SKIN IN CHILDHOOD: PREVENTING ECZEMA

April 20, 2011

Eczema tends to flare up periodically, particularly in response to teething and infections in children and to stress in adults. It can also be aggravated by external irritants such as the following: Animal hair and fur Animal hair and fur will often aggravate eczema. This is most obvious after a child has been playing with a cat, dog, horse or other pet.
Shampoos and other hair products Many shampoos irritate the skin as they often drip onto the face and neck. Children with eczema should use non-perfumed shampoos such as Ionil T, Neutrogena and T/Gel. Hair sprays, mousses and gels may also irritate the skin if they come directly in contact with it. Blow driers, like heaters, create dry heat and can precipitate eczema on the face.
Perfume and perfumed preparations Perfume and cosmetics and creams containing perfume will irritate eczema. Most creams contain perfume to mask the smell of chemicals, so it is important to choose true fragrance-free creams for any child with eczema. Even creams which have no smell may still contain a ‘masking’ perfume. Suitable products will have ‘fragrance free’ written on the label.
Sunscreens Although the use of sunscreens should be encouraged, most will irritate the skin of eczema sufferers. All of the chemicals in sunscreens can produce this reaction, especially in high concentration. The least irritating sunscreens are Ego SunSense Toddler Milk, Ego Sunsensitive, Clinique City Block, Ella Bache SPF 15 sunscreen and UV Low Allergenic Formula. Zinc creams and foundation make-up containing titanium dioxide such as Clinique Continuous Coverage do not cause irritation but are often messier to use.
Antiseptics Most antiseptics are extremely irritating to normal skin, let alone eczema skin. Antiseptics are still commonly added to babies’ bath water in maternity hospitals. They may also be used to clean bathrooms, desks and so on in schools and kindergartens, leaving a residue on the surface. If a child with eczema comes into contact with an antiseptic solution, a flare up may occur.
Chlorine The chlorine present in most heated swimming pools can severely irritate eczema in both children and adults. The newer ozone pool chemicals are less irritating but may still aggravate eczema. On the other hand, sea water is often beneficial and can help clear up eczema. Children with eczema should not swim in chlorinated pools while their eczema is active. Even spas and Jacuzzis use heated, chlorinated water and so are best avoided.
Vaccines Although vaccines will occasionally aggravate eczema, this is now fairly rare and children should be given routine vaccines. If a child becomes allergic to the triple antigen vaccine, he or she should not have a second or third booster.
Cold sores Cold sores are a particular problem in children with eczema. If a child comes into contact with a person who has a cold sore on his or her lip, the child can develop cold sores all over the face. Therefore, adults with cold sores should not kiss children with active eczema.
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SKIN CARE: DANGER ASSOCIATED WITH SOLARIUMS

May 8, 2009

Various advertising brochures present different inaccuracies. There are, however, three fundamental inaccuracies which most of them contain.

The first is the claim made for the enormous benefits of UVA radiation for the body! They reject the ‘blazing and potentially dangerous sun’, only to promote ‘the rich golden tan, which gives you that healthy, confident, affluent look. Who could resist, especially as they say that the radiation which produces a tan is also the major source of vitamin D. In fact the major source of vitamin D is dairy products and fish oils, not sunlight. Moreover such supplementation of vitamin D is hardly necessary in our society: vitamin D deficiency results in rickets, a virtually non-existent condition in developed countries.

The second misleading claim concerns the safety of these units. They maintain that they ‘filter out the potentially harmful part of the UV range’, and use only the ‘beneficial tanning rays’. Some even state that they produce ‘a safe tan, without drying and prematurely ageing the skin’, and further, that such tan is a very effective measure towards the prevention of skin cancer’.

Thirdly, they state that ‘it is not necessary to wear protective goggles’. This, in spite of increasing evidence of cataract formation.

It can be seen, therefore, that tanning for cosmetic purposes is not a harmless procedure. This is equally true whether the tan is developed by lying on sunny beaches or frequenting solariums. The greatest disadvantage of the solarium concept is that it allows people to maintain a tan all the year round. Such people thus have the means of accumulating consistent cellular damage, resulting eventually in tissue breakdown which manifests itself as premature ageing and cancer.

The widespread use of solariums is a public health issue, just as smoking has become. In the United States the Government Department of Health and Human Services, together with the Food and Drug Administration, are very much aware of the danger involved in the indiscriminate use of solariums. As a result, regulations governing their use and their equipment are being enforced. All operators are required to be licensed, and their equipment regularly calibrated and checked. Posters must be prominently displayed, warning of the skin and eye dangers, and referring to the various drugs and diseases which may adversely affect the client using the solarium.

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