Eczema is a dry skin condition that causes the skin to become red (inflamed) and itchy. On darker skin, eczema may not look red - it may look darker or lighter, and feel rough.
You can usually control your child's eczema by avoiding triggers, bathing once a day, using lots of moisturiser and using steroids on the skin (topical steroids) when your child's skin has active eczema.
You can easily manage most eczema at home but it needs care every day. There is no cure for eczema - just good management.
Stay cool
Getting too hot from clothing or heating can make eczema worse.
Avoid soap and fragrances
Soap and fragrances are the most common triggers of eczema. Only use skin care products designed for eczema. Many are available on prescription from your doctor or nurse prescriber.
Bathing can be really helpful for children with eczema. Bathing once a day helps to clean the skin and prepares the skin for creams after the bath.
When bathing:
Antiseptic baths 2 times a week can help prevent infection and improve eczema.
Find out how to use bleach baths [1]
Using lots of moisturiser many times a day is really important for children with eczema.
Topical steroids are steroids you put on the skin. They help to soothe inflamed eczema and allow the skin to heal and become comfortable.
Please contact your GP or nurse if:
Signs of a skin infection include:
Watch a KidsHealth video - 3 easy steps when caring for your child with eczema
Can't see this video on YouTube? Try viewing it on Vimeo [2]
Video transcript [3]
This content has been developed and approved by the Clinical Reference Group for the Paediatric Society NZ's Eczema Clinical Network, Te Rōpū Kiripai Hapori.
This page last reviewed 23 June 2023.
Email us [5] your feedback
Links
[1] https://kidshealth.org.nz/when-how-use-bleach-baths-your-child-eczema
[2] https://vimeo.com/79637341
[3] https://kidshealth.org.nz/eczema-care-3-easy-steps-video-transcript
[4] https://kidshealth.org.nz/tags/eczema
[5] https://kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fkidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F178%3Flanguage%3Dzh-hant