastic! I hope this helps someone. (05/07/2008)
By BRP
Hi, I am an eczema sufferer myself (have had it since I was a few months old).
Last year, I had the worst eczema I could possibly imagine, I was unable to sit properly (because of the eczema on my back), to lie down and sleep (slept in a praying position for 3-4 months every night) and eat (because every time I opened my mouth, my skin would crack and yellow "water" would ooze out).
Luckily I found a doctor that helped me. He didn't believe in steroids either. What I had was called "chelation", and I still go and get treatments 1-2 times a week. It's extremely expensive, but I'm all cured now except for a little stubborn eczema on my arms, legs, and neck. It's tolerable though because I can fall asleep for the entire night within no time now.
I highly recommend you to try out chelation treatments. You can google "EDTA" or "chelation" for more information. Good luck to you on your search for a cure! (07/23/2008)
By Tracy
A lotion I like to use is Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula (Fragrance free). It really helps keep it moisturized. But as far as getting it to disappear for a while, sunlight is pretty much the only thing that has worked for me and watching out for irritants in laundry soap and stuff like that. (12/23/2008)
By Kaitlyn
I have had eczema since birth, now I'm 24. When I was a baby my parents would dress me in cotton tights so that i wouldn't scratch myself to the point of bleeding, even in the hot summer months. I was embarrassed all through school, so to all those younger kids and teens, I know what it's like.
I used to make up stories all the time when kids asked me, saying I got poison ivy and that it would probably last for a few months. The best thing that has worked for me are the sun and salt water (being in the ocean) and going tanning (2-3 times per week). I have tried every single cream out there, every prescription and non prescription drug.
By Vera
I have suffered from eczema for about 20 years, it is finally under control. It was so bad that I was hospitalized for it as a teen and was on prednisone and antibiotics for years. I now have to take probiotics because the over use of antibiotics has messed up my digestion. I have found two things that has helped me greatly in the past couple years.
1.) Shea Butter 100%, not the modified type used in lotions you find in the drugstore or supermarket. I started using this around my eyes, because I was getting eczema under my eye lids. Every time I blinked my cornea was getting scratched. The shea butter helped bring down the inflammation. You would have to order it on line or get it from a health food store. Try getting the one that is straight from Africa. I know that there is an American Shea Butter Institute in Georgia somewhere. Perhaps they can guide you in the right direction. The stuff is amazing!
2.) Bare Minerals. The powders are so great that if I'm getting a little red on my face or hands, I sweep mineral veil on the rash and the next morning it's gone. It dries up and the shea butter peels it off.
My Ophthalmologist is amazed to how well my eyes and the eczema around it has improved. I feel that it is because of the above two products. I hardly ever have to put in steroid drops anymore.
Another thing I had to do was eliminate certain foods from my diet. Most of them did not show up on a regular food allergy test. For example, the allergy test showed that I was not allergic to chocolate, but indeed I was. When I ate it, I flared up, yet I discovered I was not allergic to white chocolate. I later found out that I was allergic to the ingredient that is in milk chocolate and not white chocolate called theobromine. I'm not allergic to dairy all around because I can have milk, but no cheese, the casein used to harden the cheese is what I get a rash from. It's a lot of trial and error. In the process you have to become very much in tune with your body and what you put in or around it. Hopefully that helps. (06/26/2009)
By April
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