What causes eczema?

Eczema is a chronic skin condition that causes skin to become dry, sore, chapped, flaky, and itchy. Depending on the severity of your condition, your skin could also weep due to cracking. In terms of the actual cause of the condition, it’s likely to be a number of things.

What causes eczema?

People with eczema usually have skin that is unable to retain moisture, so this can lead to it becoming dry and irritated. There’s not one conclusive cause of eczema, but research suggests that it could run in families and that you’re more likely to develop the condition if your parents or their siblings have it.

There’s also evidence that you could be born with an increased likelihood of developing eczema due to your genes.

What triggers eczema?

Although the cause hasn’t been indisputably recognised, there are a number of things that can trigger eczema and make your condition worse.

The products that you use on your skin are a crucial point. Soaps, bubble bath, shampoo and washing up liquid can all act as irritants on your skin and make it drier and more irritated. Similarly, fabrics are something that comes into contact with your skin regularly and particular ones can aggravate your condition (usually synthetic fabrics but it’s different for everyone).

Allergens like food (milk, wheat, etc) and allergens like pet fur and pollen can all irritate your eczema, as can environmental factors such as very hot or very cold weather. The triggers vary from person to person so it’s a good idea to learn yours and work around them or avoid them.

How to treat eczema

A good place to start in managing your condition is to identify your triggers and work around them. If you’re aware of certain bubble baths or washing up liquids that make your skin feel dry and more irritated, then try swapping to a different brand or reducing the amount of time that product touches your skin (by taking showers instead of baths and using gloves when washing up).

There are also a number of products specifically designed for people with eczema so that they’ll gentle and kind on your skin while still offering intense hydration and moisture. Aveeno is popular option with a range of products from creams to lotions, and you can also get prescription-strength creams and ointments to manage your condition.

By ordering eczema medication from UK Meds, you can save on a trip to the GP as you don’t need an existing prescription to use our online service. Simply fill out an online consultation, a prescriber will review it and then your chosen medication will be delivered to your door.

What eczema products are available to purchase?

There are a number of different eczema products that are available to purchase that cover a variety of different wants and needs. There are also different brands of medications that treat eczema, for example, Locoid. This range of products includes Locoid Crelo, Locoid Ointment, Locoid Lipocream, and Locoid Scalp Lotion. Another well-known name in eczema treatment is Diprosalic. This range includes Diprosalic Ointment and Diprosalic Scalp Application. Other eczema products include Terra-Cortril Ointment and Dovonex Ointment (Calcipotriol).