Eczema in children flares in lockdown thanks to stress and environnment – Wales Online

Approximately one in five children live with eczema in the UK, but concerns are rife about this relatively common skin condition.

New research by targeted skincare brand Gladskin found around a third (31%) of childrens eczema cases have become worse since the pandemic started, with 37% percent of parents saying stress and anxiety triggers their childs flare ups.

The condition also seems to affect a childs social life, with almost two in five parents claiming their little one has been left out of social events because of judgement over their eczema. And sadly, just under half (44%) of parents even say they themselves feel judged because of their childs eczema.

Clinical Microbiologist Dr Bjorn Herpers said: Eczema is a condition that so many children have to deal with, and I believe if we increase the nations understanding of the skin microbiome we can improve treatment and outcomes.

"Our skin microbiome is made of billions of bacteria. However, 40% of people have the bacterium staphylococcus aureus on their skin too - a known cause of eczema flare-ups in some people. Treatment should target just this bacterium so the skin can restore the balance of bacteria of the skin microbiome.

Nearly 50% will change soap, shampoo and washing powered, yet only 10% will consider rebalancing the bad bacteria on the skin. On average, parents are willing to give a treatment eight weeks to help their childs eczema with a third saying they have tried products but gave up because they werent working, while 37% said the treatment was too harsh for their childs skin.

Dr Herpers has offered up his own tips to help children who are currently suffering with eczema and says to parents:

1. Be mindful - soaps, harsh chemicals, drying alcohol disrupt the bacterial balance by killing the good and bad bacteria - being mindful about what we put on our skin is key.

2. Create or improve a daily skin care routine - a daily routine of cleansing the skin with a gentle face wash and without perfumes will help keep the bacteria in balance. Using skincare products that are based upon a scientific understanding of the skins microbiome is even better.

3. Research - find out what triggers your inflammatory skin condition and if it is worsened by staphylococcus aureus - if you are suffering with eczema, inflamed acne or pustular rosacea, in the majority of cases staphylococcus aureus plays a role.

4. Target the bad bacteria only - if your skin condition is caused by Staphylococcus aureus you could try Gladskin, which contains an enzyme that selectively targets the bad bacteria from the microbiome.

5. Test - If you try a new product with an active ingredient, first test it on a small, non-infected, body part.

Your skin microbiome is made up of the trillions of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that live on your skins surface. In a healthy, well-functioning microbiome, these good bacteria work together to defend against disease and other environmental threats.

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Eczema in children flares in lockdown thanks to stress and environnment - Wales Online