I swear Treyden has one of the worse cases of eczema I have ever seen. We have tried everything from aloe to some organic stuff I found in the baby aisle and even prescription strength Hydrocortisone but it just keeps reappearing.
I've seen his pediatrician multiples times regarding this and even asked to see a dermatologist and/or allergist thinking it might be a food allergy that could be causing it. This has been an on-going thing for Trey and I, so I figured I'd share some of my experience with eczema treatments.
Cortisone 1%: It's over the counter and you probably have some in your first aid kit. When Treyden was a few months old a friend recommended this to me. It worked like a charm, I would lather it on his skin and the ugly red patch would be gone within the hour. Little did I know (even tho I probably should have-considering I've completed 4 years of pharmacy school) that cortisone thins your skin out and can also change the color of your skin. If you must, apply a thin layer over the affected area once or twice a day considering how bad the eczema is for 3-5 days. I would try to avoid the face because it does thin your skin and can also make your skin darker/lighter.
Hydrolatum: This is also over the counter but you have to special order it at the pharmacy. This stuff is thick. If you're not into the greasy ointment-y feeling on your skin from lotions, this is not for you (I LOVE that feeling) The hydrolatum is about $7 for a huge tub, and it lasts a long time as well. I love how my sons skin feels after the hydrolatum is absorbed in their skin, so this is really good for moisture. As for treating/reducing the eczema not so much. It hydrated Trey's eczema prone spots so he didn't scratch it as much but it did not go away from just applying the hydrolatum.
Aloe: the actual aloe plant. My brothers friend recommended this to me. I know aloe is good for sunburns and all but I never thought about applying it to help eczema. I guess it cools the skin down so it doesn't feel as itchy. Anyways, his friend swore by it. My mom has an aloe tree at home so I just broke off a leaf and applied straight to Trey's cleaned skin. It didn't do anything. Maybe I didn't use it long enough but it seemed like such a hassle to carry around an aloe plant in my purse esp when it pusses everywhere and starts to turn yellow. No go for me but doesn't hurt to try.
Aquaphor: Like the hydrolatum, this has super greasy feeling as well. It can be found over the counter in the lotion aisle. There's also a baby Aquaphor that you can find in the baby aisle. I love the little tubes that they come in so I always have some on hand. Aquaphor can be used for numerous things- my father was diagnosed with lung cancer 4 years ago and they used the Aquaphor for the radiation burns that he would get. It really does do wonders with healing. I actually use it for diaper rashes and works a lot better than Desitin or any other zinc oxide cream/ointments. As for eczema, it never got rid of the redness but it did hydrate Treyden's skin for the time time being. I would choose Hydrolatum over Aquaphor for moisture and softness- and Aquaphor over Hydrolatum for convenience.
999 ointment: My mom found this in the Chinese herbal store. I'm pretty sure its a steroid but I don't read Chinese so I wouldn't be able to tell you. It comes in a red and white tube and is fairly cheap. I believe around $3-$4 a tube. It worked for a little bit but I'm kind of iffy to recommend it since I have no idea what's in it. I has a menthol smell to it so I can just imagine that it might sting a little when applied to the eczema prone areas.
Cerave: This is what I'm currently using on Treyden's skin. It comes in a 12 oz jar and was recommended by doctors at the Children's Hospital in Boston. It's on the pricey side- $22 per jar. I'm already on my second jar and it's only been about a month. I only apply it to the problem spots now but I can put it on as much and as often as I would like without having to worry about future side effects. Also its a cream so it doesn't leave the greasy/sticky feeling on my son's skin. I had his eczema completely gone within 3-4 days of using the Cerave around the clock.
I guess that's about it. Besides from the other Babyganics lotion for eczema I bought at Walgreens, all the other lotions were pretty much that.. lotion. Let me know if you have any other questions or if you have other brands you would recommend. I'd love to hear from you!
No comments:
Post a Comment