Dermatitis & Eczema FAQs
Dermatitis is a general term that describes inflammation of your skin, whereas eczema is a condition that causes dry, itchy and inflamed skin.
What is dermatitis?
Dermatitis is a general term for skin inflammation and has many causes and forms. Some types of dermatitis may flare up with periods of no symptoms whereas others can last for a long time.
Dermatitis symptoms include rashes, blisters and dry and cracked skin that can be painful to touch.
Is dermatitis contagious?
Dermatitis isn’t contagious, but it can be very uncomfortable.
What causes dermatitis?
Dermatitis can be caused by contact with something that irritates your skin or causes an allergic reaction. Some people get dermatitis from being allergic to perfume and moisturiser.
Irritant dermatitis can be caused by constant handwashing, chemicals, rubbers and plants.
How can I treat my dermatitis?
You can treat your dermatitis by figuring out the type of dermatitis and its location and visiting your doctor for more information.
For allergy contact dermatitis, you can treat it by working out what you’re allergic to and avoiding the trigger.
It’s also possible to have different types of dermatitis at the same time, which involves you avoiding triggers and different allergens to avoid dermatitis flare ups.
Your doctor may recommend at-home treatment, like moisturising to keep your skin hydrated, decreasing your stress and using unscented soap or cleanser that doesn’t irritate your skin.
What is eczema?
Eczema is a type of dermatitis known as atopic dermatitis. This type of dermatitis happens when there’s damage to the skin barrier which causes your skin to become inflamed, red, dry, bumpy and itchy.
How can I treat my eczema?
You can treat your eczema the same way you’d treat any other type of dermatitis, which is by reducing your stress levels, avoiding scratching as scratching at your dermatitis irritates it and bathing in lukewarm water instead of hot.
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