Did Your Child Outgrow Exzema?

Hi D.,

My oldest son has had exzema since he was a baby and he has not outgrown it. He is now 12 years old. His doctors said he would outgrow it and I am still hoping he will as it has gotten much better but is not gone. he still needs the prescription creams but he can get away with the plain dove soaps and the aveeno lotions so we save a little on the eucerin and cetaphil.For the past 4 or so years I have been using regular tide laaundry detergent as well so It may not go away soon but it will get better.

Good Luck
I.

Poor thing, that sounds pretty severe. Has she seen any doctors that might have mentioned psoriasis? Obviously I'm no dermatologist, but it soulds like similar symptoms to it, the cracking part. May be worth a mention next time she goes to the doctor.

Hi D.,

Wow, that sounds itchy and painful. My son has had eczema since he was a baby, though not as bad as your daughter's. I've been giving him probiotics in his morning milk since he was very small and I think it helps a great deal. His has tapered off quite a bit and now only shows up once in a while. He will be 3 in a month. You can get powdered probotics from healthfood stores like Chamberlins and Whole Foods. I have also been told by his doctor and my allergist that eczema is related to asthma.

Goodluck.

KarynG

D.,

Unfortunately, they never outgrow it. I do know that it does lessen as they get older. My son is 6 and I still have to use Vanicream on him 2x daily. I've backed off from using the Rx creams as much though.

Keep up the good work, I know it's tough.

A.

Hi D.! I apologize for the late response, but I have been out of town. I suffered from eczema as a child and outgrew it by age 5 or 6. I do have occassional flare ups from time to time, but only in cold weather and it is usually just a small spot that heals quickly. My father had a terrible time with eczema as a child. He had it everywhere! He too outgrew it, so don't worry...your daughter should get better soon.

In case you are looking for some products that can help, I am a consultant with Arbonne International and we have an amazing baby line that helps eliminate eczema. I recommend it for babies, children and adults. I will be happy to send you information on it (ingredient list, before and after pictures, product information, etc.) I have heard that babies are often prescribed steroids for eczema and this would be a natural alternative to that. Our products are free of chemicals, dyes and chemical fragrances. They do not include animal products or mineral oil and are not tested on animals. No pressure, of course, I just wanted to offer. I know how painful and irritating eczema can be!

Please let me know if you have any questions. Best of luck with everything!

Take care,
M.
____@____.com
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2 of mine outgrew it by the time they were walking-- my daughter mostly outgrew it, but in the summer time she'd get a couple of spots here and there on her legs, and I figured out it was likely from clorine in pools. If you have a 4 year old who has it that badly, I highly recommend an allergist. Even if you remember to do her lotion, you are just treating the spots and not getting to the root of the problem to make it go away. You need to figure out WHY she is getting it-- eczema is an allergic reaction. In infants, it could be anything environmental and often just goes away. But as kids get older, it's possible to make the eczema go away or drastically reduce it if you take away what's causing it. It may be a food allergy, but more than likely, it's something simpler. Do you use Clear and Free laundry detergent with NO dies and fragrance??? Do you use special soap and shampoo with NO dies and fragrance? (Aveeno makes a great soothing baby wash)

Hello D., My heart goes out to you becuae I know what you are going thru. My daughter had it really really bad starting around 3 months.My husband had it REALLY bad when he was a kid so I am sure thats where it came from. There were nights I just cried becuase I saw what she was going thru and had no idea what to do to stop it.My daughter would scratch her skin until she bleed and KEPT on scratching. I took her to many specialists that just wanted me to by expensive creams and drugs. I had my daughter take an allergy test and found she was allergic to a bunch of stuff I was giving her. After reseraching even more, I realized she would have the flare ups after eating food she was allergic to ( in her case Milk, eggs, soy, wheat, nuts) this helped alot. She is almost 3 now and I couldnt tell you when the last time she had a flare up. I make sure to stay away from what she is allergic to and keep her skin lotioned always. Most kids outgrow it, but in the same breath.. my best friend (whom is 28 years old) has it really bad. The best thing is to see if there are any foods triggering the flare ups. Thats what helped me out. Good luck

Hello! On the topic of this exzema! Where to start! OK both of my kids had exzema, and the only way to control it, because i don't think it will ever go away completely, is to first water, you need to get some type of water softner, soap needs to be maybe dove or some organic naturally soap...3rd lotion lotion lotion in the morning, noon and night until you get it under control...4th if its real bad... use some type of cortizone 10 plus before applying the lotion...My girls skin looks beautiful now. They are 8 & 9 years old...Hope this helps!

Hi D.,
First and foremost I am so sorry that your little one suffers from this affliction. My 2 yo child does not have eczema but he has keratosis pilaris (chicken bumps) on his lower legs, that he has had since he was born.

I on the other hand has had eczema my whole life. Having researched the ailment thoroughly I have discovered that the only cure for Eczema is middle age (once the sufferer reaches their 40s!)

I have had breakouts numerous times throughout my life, you just have to try and manage it. I had bad breakouts during elementary school, then it went away for few years then it came back during my teen years. It was so bad during my teen years that I got a note from the dermatologist to be excused from PE, sun and sweat aggravated it. That made for a very lonely PE period spent in the library. :-(

Then it went away again, then I moved from VA to South FL! Basically from moderate weather to Tropical Weather! Then I got eczema so severe that the folds on my arms , behind my legs and my neck all got infected, I was rushed to the ER. I remember seeing my Mom cry for the first time in my life (my Mom is not the crying type!) when she saw how bad this condition has made me feel.

Now I'm 26 and I still have a few patches that I maintain, with OTC products like Eucerin (buy the Walmart brand its like $3!) and hydrocortisone or betamethasone creams, and Walmart brand Cetaphil cleanser is great too.

The only real advice I can give you is to find a really GOOD dermatologist. The dermatologist I saw was my mother's dermatologist when she was a girl, and she never had eczema again after he treated her, my case was more severe of course. I never could wear perfume (I would have to spray it on my clothes not on my skin), I always wear sunscreen and I always try and wear a hat and long sleeves if the sun is very bright.

Hope You find a good dermatologist that can alleviate the discomfort and itching for Deanna. Good Luck, and I hope my story has helped yours.

My children only outgrew it if they outgrew a good sensitivity. But usually that didn't happen. I had to identify the food that was causing the problem and eliminate it.