This is a very common skin issue that may develop in early years. There is a lot of interest now in how to manage skin in newborns to try and reduce the risk of developing eczema for those in high-risk groups (1). When we are treating children, we aim to switch off the eczema and are careful to recognise any associated infections that may be driving this process. We are very keen whilst treating the eczema to make sure we stop contact with any allergens or irritants that may also be exacerbating the skin, we will take a very careful history to assess these risk factors.
We believe that using the right skin care that helps to restore the skin barrier with as few ingredients as possible is ideal. We will take as much time discussing long term skin care as we will addressing the current skin flare, we are always looking for sustainable solutions that work with the natural skin microbiome, to try and restore as far as possible skin barrier function. If we are concerned about skin allergy we will organise for an assessment regarding allergy testing, we will also consider all other factors that might be driving this inflammatory process including the gut microbiome, diet, lifestyle and stress amongst others. We believe by addressing all the various factors that may be driving this process, we are more likely to create better health overall that will be reflected in healthy skin.
