The itching has woken him up in the middle of the night again. I offer him a cool wet towel to put on the worst spots but tonight it seems like his whole body is prickling with unseen pins.
He is still scratching even as he drifts off to sleep. He keeps scratching on and off for the rest of the night. He is asleep, unaware that he is clawing at his skin, unaware that he is driving me insane.
“Stop scratching!!!!!”
I know he can’t help it.
I know he wants to stop scratching.
I know this is just a bad patch.
I know his eczema is mild compared to many others.
But eczema is a horrible, heartbreaking, sore, uncomfortable, unsightly, crazy thing and I intend to wage war on it.
Ten Ways to Cope with Childhood Eczema
I am not a doctor, this is not medical advice, and what works for us may not work for you, but if you or your child suffers from eczema you’ll know how horrible it can be.
For the last few months we’ve been waging war on my five year old’s eczema. Many people have helped us with their suggestions and ideas, so today I am returning the favour and sharing some of the things we’ve been doing to help us cope with childhood eczema.
Look for triggers.
An eczema flare up can be caused by allergies, or illness, or stress, and if you can work out what the trigger is for your child you can avoid it, or at least plan for it. We’ve not been able to find an allergy related trigger for our boy, but his eczema is definitely a lot worse during winter so we plan for that.
Don’t let your child get too hot.
Over heating is the worst for kids with eczema. It makes them a hundred times more itchy, and often happens in bed at night and interrupts sleep. Use light, cotton PJs and lighter bedding if this is a problem.
Cut fingernails short!
This won’t stop the itching, or the scratching, but super short, smooth fingernails do a lot less damage to skin, which can help you avoid broken, sore, skin and infections.
Find a moisturiser that works for your child.
There are lots of different moisterisers that are specifically designed for eczema but you might need to try a few before you find one that works for your child. We were using a paraffin based moisteriser for a long time which was good, but lately we’ve switched to plain old coconut oil which is working great for us right now.
Moisterise a lot.
The more I moisturise my boy’s worst spots the less itchy he is and the quicker any broken skin heals. We moisturise morning and night as he is getting dressed and undressed, and during the day on any particularly bad spots if we can. It’s often a huge pain in the bum to have to oil him up all the time but it works wonders during a flare up, so it’s worth the effort.
Use a prescribed cream.
Talk to your doctor about using a prescribed cream and how and when to apply it. They can show you how much to use and they usually suggest that you apply it first, wait a few minutes, and then moisturise. We’d been doing it wrong for a while and saw a big difference when we changed the system.
Cool and wet helps.
Cool wet face washers can help to dampen down the itch and help healing. For particularly bad spots apply your creams then add a wet tubular bandage with a dry one over the top.
Avoid soap and detergents.
Avoid soap and soap-based products like the plague, avoid anything with perfume too. If you are washing your child’s hair do it over a basin or in the shower to lessen the amount of shampoo that comes in contact with the skin. Look for a laundry detergent for sensitive skin, you may have to try a few before you find the best one for your child.
Bath Less.
I know it seems counter-intuitive but baths can actually dry out your child’s skin, so bathing less often can help eczema. Keep baths warm not hot, and only wash them when they stink or are visibly dirty. A quick shower is often a better alternative, or a wash down with a warm washer.
Think about supplements.
There are lots of different supplements suggested to help in the treatment of eczema. I haven’t read any medical evidence that any of them help, but as long as they don’t harm then I figure it’s worth a try. We’ve tried a few different things and currently use vitamin E and a probitoic supplement. I can’t say for sure that they help but when we are strict with adding them to his food I feel they do make a difference.
Here’s a bonus tip – go see your doctor.
For a long time I thought ‘oh it’s just a bit of eczema, he’ll grow out of it, nothing to worry about’ but so far he has not grown out of it, and he has significant flare ups, and having a chat to our doctor about how best to treat it was very worthwhile. So check in with your doctor, then you’ll have the best information and you can work on ways to cope day to day.
Do you have a child with eczema?
How do you manage the itching and scratching on a day to day basis?
Do you have any tips or tricks that have worked well for your family?
I’d love to hear them – leave a comment below and share your ideas so we can all wage war on the itch together!
It is definitely worse in winter for my son, too. Eliminating dairy in the winter–specifically eggs, helps almost within a day or two. Lots of times the eczema is triggered by something internal that is rearing its’ ugly head on the outside of the body. thx
I know exactly what it’s like trying to get rid of eczema. I tried a lot of mainstream stuff like creams and medications but I got sick of seeing subpar results or results I would need to keep buying the cures to keep. I found out about the Eczema Free Forever program Eczema by Rachel Anderson and I havent looked back. Fixing my diet, changing some lifestyle attributes…I’ve finally gotten long lasting results towards perfect skin, and I know exactly how to avoid my eczema triggers now.
I totally get this situation. My oldest son had it really bad but there is hope because he outgrew a lot of it. When his face got so bad it started bleeding and having soars, we went to see a pediatric dermatologist. Her advice completely contradicted the doctors about bathing. Warm bath every night, do not rub skin pat dry but not REALLY dry, add your prescription on worst spots and cream not lotion on the whole child—But the really important part is that you do this within two minutes of getting out of the bath to seal in moisture gained from bathing. She added for cold weather coat his face with a barrier product before going outside.
So interesting that the specialist says a warm bath every night, everything I’ve read says less often, and I think less often really helps my boy, but I might try a change and see what happens.
I’m hoping he will grow out of it as his older siblings all had it mildly when they were babies and toddlers and they grew out of it by around age three (just occasional flare ups), but he’s five now, and no signs of it lessening. Mind you my older three grew out of the eczema and all started struggling with asthma about the same time – the small one still has his eczema but no asthma!
There is still time to outgrow it. Alex outgrew his about age nine and asthma went away at the same time. We also have asthma issues. Two outgrown and the baby boy has the worst asthma. I wonder if they are connected somehow? Come to think of it most kids I know that have one have both. God bless you and prayers for your boys.
We were told warm bath daily, too. It’s to remove any allergens that may be on the skim. But short baths, no long playing ones. We do this for,flare ups.,
We were given this advice for my son’s eczema and keratosis. It helped a lot.
Oh it’s terrible. My youngest has eczema really bad and is on her fourth prescribed cream. We have been able to find some solution to what aggravates it but she still struggles through the night as you described. Thanks for the extra tips. There were a few I hadn’t thought of Kate.
Hope things ease for your boy.
It is really horrible isn’t it!
I hope you find sometime to help you all cope soon.
I find that my daughter’s flare ups only hurt more when I moisturise, so she is really hesitant to do this. Sometimes I sneak in when she is asleep, but often I forget, or can’t get in under her jarmies without waking her.
Any good moisturisers you know of that don’t sting??
We’ve tried a few and at the moment are using plain coconut oil, we were using dermeze which was paraffin based so seals in moisture well.
We try to stay away from any that have perfume and any that are soap based or that have a loooong list of chemical names.
Pretty much everything seems to sting a little if the skin is already broken so the aim of the game is to keep it under control and not so itchy that they are scratching open wounds.
Good luck!
I can totally relate to that, my son’s eczema seems to be like that too, and I myself also get eczema and I get more itchy after moisturizing also. I found Lucas Paw Paw cream, well it’s actually an ointment, but I have not looked back. It is very oily like and keeps the skin moist for quite a while, and it actually doesn’t cause him to itch after applying it.
Hello Kate. I know you’ve said that this is not an allergy…but I just wanted to mention something called dermatitis herpetiformis. It’s basically a gluten sensitivity that affects not the GI system, but the skin. I experienced very similar symptoms to the ones you are describing, and they resolved completely when gluten
was removed from my diet. I’ve been following you for a while now, and always appreciate your down-to earth writing and sense of humor.
We’ve tried eliminating dairy and gluten/wheat as know they are both major triggers but saw no major improvements. For us the worst trigger is the winter months… in summer he is almost eczema free!
I also use Dermeze sometimes but I really recommend the paw paw cream over the dermeze as I have found that we both still itch with the dermeze. My son is similar to yours also in that winter is the main trigger for his eczema, I just get it anytime, except summer when neither of us seems to get it.
Sadly paw paw cream doesn’t work for us… I think my boy actually reacts to the paw paw in it and it makes his skin red and hot. But I’m so glad you have found something that works for you!
My 2yo has some pretty bad trouble spots that coconut oil seems to help (and was actually recommended by our GP). He never seems bothered by an itch or pain, but it just LOOKS so awful and painful! No idea what triggers it either. I’ve never been one of those “bathe every night” mum’s either (because I’m lazy…) and we stick to showers with him because it’s just easier, so… we’ll see.
we are loving the coconut oil. I am trying to get more of it in his diet too as I figure it can’t hurt to have it on the inside as well as the outside! LOL
My 5 year old had it so bad when he was 3 that he had to be bandaged before bed. We took him off yeast, dairy and eggs for roughly 4 months and it cleared up completely. We slowly re-introduced the foods and he has not had one bout of eczema since. Limiting certain food triggers doesn’t work for everyone but it gave my son’s body time to heal and he has now been eczema free for two years.
I have heard that food allergy and intolerance are often a cause. So glad you found the trigger and could manage it.
We used an accumulation of changes as my daughter started to scratch and it became unsightly. We changed her milk to lactose free, used non biological washing powder ( even though it bleaches all my colours! ) bathed or showered in only a 50p size of sanex kids or zero , as all kids washes/ shampoos aggrivated her . Stopped all prescription creams and washes as it occurred to me they were all making it worse or sustaining it and used calendula cream , bought online. That stuff was a miracle in our opinion.
My daughters skin was broken in places at the start but now, you would never know. Eczema / asthma / bronchitis run in both our families , mainly the males.
Good luck eliminating .
I have a garden full of Calendula… I must have a go at making some cream!
So glad you have it under control now!
I bathed my 2 daughters in camomile tea every night and their eczema went away. I believe it also helps with chickenpox, and diaper rash
Chamomile is an herb that comes from a flowering plant from the daisy family. Both the fresh and dried flowers of chamomile have been used to create teas for centuries to cure a number of health problems. The active ingredient in chamomile essential oil is known as bisabolol, which has a number of anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties.
We grow chamomile for tea in our garden! I must save some and try it! Thanks for the suggestion.
Oh Kate, I really feel for you and do hope the poor lad does grow out of it as my elder 2 have. I was lucky I ‘spose as theirs are mostly all allergen based flare ups and so long as the kids don’t eat/drink/touch what they know they shouldn’t, we’re okay. But teens being teens….well you get the picture!
My tips from the past 21yrs are: Aqueous Cream – not sorbolene – soap alternative, uber moisturizer, makeup remover, great for leg shaving (ha ha), I buy it buy the 1ltr pump bottle at Pharmacy. Liquid laundry detergent and NO fabric softener – powders just irritated the beegeezers out of their skin. I now make my own washing powder and use white vinegar in fabric softener slot and no issues for 3years. Liquid Castille soap or DIY olive oil soap for bathing/showering – bar soaps esp perfumed irritate their skin.
Chuck ’em the ocean – easy for me living on the south coast of WA 5mins from the water but believe me, it does work. During summer my water babies were always clear, no swimming and back it would come. A friend was saying she puts her daughter in a bath with 1 cup salt and some Epsom salts 3 times a week and pats dry and she has been fine for 12 months now. Miss 14 can’t do school swimming at local council pool as chlorine is an instant aggravator – we can swim in the pool but only if she has a shower as soon as she gets out and puts Aqueous cream on (which is a bugga as she has asthma and swimming really helps), her twin brother has grown out of his asthma but if he drinks any juice with orange concentrate in he starts itching within 30mins and can last for days til the ???? whatever it is passes out of his system (Miss 19 is the same)…. All four can eat 1-2 strawberries but any more – you can guarantee 2-3 days later their elbow/knee creases will be covered in the rash. The silly thing is they can eat any fresh citrus (inc oranges) til the cows come home and strawberry flavoured foods!! I have found preservatives are biggie and some of the salycitates (not sure on spelling)
Good luck and do hope you find solution.
Cheers Jo’anne
Hi Kate, My oldest boy gets eczema behind his knees and my youngest gets it around his waist. I have worked out that they are both intolerant to lactose. After a week of using Zymil milk (a lactose free milk – really tasty actually) – both had cleared up 100% and we haven\’t looked back. I don\’t know what brought this on but now I know what causes it – we stay away from \”normal\” milk. No more eczema for us :)
My youngest had very extreme eczema on his face and neck when he was about 9 months….to the point where he scratched all the skin off his neck while I was driving once and he didnt have skin on his cheeks either. It was awful. He is much improved now that he is 2.5 years old, but it is a battle against the itch we still fight. We have been using Theraplex Emollient (after bath, during the day, at night) it is supposed the be a slow release vaseline like Emollient and Mustela Balm (directly after bath and then sealed in with Theraplex). We also have been using Scratch-Me-Not gloves to keep him from scratching at night. He used to have to wear them in the car, but he knows he will get the gloves on if he is scratching while I am trying to drive. We tried coconut oil and it just didn’t do enough….trial and error! Thank you for the other ideas!!
Oh Kate, I feel your pain… all three of our children suffer from eczema (and asthma, and allergies) to varying degrees. I agree that it fluctuates with the season, but I have found that switching to soap nuts as my washing detergent, and white vinegar with a splash of eucalyptus as our fabric softener really helps. In saying that, it isn’t a complete cure, and I think I have tried every available cream/ointment/moisturiser on the market when they do have nasty flare ups! :) We also have all our kids on a probiotic. Good luck!
Oh soap nuts… I had a go with them year ago when we lived in the city but decided they were not for us. I wonder how well they would work with our tank water? Might give them another go! Thanks!
my daughter had really bad eczema after speaking to dermatologists and doctors for years on how to prevent the flare ups I followed my own instincts and reduced the amount of diary in her diet. It seems that there is 2 allergies you can have to milk. 1 lactose which affects the stomach and 2 protein which causes reflux and eczema along with other things. I’m pleased to say that apart from the occasional reappearance my daughter has been trouble free for roughly 6 months
I’m so glad you’ve been able to find your daughter’s trigger, it is so much easier to prevent it than treat it.
my boys had bad excema normally around the joints but occasionally on other parts of they’re bodies we used every cream on the market plus prescribed creams in the end I got some old sock and old pjs and smothered them in Vaseline the thicker the better within a few days it was markedly better in a week gone! In the winter months one of my boys will get a very minor flare up on his wrist but as soon as I use the Vaseline again it’s gone! (The reason for the old socks and pjs (oh and bedding if ur fussed over the ones u have now) is the Vaseline is greasy and will ruin everything! ) by morning all that lovely gooeyness has all soaks in to the kids skin! Great stuff! Hope this helps! X
My daughter is 11 months old and we fight ezema since she was 3m. Coconut oil helps a lot also I combine it with aloe gel on the worst spots. When we bath I use backing soda instead of soap – it killes the bacterias and we experience less infections after severe scratching. When we do not shower/bath I use silver water on the worse spots ( applied with a face pad)and sometimes on the whole body. It also disinfects the skin and leaves her odorless. I give her simbiotics and omega 3 oil – it helps a lot for us. Best wishes for soon recovery!
I totally understand your war on the itch. That is where we are with my son. He is almost 3 and we’ve been battling eczema almost his whole life. The specialists rate him with severe. Besides dry, itchy, scaley skin, he’s also had open and weeping sores. Of all the drs had us do soaking baths have given us the most success. Like Lisa mentioned earlier, the bath has to be followed immediately with moisturizer and any cream you’re using for the inflamed areas. Another important part is the bath needs to be 15-25 min long, but not longer. Of course no soap unless really dirty like you mentioned. Because my son’s eczema is severe, he takes 2 soaking baths a day. On a bad day he may have 3. I have been amazed at how this has helped him significantly. No more open sores! Wet wraps have also helped, like you do. And wearing socks on his hands to bed has helped reduce the affects of bedtime scratching. I wish you all the best in your war. We’re right there with you.
I’m a 51 year old life long eczema sufferer and remember well the childhood problems. I’ve grown up trying different weird and wonderful treatments. I find that natural creams to moisturise are far better than prescription ones which tend to contain a lot of chemicals such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (sls) . Coconut or cocoa butter creams are fab. Try products from Lush Stores. The staff are really helpful and will give trial samples. Their scalp treatments and solid shampoo bar called Soak and Float are amazing. Prescription cream for flare ups and infections are essential but I’ve learned that moisturising well with cocoa butter cream regularly and using steroid creams to heal flare ups works. I rarely use prescription cream now and think back to basics and natural products for everyday .IIf you bath regularly try tying a bag of plain porridge oats to the hot tap so the water runs through it. Oat milk soothes angry inflamed skin.
We’ve had it for a few years but it’s now largely stable, with the odd flare up we can catch before it becomes bad. The things that really seem to have helped are pro-biotics, omega 3 oil (but not one with omega 6s as they can be inflammatory), and evening primrose oil (I know that’s omega 6 but apparently it has a different structure and is needed to absorb the omega 3 properly. We currently use an emu oil cream from New Zealand, at least once a day, sometimes twice. Then in a week she has a couple of baths with Epsom salts and a couple with powdered oats (just grind some in a blender and throw in). If a flare up is coming we add in some lavender oil to the creams and sometimes use a touch of anti-biotic and / or anti-fungal cream as we’ve worked out her flare ups are usually a secondary infection. Then obviously keep using those for a few days after everything is clear.