Eczema Issues

We have been dealing with eczema for 3+ years and found a wonderful dermatologist and shoes that don't rub and bug his skin. We have found that crocs work the best. The strap in the back can go in the front, so it doesn't rub, and the material doesn't react with his skin.

By the way Aquaphor is not a good thing to use on eczema because it has lanolin in it. Have you tried Vanicream? They make soap, lotion, sunscreen, etc. You can get it at any drugstore in the pharmacy.

Hope this helps!

Have you tried Hyrdacortizone or a similar topical steroid treatment? It's the only thing that works for my little guy.

I don't have a suggestion for shoes, but I myself have eczema. The only thing I've found that actually prevents outbreaks is Lubriderm Nourishing Oat Formula lotion. I use it daily and I haven't had a major outbreak in more than 5 years. In fact, the only outbreaks I've had were on the back of my neck, where I frequently forget to put the lotion on. If you can get your little boy to sit still for a couple of minutes each morning, I highly recommend using the lotion every day. It takes a few days for outbreaks to clear up even with the lotion, but at least if you use it, you won't have as many outbreaks.

What do you use on your son's skin besides Aquaphor? I have noticed that my skin (I actually had contact dermetitis, sp?) has completely cleared since changing what I use to bathe with. I used to use body wash from various companies, and then I switched to home made bar soap which improved it somewhat, but not all the way. Then I found an all-natural soy based bath bar and have had no flare ups since, I actually had horrible problems with dry scalp that flared up during season changes, I have used the bath bar on my hair and my scalp is almost entirely cleared up! I have extremely curly hair, and there was no way that I could use a soap on my hair before. The bath bars are Bella Bars and are only available from independent distributors. I am a distributor, but this is not an advertisement for myself, it is a testimonial because I have suffered with skin problems for years! Hopefully you can find what works for your child, because there is nothing worse then watching them be miserable and feeling helpless. Good luck!

Alecia,
Has your pediatrician suggested that their might be food allergies? Our daughter who is now 21 struggles still with eczema and many times it is related to foods she has been eating. The eczema is especially bad during change of season. We were just given a natural treatment called "Look, No X E Ma!" distributed from Natures Acres in North Freedom, WI. Their phone number is ###-###-####. It works well, just not as quickly as stronger medications. She did not have troubles with shoes although she rarely had them on her feet at age 2! There is also all natural socks from Maggie's Organic Clothing http://www.organicclothes.com/ that might create a barrier to whatever he is reacting to if he'll wear socks with his sandals. I hope you can find some answers. We have through the years cut out as many chemicals in our diet and household and tried to do mostly natural or organic when possible.

V.

My 20 month old daughter also has eczema. We use a little hydrocortisone and vanicream lotion. Her shoes are from stride rite and crocs. Are his shorts and pants all cotton? That sometimes can cause a flare up.

The only thing that came close to helping was Eucerin cream for my daughter. That was until we realized that she was allergic to dairy. When we took away the dairy the excezma went away. I have quite a few friends whose children who have excezma actually have soms sort of a food allergy.

It may not be anything in the shoes themselves, it might just be the (seasonally) new rubbing irritation. Especially since it hasn't been *too* hot recently, you might try having him wear socks (either w/sandals or w/sneakers) for a week or so, plus the lotion - maybe even a band-aid over the irritated areas during the day (give them air at night.) Getting rid of the eczema is the hard part - preventing is much easier. My almost-4-yr-old has recurring trouble w/eczema, and removing the source of irritation until the patch heals has been the best way to go. As for products, we've had good luck w/Cetaphil soap, Eucerin Calming Cream, and Seventh Generation fragrance free laundry detergent. Good luck!

Hi A.-
You might want to focus more on treating the eczema than the shoes themselves. He might need a steroid cream vs. just aquafor.
He's a bit young for some of our supplements- natural - unless you crush them up.
Check back with your doc and use shoes without straps?? at least for the summer.

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47 yo med prof, wellness coach and mom of almost 7yo twin girls

Happy 4th of july
B. j

Hi A..
My 2 year old has eczema too. Our little guy wears New Balance and Saucony tennis shoes with a soft thin sock most of the time. He also has a pair of crocks which seam to work well for sandals and they don't rub on his ankles. If the Aquaphor isn't working to clear up the eczema try Weleda Baby Cream. It's an all natural cream that has worked great on my son. You can find it online or locally at Whole Foods and Lakewinds. If it gets really bad try a little over the counter cortisone (1%) cream - although I don't like to use it all the time since it's a mild steroid.
Good luck. :)