The Truth About Eczema

Eczema is a chronic condition with no known cure. It makes your skin dry, red and itchy. Eczema flare ups are usually accompanied by a constant itch that can be debilitating and / or decrease one’s quality of life.

Your skin has 3 layers. In healthy skin, the tough outer layer keeps foreign substances such as bacteria, viruses, and allergens from getting in. When you have eczema, the outer layer of skin is weak and more susceptible to inflammation caused by immune cells in the body. When you scratch your skin, it contributes to the breakdown of the skin cells even more and thus making it easier for foreign substances to get in. Once these foreign substances have broken through the skin barrier, immune cells alert the body that It's under attack.

Once under attack, the immune cells travel to the second layer of skin. Once there, the immune cells release substances that cause the familiar redness and rash on the skin's surface.

Although these substances normally go away after a short time, if you have atopic dermatitis, the cells don't turn off. They continue the inflammatory process, so the skin continues to react, even when your skin looks clear. Even when you have no visible rash, the underlying inflammation is still active beneath your skin.

In the past, eczema has always been thought of as having external triggers. However, in recent years, the consideration that eczema may be caused by internal triggers have surfaced, though not proven, it seems to make tremendous sense. As noted above, eczema seems to be a combination of both external and internal triggers. Maintaining great skin has never been just about the outside, it’s how you take care of yourself internally as well.

To learn more about eczema, head over to our blog to learn more!

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