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In Britain, people with eczema and dry skin conditions are using this year's National Eczema Week to urge others to be more sympathetic to the condition and at the same time highlight the consequences of living with eczema.
Eczema is a particularly debilitating dry skin condition that now affects one in five school children, with numbers rising. The condition can often prompt embarrassing stares from people who are either not aware of eczema or are not used to seeing the effects of a severe skin complaint. It is hoped that by raising awareness of the emotional issues caused by eczema and dry skin conditions during National Eczema Week, sufferers will gain support and advice for dealing with the physical complaint whilst raised awareness will provide a more considerate response in social situations.
Nabila Ritchie's 4 year old daughter Jasmine has suffered from eczema for most of her childhood, but her condition has been made worse by strangers staring at the eczema effecting her face. Nabila says "Although Jasmine is young, she would be shy and subdued when she had a flare-up on her cheeks and I was very aware of people staring at her face and skin and was also very conscious of comments that people made about it. She would already be tired and irritable from the itchiness of her skin, so I found it hard to treat the condition and cope with her own response to the problem".
It is important that people, especially children, know that eczema is not contagious but can be triggered by a number of factors and will not necessarily begin in childhood. Allergens such as pet hair, feathers and some foods can cause or irritate eczema and dry skin conditions further. Regular moisturizing can help prevent dry skin turn into eczema, and moisturizers with active ingredients go that much further towards treating the condition, but often sufferers have no other option but to use skin-thinning steroids to treat the condition.
However, Nabila Ritchie discovered Eucerin Dry Skin treatment after trying a number of treatments in an attempt to clear up daughter Jasmine's often cracked skin. Eucerin contains Urea, a naturally occurring component of healthy skin, but found seriously lacking in dry skin and eczema patients. Eucerin Dry Skin does not sting on application and is also available in different strengths so you can chose the intensity of the treatment: 10% (which can be prescribed by your GP) for flare-ups and sore skin or 5% or 3% for maintaining a healthy skin and to prevent further outbreaks. Eucerin Dry Skin does not contain steroids and is clinically proven, dermatologically tested and suitable for children.
Another key message for National Eczema Week is regular moisturizing, as Raphaelle De Cordemoy from Eucerin Dry Skin says: "When skin is extremely dry, moisture must be replaced to prevent cracking and the chance of infection. The addition of Urea will not only put moisture back into the skin, but here it will act as a humectant, enabling the skin to maintain its own moisture levels, which is important for the long term health of skin."