Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

DD is 10.5 mos She has had patches of what I think is excema off and on. In the summer it was only ever in the crease of her arm and the crease behind her knees. With a little acquafor it always went away - ped said too mild to treat. Now since winter has started she has it only on the crease between her hand and arm - basically her wrist area. Sometimes though it spreads upwards on her hand and a little bit on her arm. It is SOOOOOOOO bad right now. She is a thumb sucker and sometimes I see her teething/sucking on her wrists which only make it worse - now, the past month she has started scratching it - really aggressively - during the night and sometimes during the day. Ped said to just put acquafor on it and, while it does help, it just keeps coming back and it is just getting worse from the scratching.

the problem is - whatever goes in this area WILL go in her mouth so what can I do? Please help b/c I feel so bad for her - it really looks terrile.

Message edited 12/18/2010 1:46:36 AM.

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

is there a chance you can put something on her and then put on gloves (maybe the baby mittens or something)??

in order to make it go away, you may need a steroidal cream. you can try cortisone or cortaid - so long as you can wrap her hands in SOMETHING (mittnens, maybe gauze???)

use scent free/dye free/EVERYTHING free (phlates).

em has been flaring lately - so we picked up Cerave cleanser and cerave cream (we normally use california baby)...

cotton only clothing, free & clear detergents (any brand)...

i hope it gets better!!!!

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

Have you tried oatmeal baths? How often do you bath her? Honestly this is an old italian trick. Olive oil. Wheni I am cooking I mix veggies w/ my hand. Then as I rinse I rub the olive oil into my skin. It really works! I swear my family puts it on everything! Then if she eats it no big deal. I dont know if it matters but we use extra virgin olive oil. Let me know if it helps. I have family who used it for diaper rash. They swear by it.

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

My DD has this on her ankles and wrists. My ped recommended 1% hydrocortisone cream. Aveeno makes one. It should clear up in 2-3 days after using it.

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

My doctor said to use Cetaphil soap, lotion, hydrocortisone 1% (not the cream) and a humidifier.

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

What you can do is to give her a warm bath at night....cover the wrist areas in the cortizone and then a bit of aquaphor right on top of it then put her to bed....doing the treatment at night while she's sleeping would prob be your best bet cause she won't be eating at her hands then, right?

Then in the morning go back to covering the area with some cerave..(Great lotion they sell to help w/eczema..it's a bit pricey but i swear by it). My son has mild eczema and its helped a bunch. good luck!

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

DS had infant eczema and but now only has it on his wrists and ear creases. We still use the prescribed aclovate from the derm.

Can you see a ped derm?

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

Use unscented laundry soap and no dryer sheets(or fragrance free ones)

bathe and moisturize every night when skin is still damp-use a cream with ceramides like ceravae

For flares get a mild steroidal cream-we use desonide

You have to keep on top of it, and aquaphor won't do it...

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

Thanks ladies. These are all GREAT ideas.

The problem with covering her hands and even with the cortisone cream is that she is a big time thumb sucker - so - no mattter what - it's going in her mouth. I've tried to cover them but, she just rips them off. That is why the ped said no to the cortisone right now. Maybe I should take her to a specialist.

Is it strange that this is the only area on her body where she has it? The rest of her skin has not a hint of it.

I'm going to try all of the things suggestions without the cortisone first and then, if that doesn't work go to the derm. Thanks again so much. As I type this I am watching DD in the montor - she has her thumb in her mouth and the other hand overr her hand scratching her wrist

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

DS has eczema and aquaphor never helped him AT ALL, and that was all the ped recommended.

We finally went to a pediatric dermatologist becuase it was getting so bad. Dr Kristal - he is in Setauket and Lake Success. He recommended:

Cetaphil cream (in the big tub)

baking soda in the bath

short baths and not toooo often (in winter we do a bath every third day) (summer it's hard - we do every day or every other day if he's not too grimy

No dryer sheets

All free and clear, or a detergent like that

100% cotton clothing (this seems to be especially important in pjs, especially for DS's wrists)

Dove Sensitive Skin body wash

DS has a prescription for flare ups... right now we use it every weekend to keep it under control.

HTH!!!

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

Posted by mrandmrs12



short baths and not toooo often (in winter we do a bath every third day) (summer it's hard - we do every day or every other day if he's not too grimy

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

Posted by DRMom

Posted by mrandmrs12



short baths and not toooo often (in winter we do a bath every third day) (summer it's hard - we do every day or every other day if he's not too grimy

Funny our ped derm said the opposite. That if you bathe and moisturize immediately after the skin will hold on to more moisture. She also told us about bleach baths ...which I've never done but apparently it helps some kids with excema

Re: Excema/itchy dry skin on hands and wrists - what to do? Please help

My DS had severe eczema. It was so bad all over his body. Someone recommended a store in Ridgewood, NJ. It's B.Witching Bath Company. They have a website where you can order online. I used the fragrance free goat's milk cleanser and lotion. It has completely cleared it up. He will occasionally get flare ups, but I use it everyday and it works wonders. I can not rave more about this lotion. It works wonders. Good luck.