Comments on: Eczema and Dermatitis http://www.juliahart.co.uk/featured-articles/eczema-and-dermatitis/ Julia Hart London Facialist and Skincare expert at The Hale Clinic. Anti Ageing articles and Online Skincare shop with Jan Marini, Skinceuticals, Image Skincare and more. Tue, 04 Jan 2011 17:36:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: julia http://www.juliahart.co.uk/featured-articles/eczema-and-dermatitis/#comment-21 julia Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:31:37 +0000 http://www.juliahart.co.uk/?p=528#comment-21 Hi Alison, I must stress that what works for one person may not work for another, but your daughter will find something that helps, so please keep trying. At the moment with the open, sore, cracked skin - I would advise the less is more strategy and stick to wearing the non-latex gloves and keep emersion in water at a minimum. The skin will already be sensitised to certain substances and using the antibacerial hand gels would have no doubt caused more irritation and dryness (they may have contained alcohol, which would have impaired an already damaged skin barrier). This is one of the few times I would suggest using plain vaseline (petroleum jelly), as it is inert and shouldn't upset even the most sensitive skin - apply this before putting on the non-latex gloves, and make sure it is used when in a work environment. This will provide an effective barrier to some of the irritant chemicals that are triggering the dermatitis. However it is not an effective moisturiser, so the use of a fatty acid e.g Evening Primrose (This shouldn't sting but try a small patch test first), will help nourish and repair the skin, it doesn't happen overnight so keep with it, <strong>Dermanova cream</strong> is very good - you can find this online. Other useful anti-inflammatory oils are Neem Oil, Borage, Blackcurrant Seed and Calendula (try Eve Taylor online). It is also worth ingesting a fatty acid supplement, this will help provide moisture to the skin cells and give the skin what it needs to make an effective lipid barrier, try Evening Primrose Oil or one of the blended omega 3.6.9 - we sell Udo's Choice which is excellent. Other products that can offer relief are Manuka Honey - this has anti-inflammatory and skin repairing properties, try making a cool compress from some honey dissolved in water - then just press onto the effected areas with cotton pads. When bathing and showering, be careful not to get shower gel and shampoo onto hands (wear the non-latex gloves if possible), as these will only irritate further, also avoid soaps, detergents, bubble bath and aqueous cream. If you must bathe (it is actually very drying to the skin), then try using some oats tied in an old tight or muslin cloth, oats have lipids and compounds called avenanthramides, which soothe itchy inflamed skin, but keep the water warm - not hot! Eating an anti-inflammatory diet - read a "Guide To Youthful Nutrition" is well worth doing, as this is an inflammatory condition we are dealing with. Don't dismiss the steroids completely, as they will work short-term - but try some natural treatments as well as they can be very effective. Good Luck with the patch tests, let me know how you get on. Hi Alison,
I must stress that what works for one person may not work for another, but your daughter will find something that helps, so please keep trying. At the moment with the open, sore, cracked skin – I would advise the less is more strategy and stick to wearing the non-latex gloves and keep emersion in water at a minimum. The skin will already be sensitised to certain substances and using the antibacerial hand gels would have no doubt caused more irritation and dryness (they may have contained alcohol, which would have impaired an already damaged skin barrier).
This is one of the few times I would suggest using plain vaseline (petroleum jelly), as it is inert and shouldn’t upset even the most sensitive skin – apply this before putting on the non-latex gloves, and make sure it is used when in a work environment. This will provide an effective barrier to some of the irritant chemicals that are triggering the dermatitis. However it is not an effective moisturiser, so the use of a fatty acid e.g Evening Primrose (This shouldn’t sting but try a small patch test first), will help nourish and repair the skin, it doesn’t happen overnight so keep with it, Dermanova cream is very good – you can find this online. Other useful anti-inflammatory oils are Neem Oil, Borage, Blackcurrant Seed and Calendula (try Eve Taylor online). It is also worth ingesting a fatty acid supplement, this will help provide moisture to the skin cells and give the skin what it needs to make an effective lipid barrier, try Evening Primrose Oil or one of the blended omega 3.6.9 – we sell Udo’s Choice which is excellent.
Other products that can offer relief are Manuka Honey – this has anti-inflammatory and skin repairing properties, try making a cool compress from some honey dissolved in water – then just press onto the effected areas with cotton pads.
When bathing and showering, be careful not to get shower gel and shampoo onto hands (wear the non-latex gloves if possible), as these will only irritate further, also avoid soaps, detergents, bubble bath and aqueous cream. If you must bathe (it is actually very drying to the skin), then try using some oats tied in an old tight or muslin cloth, oats have lipids and compounds called avenanthramides, which soothe itchy inflamed skin, but keep the water warm – not hot!
Eating an anti-inflammatory diet – read a “Guide To Youthful Nutrition” is well worth doing, as this is an inflammatory condition we are dealing with.
Don’t dismiss the steroids completely, as they will work short-term – but try some natural treatments as well as they can be very effective.
Good Luck with the patch tests, let me know how you get on.

]]> By: alison http://www.juliahart.co.uk/featured-articles/eczema-and-dermatitis/#comment-20 alison Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:31:12 +0000 http://www.juliahart.co.uk/?p=528#comment-20 Found your article very interesting - my daughter has been in hairdressing for a couple of years now and has had trouble with her skin ever since, a gradual build-up of a problem, red, itchy dry patches of skin which affects her hands and the tops of her shoulders and arms, across to her collar bones -which flares up and then, with the use of a steroid cream temporarily dies down, (causing her skin to dry and flake off) until the next time when the painful process begins again! She has been to the Dr. a number of times, and each time he prescribes yet another steroid cream! - she has worn latex free gloves since the first signs of the problem, but these really don't seem to make a lot of difference. Strangely enough she is suffering the worst flareup with her hands at the moment - even though she has been on holiday and away, one would think, from the chemicals that affect her most (although where she went she was constantly subjected to the use of antibacterial hand gels!) - but she has been back at work a week and her hands are covered in sore, itchy, red and weepy patches - these patches dry up overnight with the use of Sudocrem or Savlon but as soon as she goes back to work - gloves or not - the patches crack and become sore again. We are currently awaiting an appointment for patch tests, but in the meantime would really appreciate any advice upon the best thing to use for these sore, cracked skin patches! Having read your article am wondering whether to suggest applying the contents of primrose oil capsules - would this sting on broken skin though?? And I was very interested to read about the Aqueous Cream - she has been advised to use this, even wash her hands with it but she says this stings and she really doesn't know whether or not its actually making her condition worse! Thanks for listening! really don't feel we are getting anywhere with the GP - any advice you can give would be so appreciated! Found your article very interesting – my daughter has been in hairdressing for a couple of years now and has had trouble with her skin ever since, a gradual build-up of a problem, red, itchy dry patches of skin which affects her hands and the tops of her shoulders and arms, across to her collar bones -which flares up and then, with the use of a steroid cream temporarily dies down, (causing her skin to dry and flake off) until the next time when the painful process begins again! She has been to the Dr. a number of times, and each time he prescribes yet another steroid cream! – she has worn latex free gloves since the first signs of the problem, but these really don’t seem to make a lot of difference. Strangely enough she is suffering the worst flareup with her hands at the moment – even though she has been on holiday and away, one would think, from the chemicals that affect her most (although where she went she was constantly subjected to the use of antibacterial hand gels!) – but she has been back at work a week and her hands are covered in sore, itchy, red and weepy patches – these patches dry up overnight with the use of Sudocrem or Savlon but as soon as she goes back to work – gloves or not – the patches crack and become sore again. We are currently awaiting an appointment for patch tests, but in the meantime would really appreciate any advice upon the best thing to use for these sore, cracked skin patches! Having read your article am wondering whether to suggest applying the contents of primrose oil capsules – would this sting on broken skin though?? And I was very interested to read about the Aqueous Cream – she has been advised to use this, even wash her hands with it but she says this stings and she really doesn’t know whether or not its actually making her condition worse!

Thanks for listening! really don’t feel we are getting anywhere with the GP – any advice you can give would be so appreciated!

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