EczemaZones - Patient and Carer Zone

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1. Home
2. What is eczema?
   
   1. What causes eczema?
   2. Why has my child got eczema?
   3. Will my child's eczema get better or go away?
   4. What causes my child's eczema to flare-up?
   5. How do I look out for signs of infection?
3. How treatment works
   
   1. Getting to grips with your child's emollient »
      
      1. Ointments, creams, lotions or gels
      2. Building a daily emollient routine
   2. Using topical steroids with confidence
   3. Other treatments available to your child
   4. Seeing a specialist
4. Living with eczema
   
   1. Supporting your child
   2. Coping with sleep disturbance
5. More info
6. Accessibility

What causes eczema?

Although we don't really know what causes eczema, we do know it occurs when the oils in the skin become defective. While healthy skin forms a natural protective barrier (keeping water inside the body, and dirt, irritants and bacteria out), skin with eczema does not provide the same protection, which means the skin dries out and is more likely to become infected.

You can find out more about how the skin works by visiting the ABPI Resources for Schools website.

Why has my child got eczema? » « What is eczema?