Learning to Control Dermatitis

Even though there is no cure for dermatitis, there are ways to help control it:
Don't scratch! When you scratch, it makes your skin sore. The skin can even break open, bleed, and become infected with bacteria.
Keep your fingernails cut short. You're less likely to break your skin open if you scratch an itch.
Take short baths or showers with warm water. Hot water can make you itch more. Look for oatmeal soaking products in your bath to help control the itching.
After bathing, don't rub your skin dry with a rough towel. That just irritates your skin more. Gently pat it dry to get the water off.
Then put on some moisturizing lotion to help keep your skin from getting too dry. You can spread the lotion on several times a day.
Do your skin a favor and drink lots of water, increasing your water intake, increases the moisture in your skin.
Wear loose clothing to help your skin feel better. Make sure you wear cotton or other natural fibers. Wool and synthetic cloth can make you feel itchy all over.
Relax. You may find that your dermatitis gets worse when you're stressed. Find ways to deal with things that bother you.
Keep a diary of anything you ate or came in contact with just prior to a flare. If you're allergic to any foods or other things that may make your dermatitis flare up, you'll want to be sure to avoid them.
Unfortunately, dermatitis cannot be cured, though certain types will eventually clear up and others can be resolved by avoiding particular triggers.
Substances and events that are often perceived to cause the condition are actually triggers. The triggers cause underlying skin conditions to flare up and existing skin rashes to worsen, but they don’t actually cause the condition. Research into human genetics may hold the key to discovering the root cause of eczema. Until then, sufferers should attempt to avoid substances known to trigger skin rashes.