Eczema: To moisten, or not?

barnstar2077

I developed eczema a few years ago on my shoulder blade, which recently has come back with a vengeance.  I have an emollient cream that I put on several times a day.  Should I lightly dampen the area first before I put the cream on?  Or am I making it worse by doing so?

Any advice greatly appreciated, thank you.

KxMx

I always just put the cream on. 
If it's particularly bad I use E45 which can be used as frequently as needed, sometimes I apply several times an hour, and don't stop until the pain/itchiness is bearable. 

goldfinches

I slap it on whenever and however I think is going to work at that moment.
At this time of the year I keep a pump dispenser in the door of the fridge for instance.
Dampening might or might not work for you some of the time/all of the time so I would say give it a go to see how it feels and then you'll probably have another way of fighting down your itchy demons, maybe.

barnstar2077

KxMx said:

I always just put the cream on. 
If it's particularly bad I use E45 which can be used as frequently as needed, sometimes I apply several times an hour, and don't stop until the pain/itchiness is bearable. 

Is that the normal e45 cream, or the eczema one please? 

Spoonie_Turtle

It depends on the cream - some don't seem to sink in if it's damp, but others do better.

The best time for me is just after a shower or just after washing hands, after drying but straight away so the skin's not dried out yet. Obviously that's not your scenario (you can't do that for your shoulder blade several times a day!) but maybe dampening long enough to hydrate it, then when it's dried or almost dry, put the cream on, and see how that goes.

Ultimately it'll be down to what works best for you.

amandacat

I used to get it really badly around my nose, the GP recommended ultrabase cream and I applied it to my skin while it was dry.  Cleared it right up. 

anna42hmr

In addition to creams mentioned above, i also find that using Balneum Plus bath oil can work wonders, can be picked up in chemists and i have found is great to use, just beware it makes the bath really slippy. 

greensalad

I'd get to the GP and ask for hydrocortisone. It clears up my eczema in just a few days of application and it doesn't come back super quickly either.

DPR87

greensalad said:

I'd get to the GP and ask for hydrocortisone. It clears up my eczema in just a few days of application and it doesn't come back super quickly either.

Can also be brought over the counter if to be used on a small area. Use it for a week. 
I've always found diprobase better than E45. 

KxMx

barnstar2077 said:

KxMx said:

I always just put the cream on. 
If it's particularly bad I use E45 which can be used as frequently as needed, sometimes I apply several times an hour, and don't stop until the pain/itchiness is bearable. 

Is that the normal e45 cream, or the eczema one please? 

I use the normal e45 cream. 

Emmia

greensalad said:

I'd get to the GP and ask for hydrocortisone. It clears up my eczema in just a few days of application and it doesn't come back super quickly either.

But it can cause scarring and skin thinning if used too regularly and for too long - I'm unfortunately afflicted by some patches of scarring on my arms after using hydrocortisone on eczema. 

I personally find diprobase and E45 overly sticky, thick and heavy (and they seem to make the skin "sweat", which makes the eczema worse for me). I prefer the neutrogena norwegian formula cream you get in a tub with a blue lid, much more hydrating and seems to soak in and help with the healing, rather than just coating the eczema.