Helping patients to understand eczema

People with eczema need to understand how their skin works and why eczematous skin can't do its job properly. Showing patients a diagram of both healthy skin and eczematous skin, such as one based on the analogy of a brick wall and a dry stone wall, can help people with eczema to better understand their condition.

You should also talk to them about the fluctuating nature of eczema and the need for different treatments to achieve different goals:

Emollients - to soothe, heal and protect the skin (even when clear) reducing the frequency and severity of flare-ups
Topical steroids - to reduce inflammation during flare-ups
Antibiotics - to fight infection if the skin becomes infected

It is worth bearing in mind that some patients may have specific individual goals, which might mean that their treatment needs to be adjusted to help them meet their goal, like a bride-to-be planning for her wedding.

Teaching patients to apply treatment » « Implementing education plans