Let's talk about Atopic Dermatitis!

BlackRoseFairy

I asked a question earlier about atopic dermatitis and if people know what it is.

My plan was to have a follow up question based on the answers, but I figured it would be a little confusing to mix the info with the question, so I am writing this first as a reference.

Lets talk about Atopic Dermatitis!

Atopic dermatitis is a skin condition that is NOT contagious. The cause of it is unknown and it can affect children before the age of 5 or adults later in adulthood.

"Atopic" refers to a group of diseases with an often inherited tendency to develop other allergic conditions

Signs and symptoms vary widely from person to person and include:

- Dry skin

- Itching, which may be severe, especially at night

- Red to brownish-gray patches, especially on the hands, feet, ankles, wrists, neck, upper chest, eyelids, inside the bend of the elbows and knees, and in infants, the face and scalp

- Small, raised bumps, which may leak fluid and crust over when scratched

- Thickened, cracked, scaly skin

- Raw, sensitive, swollen skin from scratching

It may spread out and can be seen at different areas of the body, such as arms

Lets talk about Atopic Dermatitis!

The chest or neck

Lets talk about Atopic Dermatitis!

And in other cases, like mine, on the face - most prominent in the eye lids - and scalp.

Dry phase
Dry phase
Inflammatory plase
Inflammatory plase

Atopic dermatitis follows a circular pattern which consist of 1. a dry and flaky phase as the first picture, which is itchy and a lot so. The dry skin falls off and leaves behind 2. exposed and wounded skin which hurts a lot and is red and swollen, that subsides slowly. Which may or may not be followed by a normal phase where the skin appears to be alright (in my case that lasts 1 day maximum)

What can you do for it? Nothing. There is no cure for this, only aids to help lessen the symptoms.

So my way of handling it are many special products, shampoo, bathing cream, emollient cremes for face, body and eyes, special make up, etc etc....

Water is your enemy, so bathing or rather having a shower is restricted to 3 times per week maximum. It might seem extreme to some people who are used to taking a shower daily or twice a day, but it is necessary.

How it feels? Awful. Especially since in my case the area like the face can't be hidden under a shirt or long sleeve.

The itchy phase is hard to resist, especially on the scalp and truth be told, I always try to resist when someone else is around because I know how it looks like.... You get the idea.

Well, thank you for reading this. I will stop here and ask that question I intended to. Will attach the link to it later.

Let's talk about Atopic Dermatitis!
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