Alternatives

Education Resource Center: Nontraditional Treatments to Treat Eczema

Many people have tried some type of alternative medication to treat their eczema. These treatments may provide some relief, but their safety and efficacy have not been well tested, and they have not have been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Can Psychodermatology Help Your Eczema?

Ted A. Grossbart, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Boston. He is a Senior Associate and Clinical Supervisor for Beth Israel–Deaconess Hospital's Department of Psychiatry, and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School. His best known writing is his book SKIN DEEP: A Mind/Body Program for Healthy Skin. His Skin Deep Web site (http://grossbart.com/) provides a wide range of multimedia psychodermatology resources.

Seborrheic Dermatitis?

Q: I have eczema all over my body, but I moved to a colder, dryer place and now I have dry, itchy, flaky skin on my scalp. I know it’s not dandruff. I tried using Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo, but it just made my skin even itchier. I thought about taking fish oil pills with Omega-3. What are your thoughts on that?

Coconut Oil?

Q: Have you come across the use of coconut oil for people with eczema, and do you have any positive thoughts on that?

Bleach Baths for Babys?

Are there any problems with giving bleach baths to a 6-month-old baby with eczema? Can the baby’s skin tolerate bleach baths? What is the ideal concentration for the bleach bath for my baby?

Importance of Patient Education

Submitted by Garibyan_Huang
on Wed, 10/31/2012 - 5:29pm

We learned from our last blog posting that eczema is a chronic disease.  Unfortunately there is no magic pill or treatment for chronic diseases, and there is no cure. Patients with any type of chronic disease learn about lifetime management of the symptoms associated with their disease. Therefore, chronic diseases need long lasting management plans tailored for each individual patient for the disease state that they are in.

We are fortunate that novel research in the area of atopic dermatitis has led to the discovery of many new management approaches, drugs and regimens.

Tags: 
Research
Atopic Dermatitis
Alternatives

What is the wet-dry cycle?

Q:  What is the wet-dry cycle, and why is it bad for eczema?

A:  The wet-dry cycle refers to the drying of skin dampened with water or perspiration. Imagine a muddy field: if the sun dries the field quickly, the mud cracks; if it dries slowly on a cloudy day the mud stays smooth. Skin with eczema is especially likely to crack in low humidity conditions when it dries quickly. Applying a moisturizer to slow the drying of wet skin is therefore especially important in the winter when the humidity is lower.

Beeswax and Olive or Almond Oil

Dear NEA Scratch Pad:

I understand that petroleum is used for eczema-prone skin. However, I don't like to use petroleum. I've tried different balms from spas, and found that I could make my own, using beeswax and oil (olive or almond oil). My latest balm is what I call a Bumble Bee Balm. I've only used it on my own skin, and it works for me. I hope you find it useful, too. I realize this will not be an option for people with certain allergies. I purchased the bee products from Rainbow Groceries in San Francisco.

1/4 ounce beeswax
1 cup oil (olive or almond)
manuka honey
royal jelly
propolis
bee

Alternate Routes: Acupuncture, Acupressure and Eczema

Alternate Routes: Acupuncture, Acupressure and Eczema
Kachiu C. Lee, MD and Peter A. Lio, MD


Judging from the increasing media coverage, acupuncture (and its closely-related but needleless cousin, acupressure) has grown in popularity over the past decade (Ernst, 2006). Actress Gwyneth Paltrow (Lantin, 2004) proudly blogs about it on her popular personal website, while Kate Moss openly admits to using acupuncture to assist with smoking cessation (BBC, 2006). But is acupuncture actually effective? Or is it a passing fad?  What is the evidence behind acupuncture as a treatment for eczema?
    
Basis

Switching to Petroleum Jelly after Pump Lotion Does the Trick

Only after finding the NEA website did I see the warning to avoid lotions in a pump and to try using petroleum jelly instead. That did the trick, and I started seeing results in less than a week!

Socks Help Child to Seal In Moisture

I place socks over my daughter’s eczema to help seal in the moisture after I apply her meds.

Corn Allergy Triggers

Through that search I discovered I have dyshidrotic eczema, which can be a very common reaction to corn when someone cannot tolerate it.

Good Results with Multivitamins

Then my aunt suggested I take a multivitamin. I went the grocery store and found Women’s One a Day Plus Healthy Skin Support with FloraGlo Lutein in it. Since starting the vitamin three weeks ago my eczema is almost completely gone.

Anti-Inflammatory Therapy and Handling Infections

Excerpted from a presentation by Amy Paller, MD, at the 2010 National Eczema Association Patient Conference. Dr. Paller is the Walter J. Hamlin Professor and Chair of Dermatology and Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

Alternative Medicine and Eczema

My disclaimer for this piece is that, like Fox Mulder from The X-Files, “I want to believe.” I am interested in all the healing arts and am more than willing to consider other traditions and approaches to understanding health and disease.

Vitamin D: hype or healer?

In looking at the growing number of Google searches for vitamin D over the past several years, it is abundantly clear that vitamin D is very much on our collective mind (Google Trends, 2010). Indeed, there has been a series of highly-publicized debates, articles and missives fueling interest in this previously staid vitamin.

Spring Cleaning and Allergies: Alternatives to Chemical Cleaning Products

Here are some home recipes that use natural cleaning ingredients to reduce your exposure to chemicals that may aggravate allergies (source: The Nontoxic Home by Debra Lynn Dadd):
 
Vinegar – Mix 1 cup white vinegar & 1 cup water in a spray bottle. This solution works on dirt, soap scum and hard water deposits, and is a natural deodorizer. Vinegar can also unclog mineral deposits in showerheads. Simply set the clogged showerhead in a cup of vinegar, or attach a baggy filled with vinegar to the showerhead with a rubber-band and let it sit overnight.
 
Baking Soda – Sprinkling a small amount of

A Combination of Things Helped Me

I just finished my last light therapy treatment yesterday. But I’ve been doing great many months prior to finishing this. I don’t know what exactly it is ... or if it is a combination of things.

Gluten Allergy

I am 25 years of age, and for the past 5 years I have been making my way through the many trials and tribulations associated with atopic dermatitis. Chronic hand eczema and the rash on my face, arms and, really, all over my body, have led me to see a myriad of professionals. From iridologists to specialists, I believe I've done it all.

Banana Skin for the Treatment of a Rash

A friend recently told me to try something rather unusual for eczema: eat a banana and rub the inside of the peeling on the eczema. I tried it, and the results were staggering; I had no itching for six hours after a single application. I don't know if anyone has ever studied the use of banana skin for the treatment of this rash, but if it helps, why not try it?

Bob Yates

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