My son has eczema!
By kylesmiles
@kylesmiles (1910)
United States
February 3, 2007 4:23pm CST
Hi all. We went to the doctor for my son's 1 year old appointment. Anyway, our doctor says he has eczema! It's not ALL over his body but in some parts of it. Does anyone have experience with this?!
His doctor advised us to use LOTION and change our detergent, which we are already using Tide FREE and Clear (no perfumes, dyes, etc). She also said to use hydrocordizone (spelling) cream, 1% strength.
Since then, I have been using MORE lotion on him and trying to use more of the cream! Anything else I can be doing!? :) Thanks for all of your help and suggestions.
11 people like this
43 responses
@AngEngland (320)
• United States
3 Feb 07
It will make a big difference the type of lotion you use.
When our son was diagnosed with eczema we were using Johnson's and Johnson's baby lotion and baby wash. Our doctor told us they were harsh to baby's skin and when we started researching it out more we found out there are ingrediants in the baby wash and lotion related to formaldehyde! Needless to say we very quickly switched.
We now use Melaleuca products in our home 100% - their cleaners, laundry soap, dish detergant and bath products and our son's eczema has been nonexistant for over a year now - we've had no breakouts whatsoever.
If you want more information email me ang.england at yahoo dot com
I hope you are able to find a solution that works for your family and situations.
Blessings, Angela
2 people like this
@DanielMarvoloRiddle (331)
• United States
4 Feb 07
You beat me to it. We use Melaleuca products too--no more Eczema problems.
@Jamiel (13)
• Italy
4 Feb 07
My son also suffered from eczema when he was younger, he is 12 now and rarely suffers from it anymore. Make sure when he has a bath that you are not using bubble bath or any soap products, there are plenty of soap free cleansers around. Make sure when you dry him after his bath that you dry him well...the common spots for eczema are behind the knees and inside the elbow. I found it was always worse in the summer months so try to keep him cool if it gets hot where you live.
1 person likes this
@Ally_Angel (423)
• New Zealand
4 Feb 07
Jamiel why don't you make your own responses instead of copying other peoples?
2 people like this
@white_snake (643)
• India
4 Feb 07
hi fried please dont use this cream with cardizone... if you believe in homoeo pathy then ..........
take some luke warm water in a bowl and include 10 to 20 dops of calendula Q and apply it on the affected area or mix it with any cream and apply on body........
also use hydrocotyleQ, aegle folia Q, arsenic 30 take a table spoon of lukewarm water and mix one drop of each medicine and give it to your son for 3-6 months....
Do reply me if you want to know more
1 person likes this
@sirora (56)
• United States
4 Feb 07
My daughter has it on parts of her back and her elbows. She is 2 1/2 and acquired it when she was one. I was using Eucirin lotion for awhile until her body got used to it and stopped working for her. What worked really well was Dove White soap. I have been using for a while on her and the spots of eczema are diminishing and also my doctor told us to buy Aveeno Sensitive soap for her skin as well if Dove White didn't work. If it gets worse or starts to spread there are prescribed creams you can use. My friend who is 28 has the same problem and his treatment is gone but sometimes it does come back and when it does he puts the prescribed cream on it. But it is only written out by a doctor and certain creams for certain ages, weight, height and skin types are prescribed for our kids under 3 I think just using creams and soaps are best until they get older and if it still persist than prescribed creams may have to be used.
1 person likes this
@serenae (161)
• United States
4 Feb 07
My daughter is 4yr old, and she was diagnosed with two types of eczema when she about 10 months. Her doctor told me to use dove soap and eucerin cream. We very rarely have flare ups now. She has always had extremely sensitive skin.
@mommy2taylor1 (405)
• United States
4 Feb 07
My daughter has eczema too & she would get staph infections from it. So, I switched to the product Melaleuca & let me tell you-- it has been a God send. She has only had one eczema outbreak since using these products & it went away with the use of the lotion. I noticed other people use it too-- you definately need to try these products-- your eczema days will be limited :) One thing too, my Dr. said is to limit the baths & then when you get him out of the bathtub, pat him dry-- don't rub the water off & then apply the lotion all over so it traps in the moisture! Good luck!
1 person likes this
@jlmcknit (92)
• United States
4 Feb 07
Try what you can, but do not use the steriod too much. I have had Psoriasis for a long time and been on all the topicals out on the market and it has taken its toll on me. My skin has thinned to the point I bruise very easily. It also leaves very bad stretched marks.....
@Ally_Angel (423)
• New Zealand
4 Feb 07
I agree. I have been on the steroid creams all my life up until my eczema went away and it has thinned my skin so much... and it does leave very bad stretcmarks too. Not good at all.
1 person likes this
@magdollars23 (1685)
• United States
4 Feb 07
I dont have anyone in my family who has eczema but one of my friends children has it and I think you are basically doing all that you need to do to take care of it. I think the most important thing is keeping his skin moisturized and I dont think it should be a big problem.
1 person likes this
@lauriefnp (5109)
• United States
3 Feb 07
A good moisturizing lotion is the best thing to use every day to prevent flare-ups, especially during the winter months. Use an unscented lotion or cream; I usually have adults use Aveeno or Eucerin. The most important thing when treating eczema is moisture. The steroid cream (Hydrocortisone) is for treating flare-ups, but you don't want to use it every day. Heavy use of topical steroids can actually end up damaging the skin. I have been reading a lot about using tea tree oil for eczema, and I have actually been using myself for eczema in my outer ear canals. It has been really effective, and I prefer that to using steroids. There is a lot of information about tea tree oil on this site: http://www.teatreewonders.com/
I put the link there just so that you could research this. It's the site where I got most of my information. I am not affiliated with the site in any way, so I'm not selling for them. I just found the site to be well-organized and informative.
1 person likes this
@ctvasan641972 (180)
• India
4 Feb 07
I am also having eczema and I am applying a ointment. I am having in the right leg. This is a initial stage. Doctor, advised me to apply ointment. Otherwise, it will spread. Now, I am feeling better.
1 person likes this
@happymommy3 (2012)
• United States
3 Feb 07
My son also has this, we found out when he was about 9 months old. I don't really change anything but I do try to use the more expensive lotions but sometimes it really doesn't help. Most of the time though I will the prescription cream they gave me which is Elocon. It works wonders on his dry patches. He only has it bad when the weather changes, so I try to always put lotion on him after every bath and alot of it.
@chromecowgirl37 (283)
• United States
4 Feb 07
I am in the same boat with my son. We use Dreft detergent, no softners at all, Aveeno and Cetaphil lotions, and Aveeno and Dove soaps. Since I have been using these products, he has cleared up quite a bit. I have the hydrocortizone cream on hand for bad flare ups. The trick is just to keep him moisturized.
@mnksmommy (301)
• United States
4 Feb 07
My son has had severe eczema since he was just a few months old. The baby detergent Dreft is wonderful. We use oatmeal products like aveeno. We also use eucerin. We do oatmeal baths. We also have to use several perscription creams like Elidel and even a steriod cream. He is 5 now and it seems like he is growing out of it.
1 person likes this
@camar_lyn (1028)
• Singapore
3 Feb 07
I know a few people with eczema. Some mild yet others lead to scarring, poor appetite and sleepless nights. Hydrocortisone is not a gentle cream as it has steroid (though i'm not sure what your 1% means). Have you tried herbs or natural remedies? You can try applying evening primrose oil on the parts where he has eczema. Or try including fish high in oils or protein powder in his diet. High quality protein will help in skin renewal. All this takes time though. God bless!
@beckyomg1 (6756)
• United States
6 Feb 07
I have this condition, but it is only brought out by stress, i aquired this condition when i was 35 , dont think my job had anything to do with it ha ha. But yes i use the dye free items, and the same cream and it seems to help.
@vanilla_rainbow (25)
• New Zealand
7 Feb 07
I wouldn't recommend the steroid, hydrocortisone creams like others I used them for psoriasis and ended up with thin skin and stretchmarks, also it came back a lot worse and in places I had never had it before(like on my face!)Wish I had never used them at all thats for sure. I use neem soap from a company called mermaid bay here in new zealand, they have lots of testimonials that it helps dry skin, psoriasis and eczema so I thought I would try it out on me and my 2 yr old with eczema. I used to use Sabun soap a big thick cake which is made the traditional way in a middle eastern country(its late at night and I forget which one :)the skin felt very soft after using it and there was a great magazine article about an aussie woman who was covered in eczema and was cleared of it after using the Sabun soap. I stopped using it because I had to drive a long way to get it. I find my son's immune system is down when he has an eczema flare up he also gets grumpy cause he misses out on sleep and the itching doesn't help his mood either! I am always trying to help him with something or other. He gets probiotics and flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil and red bush(rooibos)tea. I have just started the red bush tea in his milk(non dairy)bottle at night and it seems to be helping him itch less.
@carlomeno (1085)
• Italy
8 Feb 07
It is not a big problem don't worry. he has to put cortisonic cream on it, and it will disappear. usually it can be caused by stress
@rahuldmhatre (736)
• India
4 Feb 07
yes its a fairly common condition, its due to allergic reaction to chemicals...like contact dermatitis, do as he says and it will disappear.the cream is steroid that will decrease the inflammation and eczema
@superbren (856)
•
8 Feb 07
my son had very bad eczema but has improved greatly. i still use only fairy washingg powder , i never change. also he only washes in dermol cream mixed with an oil that the doctor prescibes. if he washes in anythingb else his skin starts to get rough again. taking good care of the skin really does help but bathing every day doesnt .the skin will be stripped of moisture if you bathe him every night. try every other night and apply cream to dry areas.
@shaz6611 (951)
• Australia
3 Feb 07
My son also suffered from eczema when he was younger, he is 12 now and rarely suffers from it anymore. Make sure when he has a bath that you are not using bubble bath or any soap products, there are plenty of soap free cleansers around. Make sure when you dry him after his bath that you dry him well...the common spots for eczema are behind the knees and inside the elbow. I found it was always worse in the summer months so try to keep him cool if it gets hot where you live.
1 person likes this
@shawn2008 (296)
• United States
4 Feb 07
when i was 10 my babysitters son had eczema and their doctor prescribes some kind of medicated cream that was specially made for eczema. when they used it all of his eczema when away... while they were uzing it. i dont know about now becaus i dont c them n e more. but i really think you should ask your doctor about some kind of medicen or medicated cream if his eczema doesnt go away.
