Is is eczema?
My 14 y/o daughter had a small, dry patch on her face on and off for
most of her life. It was about the size of an M&M. We always just
used a little cortisone for a few days when it got flaky & itchy.
Sometimes it would go away for a while only to reappear in another
area of her face a few weeks or months later (usually her chin or
mouth area). In the last few months the patches have multiplied
dramatically. She usually has about 10-15 on the lower half of her
face. If she puts Westcort cream and moisterizer on them, they don’t
itch or flake so much, but she is left with small bumps (similar
pimples but no head). They don’t hurt, just itch and feel tight and
dry she says. The pediatrician dx’d eczema a few wks ago and gave us
the Westcort cream which does control the spots, but they never
really go away. The spots are slightly raised. Does this sound like
eczema? It does flake and itch when she forgets about the Westcort.
Another doctor said she shouldn’t keep using the cortisone cream
because sometimes it "bleaches" the skin. She is very fair skinned
and otherwise has a pretty nice complexion. She does have a few spots
on her shoulder and arm as well. I am beginning to wonder if it
indeed is eczema or not.
Dawn
April 20th, 2003 at 1:37 am
Dawn, I wonder if it could be Psoriasis,keep away from the cortisone
cream,in any case the when the skin react’s its almost certain that it is an
internal problem.I would suggest giving her some Hydrated Bentonite (get it
from health food store) given internally this is a very good internal
cleanser to get rid of toxin’s,it is good for Eczema and Psoriasis give it
for a while (6 wks) about a teaspoon in a glass of pure water aday then 2X a
week after that. Also look at her diet and see if she is not reacting to
something in her food intake.Give this a try and see what happens, if this
fails see a good Naturapath.good luck Vince
April 20th, 2003 at 8:31 am
Dear Dawn:
Instead of cortisone, you may want to consider herbal ointments, olive
oil-based, containing ingredients such as calendula, goldenseal, tea tree
oil, black walnut. However, since the area being treated is your daughter’s
face, the oil may cause break-outs.
I found cortisone does nothing for me. For controlling itch, flaking,
reducing the inflamation spots, the herbal ointment has worked best. The
brand I use is "Wise Ways Herbals".
Avoid soaps, shampoos, any skin cream containing methylparaben or
proplyparaben. They can cause allergic reactions & skin rashes. Sodium
Lauryl Sulfate should also be avoided, it can cause skin rash and scalp
scurf. Imidazolidinyl Urea and Diazolidinyl Urea also can cause contact
dermatitis. I have found that what I use on my skin can very quickly affect
me for better or worse. For example, last year I tried a new brand of
"organic" sun screen. However, it contained methlyparaben, and aggrevated a
minor patch of psoriasis until it became majorly ugly. (causing strangers to
inquire "What is THAT?") Discontinuing the sunscreen and application of
herbal ointment cleared it up quickly.
For why your daughter has had the sudden increase in spots, you may want to
check her diet, as well as what she is using on her skin. She should be sure
to drink enough water daily! (help the body flush out toxins quickly)
Following the ER4YBT diet (blood type diet) may be one of many things that
helped me clear up my skin, for a food I now avoid is corn. (saw corn
mentioned as possible culprit in an earlier post)
Kathleen
April 21st, 2003 at 5:32 pm
I am pretty sure it isn’t psoriasis. I have a very good friend with
psoriasis and know what it looks like. This doesn’t look like it.
These are small light pink bumps that are kind of dry and flaky when
she doesn’t use the Westcort. From a distance you might think she had
acne, but it doesn’t act like acne. I think it might just be a
generic allergy rash/dermatitis rather than eczema.
Dawn