ATOPIC DERMATITIS - UNDERSTANDING AND CARE

Atopic dermatitis affects up to 10% of children under the age of 6. What can we do ourselves in the fight against itching and rashes ? Keep reading...

Do you recognize the problem?

The 16-month-old has been eating all sorts of food for a long time and is lively and satisfied for most of the day. Lately, however, you have noticed red rashes appearing on various parts of the body. The child often scratches himself, which makes the situation worse.

A 5 month old baby has a red rash on his face that never goes away. Everyone says that these are just baby pimples that appear due to the mother's hormones and that the rash will disappear soon. Instead, rashes have appeared on other parts of the body, the baby is becoming increasingly restless, and the skin is severely itchy. He feeds exclusively on mother's milk.

The 4-year-old has had dry and sensitive skin since he was a child, which has not caused him any major problems so far. Lately, however, dry areas have begun to appear on the inside of the elbows, in some areas of the thighs and on the face, which look like some kind of scaly patches and itch a lot.

The cases described above are typical of a skin condition called atopic dermatitis. It is a common skin disease that affects up to 10% of babies and children. Atopic dermatitis can occur as early as 2 months of age. Read below for tips on how to relieve the problems of atopic dermatitis.

What is atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a skin condition that has two main components:

1. Dry and rapidly irritated skin

The predisposition to dry skin is in most cases of genetic origin. Dry skin can be the cause of various skin problems, as moisture is an extremely important factor in maintaining healthy and beautiful skin, preventing or reducing irritation and accelerating skin healing. It could be said that moisture generally improves the functioning of our skin. In atopic dermatitis, the skin retains moisture less well, so itching and rough areas of the skin appear. Particularly in itching, children find it difficult to resist scratching on the irritated areas, which further aggravates the situation: the itching becomes stronger and the skin even more irritated.

2. Allergies

Allergies often appear on the skin first. When babies are exposed to various allergens (food, pollen, cosmetics, ...) their skin reacts and a rash develops. If a child already has mostly dry skin, it is more difficult to fight allergies.

Babies with atopic dermatitis face both conditions described and it could be said that their skin is fighting a battle on two different fronts that complement each other.

What does atopic dermatitis look like?

Dry skin

Your baby has dry and often rough skin. When you run your fingers over the surface of the skin, you may feel small bumps.

Areas where the skin is particularly rough and dry

Everywhere on the body, dry scaly patches appear that are rough to the touch.

Skin rashes

Occasionally there are more severe outbreaks of dermatitis on the skin, manifesting as severely itchy red rashes. Outbreaks usually occur on skin folds: on the inside of the elbows and below the knees, they often also occur on the neck, wrists, arms, and legs. Interestingly, eczema does not usually occur in the area of diaper rash.

What are the causes of atopic dermatitis?

Genetic source

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammation of the upper skin epithelium of allergic origin. The cause is in most cases of genetic origin: a congenital predisposition to allergies and dry skin, so very often we cannot influence it. In some children, atopic dermatitis later develops into airway diseases such as hay fever and asthma.

Urban environment

Children who grow up in an urban environment where exposure to various pollutants is greater are up to 2 times more likely to develop atopic dermatitis.

How are the signs of atopic dermatitis relieved?

Make sure your baby's skin is always moist

If necessary, moisturize the skin up to 5 times a day! Moisturizing the skin is the first and most important step in alleviating the signs of atopic dermatitis. Make skin hydration part of your daily routine with your baby.

Bathe in lukewarm water

Hot water dries the skin further. It was once believed that bathing always dry the skin and worsen the condition of atopic dermatitis. We now know that this is not the case and that a proper bath can even improve the condition of atopic dermatitis, as long as the bath is lukewarm and free of harsh gels and soaps that dry the skin. Remember: your baby is not so dirty that he needs daily washing with soap.

Gently wipe with a towel

Never scrub the skin, as this will remove the precious oils that retain moisture in the skin.

Don't use regular soap

Soaps usually dry out the skin, this also applies to those intended for babies and should be gentle and gentle on the skin.

Skin care with atopic dermatitis

Use a gentle shower gel that nourishes and moisturizes the skin. Hemptouch Hydrolat Shampoo contains cold pressed hemp oil and is rich in hemp hydrosol. This gentle and 100% natural shampoo nourishes and cleanses the scalp and hair. Bergamot soothes irritated skin, while nutmeg, sage and blue chamomile relieve problems and soothe skin reactions.

Moisturize the skin daily with a suitable ointment.

Mild problems

Moisturize the skin of the whole body 2 to 4 times a day, depending on the degree of dryness. Hemptouch CBD Soothing Ointment contains no essential oils and is 100% natural. It is excellent for the care and protection of delicate, dry and very sensitive skin. Hemp ointment to relieve skin problems in a 100% natural way improves the defense mechanism of the skin and promotes its functioning, improves the structure of the skin and accelerates its regeneration capacity.

Serious problems

For more severe skin problems, we recommend the use of Therapeutic CBD Skin Balm, which contains cannabis phytocannabinoids that mimic the endocannabinoid system in our body and are therefore of great potential for the development of new natural therapies for the treatment of many diseases. 50ml hemp ointment contains a high CBD content, which soothes skin reactions and balances the endocannabinoid system in the skin. In addition to the aforementioned cannabinoids, the resin contains many other types of natural molecules and phytochemical compounds, such as amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, fatty acids, minerals, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, flavonoids.

The best time to moisturize your skin is right after a bath, as the pores open up and the moisturizing ingredients are absorbed faster.

Avoid skin irritants

The child should wear clothes made from natural materials.
Cotton is best because it is gentle on the skin and does not itch. But also be careful when choosing cotton garments, because today they often contain chemicals that have been added to the fabric during dyeing or processing. Bedding and sheets should also be made from natural materials.

Always wash new clothes before your baby wears them.
This will remove any chemicals that may be present from the factory treatment of the garments.

Powder detergent and fabric softeners.
Use a mild laundry detergent, we recommend one that is environmentally friendly, as this means it is also friendly to the baby's skin. Avoid fabric softeners, as they mostly contain allergens. We also recommend that you wash your clothes twice when washing.

When the child is sweating (sports, intense play, ..) bathe him in a warm bath.
Sweat is a common trigger for rashes, especially on skin folds.

The humidity in the home should be between 25 and 40 percent.
During the winter months, when the air in the room is drier, use humidifiers.

Avoid allergens

Food allergens - If your child is allergic to certain foods, they can cause severe outbreaks of atopic dermatitis if ingested. There are 6 foods responsible for 90% of food allergies.These are: eggs, milk, soy, peanuts, fish and wheat. If you suspect your child has a food allergy, we suggest avoiding all six foods for two to three weeks. If you notice an improvement, add individual foods and watch the changes. What will cause the dermatitis to exacerbate is most likely an allergen.

Allergens from the environment - these most often include house and cat and dog pollen and hair. Environmental allergens most commonly cause respiratory and sinus reactions. However, regular exposure to these allergens can contribute to the exacerbation of atopic dermatitis.

Scratch restriction

Controlling scratches on affected areas of the skin usually poses a big deal for children with atopic dermatitis. Dry, irritated skin is itchy, so it's hard to refrain from scratching. Children usually fall into a circle of scratching and itching. Scratching further irritates the skin and this leads to worsening inflammation and increased itching, which means an increased need to scratch. The easiest way to break the cycle is to regularly treat the affected areas with appropriate ointments that will bring relief to the skin and reduce itching.

The most suitable diet for healthy skin

• Omega-3 fatty acids. Most of them are found in some oils (hemp and flaxseed oil) and tuna and salmon
• Antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E
• Many liquids: The best water helps to keep the skin sufficiently hydrated

Will my child ever get over dermatitis?

Almost done. In most children, dermatitis is relieved in childhood. It is possible that your child always has certain dry skin problems and occasional rashes, but the vast majority in adulthood no longer have a problem with dermatitis.

Source: www.hemptouch.com