Daily moisturizers ineffective in preventing Eczema – Medical Herald

Eczema causes itchy and dry skin. Also called the atopic dermatitis, it is not contagious. People with this condition are vulnerable to fungal skin infections. Mostly teens and infants can have this condition. This condition may start at a young age and exist till an individual becomes an adult. Eczema occurs when the protective layer of the skin is damaged or impaired. In such a situation, filaggrin, a protein that strengthens the protective layer of the skin is impaired. According to a research, approximately thirty percent of the people in the U.S.A face this skin disorder, most of them being teenagers and young children.

Just because moisturizers claim to improve the texture of the skin, researchers at the Nottingham University were keen to observe if these moisturizers really help in prevention of Eczema. Since this skin disorder may be hereditary and infants are at high risk when it come to this skin condition, healthcare workers advice the infants parents to use moisturizers as a precaution and also as a curative measure.

The researchers found that using skin moisturizers or skin creams had no such curative effect whereby the Eczema could be treated effectively. To get to a conclusion, the researchers included almost 1300 infants who had a history of this skin condition. Further they divided these babies into two groups. The parents in one group were told not to apply any moisturizers or creams to the babies and the parents in another group were told to apply moisturizers until the babies were a year old. The researchers found no substantial evidence of the group of infants on whom the moisturizers were applied, were cured of Eczema.

The research therefore proves that the impaired skin layer cannot be cured by the use of moisturizers which is a fact stated against the general perception. Eczema is a serious condition which should be treated with proper medical guidance.

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Daily moisturizers ineffective in preventing Eczema - Medical Herald