Hi, if you're unfortunate enough to have a child with ezcema I sympathise unbelievably!

My daughter (who is now 20mths) started with mild ezcema around 5mths, worsening gradually despite any creams we tried etc. till three weeks ago it was horrific. Her body was covered, she scratched non-stop till she bled, she would sleep for an hour or two tops before screaming again - this was EVERY night. The doctor was very non-plussed with it all and simply prescribed a strong steriod - in the end my mum, bless her, rung the hospital and fought for an appointment.
The eczema was an absolutely horrible thing to have to live with, the guilt I felt at her suffering had me in tears every night and I had virtually no proper sleep apart from a couple of hours in peace on a Sat morning. It was a big dark cloud over everything - all summer she was in long sleeves, she would scream through bathtime etc. Two weeks ago I couldn't see a way past this and saw no chance of it improving - I was literally at the end of my tether. It sounds a small thing but it ruined our life, it got particularly for me - I'm ashamed to say I just couldn't deal with her having it, I would cry wishing it was just gone.

A woman I know recommended an aloe vera cream sometime ago and I used it but it didn't make a lot of difference and was very expensive - too dear to buy twice a week which is what we needed. As a last resort last Wednesday I went to H&B and bought aloe vera juice and the plain aloe gel. We had nothing to lose.

Now a week after and my daughter doesn't have ezcema anymore. It's not just that it's improved - she just doesn't have it.

It enrages me to think that not one person (and we saw LOADS) in the medical field simply suggested I try aloe vera. They know all about it's healing properties and how it may be of help but it isn't on the literature for eczema that I was given and they won't even suggest it to people who don't know about it.

...and so I want to just say if your child has ezcema, for lord's sake try it at least - it may not work but *it may just help* - and the weight that has been lifted by my daughter not scratching for a week is amazing. She's sleeping a LOT better, her skin looks and feels normal and if it wasn't for some random ordinary person I wouldn't have known about this - certainly no thanks to the doctors who simply upped the steroids.
And try giving the thick ointment like epaderm a miss too, we found it was most probably the cause of the worsening ezcema - and I was told off for not using enough and told you use twice as much as I was.

If just one person has learnt about this, tries it and it helps their baby/child, I'll be a happy bunny! Not as happy as I would be if they put it on prescription mind!

I'm going to write to a Dr. of skin things named on my ezcema "help" booklet - it should be more well known.

All too often no-one recommends natural products: and natural products are by far the best with skin conidtions like eczema (acne products get my goat too: they're full of harsh ingredients which just isn't going to do anyone's skin any good)

Glad she's not suffering with it any more, it's not nice at all (especially for a small child). I'm sure you're already doing this but make sure you carry on being careful what products you use, like soap and washing powder

holy cheeses thank you!!! My son suffers from really bad ezcema, but thankfully not as bad as when he was newborn, it was all over his face and he couldn't stop scratching, it used to weep and bleed and we just couldn't help it no matter how many different steroid creams and emolients we were prescribed.
Sounds awfull but he looked like a burns victim.

It did get better after about 8months of fighting it but it still lingers around his neck due to dribbling and on his knees and elbows and up his arms.

With regards to the dispair you felt I can sympathise and agree with you entirely!! It is just unstoppable and to see your baby scratching and screaming in pain and discomfort night after night is heart shattering. You just feel utterly helpless!

It still bothers him every night at 17months and sometimes it's a particularly bad night of no sleep for anyone due to something as simple as ezcema.
I will definately be trying the H&B aloe vera juice and gel thanks to your reccomendations!!
Thank you and best wishes to you and your daughter!

BTW, eczema does often get better with age if that's of any small comfort. I had it (though not anything like as badly as you both describe) when I was young, but it cleared up when I was about 8 or 9. Now I just get small patches on my arms when I'm stressed or run down, and occasionally on my legs if I have a bad reaction to a washing powder or something

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but it cleared up when I was about 8 or 9

yes, everyone says it'll "probably" clear up when they are a bit older, but the problem is that's possibly 9 years of hell still to go, and make no mistake it is sometimes total hell, I didn't realise how much it had affected not just my daughter but ME. I was so at the end of my tether with no hope but "it'll probably clear in ? years time" from doctors - the worse thing is they sit there expecting you to be so pleased and thankful for this diagnosis! In the long run I suppose they see it as a comfort but in the short term it isn't at all - you just desperately want your child never to have had it.

clrcbr - totally do try it - can't guarantee it'll even help slightly but it's worth a shot. We use 5ml of the juice morning and night with a little cordial to help the taste and just the 99.9% gel day night whenever. PLUS! ... they are both half price at the mo at H&B! I bought 20 tubes yesterday and 4 of the juice! Offer runs out in a few days i think so i stocked up!

ps. good luck and let us know how you go on x x

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in the end my mum, bless her, rung the hospital and fought for an appointment.

I meant to come back to that part... they were expecting a sore, red weeping child that would need to be part of a day care regime - I had to go this Monday just gone with a fresh almost-perfect pink skinned child and be very apologetic for now wasting their time! The sister of the day ward was so nice and said obviously there was nothing they needed to do!

Thanks, i'll be straight down to H&B tomorrow!
I'm so glad your daughter is so much better and I hope it can do something for my son's uncomfortable nights!
I'll let you know, thanks!

Oh and also if there is someone out there that can help me with my prob! I've suffered from acne (not really bad but I get a new spot of the day every morning and plenty of blackheads to show for!) ever since I became pregnant with my son and now he's 17months. Because I'm breastfeeding I can't take medication to control my hormones that are apparently causing it so I was wondering if anyone knows a natural solution which I would prefer to turn to anyway!
Thank you x

Oh and also if there is someone out there that can help me with my prob! I've suffered from acne (not really bad but I get a new spot of the day every morning and plenty of blackheads to show for!) ever since I became pregnant with my son and now he's 17months. Because I'm breastfeeding I can't take medication to control my hormones that are apparently causing it so I was wondering if anyone knows a natural solution which I would prefer to turn to anyway!

If pregnant, ALWAYS check with your doctor B4 using ANY procust - If its okay to use, Evening primrose oil might well help. It has a balancing effect on hormones and the GLA (gamma lineolic acid) is also used for building healthy skin cells.

I used to work in H&B, and people buying it for hormone probs would actually come back in to ask if it was also go for helping your skin 'cos the differnce was so marked!!

thank you johnny&bump, that is very helpfull, i will most certainly give it a go!!!
x

hi everyone, I have no personal experience of this but have also heard that the best products are organic ones which have no chemicals in them. i use only organic shampoos/body wash on my son. you can also find nappy creams, sun lotion, and all kinds of other skincare products, including nappies that are all 100% organic. chemicals on the skin do get absorbed into the bloodstream and as babies/toddlers have skin that is 5 times tinner than that of an adult, it is a good idea to use products that are as truly natural as possible.

good luck !

clrcbr, did you try the aloe vera?

I'm so pleased to report that my daughter is still completely free of ezcema, her skin isn't even particularly dry any more - I think stopping the thick petroleum and paraffin based ointments has helped just as much - I feel so guilty I was actually spreading the discomfort for months on end!
And she's sleeping through waking just once each night to be kissed and settled down - that is the biggest change, our whole life is different! Instead of napping for four hours in the afternnon she doesn't need one at all and sleeps like a log.

good luck to anyone trying it!