What is atopic dermatitis?
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic pruritic skin disease that occurs mainly in childhood.
Where is it due to?
- Hereditary predisposition from generation to generation and increases vulnerability to other allergic diseases such as bronchial asthma, conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis
- Disrupted skin barrier and tendency to intense dryness
How does it appear?
Atopic dermatitis usually appears after the first month of infancy on the face (cheeks) and skin folds (in front of elbows and behind knees). It appears as red itchy lesions. With age, the lesions are preferentially located on the flexural surfaces of the extremities and the skin thickens and hardens (lichenification). It is almost always characterized by severe itching.
Flare-ups of atopic dermatitis may be associated with infections, colds, winter months, dry climate, use of allergenic foods and use of inappropriate skin care products.
The incidence of atopic dermatitis in the adult population is approximately 1%. Adults with a history of atopic dermatitis in childhood show a tendency to dry skin and a tendency to allergic dermatitis, such as hand eczema.
How is it treated?
The treatment of atopic dermatitis includes not only the relief of itching and dry skin, but also the prevention of skin infections. The dermatologist will administer the corresponding treatment and will give very important instructions for the use of skin cosmetics (soaps, shower gels, moisturizing creams) suitable for atopic skin that help to restore the epidermal barrier and maintain the skin’s normal moisture.