Home Remedy for Dermatitis: Oolong Tea

Eczema is an itchy skin condition that is sometimes referred to as atopic dermatitis. One natural treatment approach is to drink oolong tea. In a Japanese study, adults with atopic dermatitis improved after a month of drinking a liter of oolong tea a day. This tea does have caffeine, though considerably less than coffee.

Treating Keratosis, Acne And Cancer

A therapy traditionally used on esophageal cancer and lung cancer is causing a buzz in dermatology circles as a way to treat precancerous skin lesions, sun damage and acne.
Called photodynamic therapy, or PDT, it is gaining popularity with claims that it's more convenient and less painful, and that it brings fewer side effects than conventional treatments.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved PDT only for the treatment of certain tumors and actinic keratoses, which are scaly or crusty bumps that form on the skin surface from too much sun. But now the procedure also is being widely used for sun damage and acne on an "off-label" basis.
"There are exciting new and improved cosmetic indications," says Dr. Ron Berne, an Elmwood Park, Ill. dermatologist who began using PDT on his patients in March.
He explained that PDT can improve sun damage such as blotchy complexion, fine lines and telangiectasia, which are dilated superficial blood vessels such as are found with rosacea. The procedure improves the entire area treated, creating a more uniform color, texture and tone, rather than just spot treating with liquid nitrogen or other techniques.
The procedure involves applying a topical solution called 5-aminolevulinic acid (Levulan Kerastick) directly to the skin, then activating it with a light source for a specific time. The solution is absorbed by the abnormal keratin in precancerous or sun-damaged cells or oil glands, depending on what is being targeted.
A variety of light sources may be used, from lasers and intense pulsed light to blue light, which refers to the light wavelength. Therapy can be repeated several times at the same site if necessary.
PDT also can dramatically improve mild to moderate inflammatory acne when used in combination with other treatments, Berne says, eliminating the need for oral antibiotics or the controversial drug Accutane. The Levulan is absorbed into the oil glands, significantly reducing them.
Accutane has a much higher risk of side effects, such as birth defects and liver problems, according to Berne.
Kim Nguyen, 32, of Chicago, Ill., is allergic to many antibiotics and benzyl peroxide, so she is limited in her choices of acne treatment. She has had two PDT treatments.
"I can see a reduction in the acne and scars, and the redness is less intense," she says.
She has two more treatments scheduled, and her health insurance has covered a portion of the cost.
A PDT treatment typically ranges from $250 to $350.
In general, patients must avoid all sunlight and even brightly lit rooms for 36 hours or risk getting a severe burn due to heightened skin sensitivity to light.
"Plan a day and a half inside in the shadows," Berne says.
Even with that drawback, Berne prefers PDT as a treatment for actinic keratoses.
The standard treatment uses liquid nitrogen to freeze off the lesions. But doctors can't treat more than a couple at a time, so return office visits are required, according to Berne.
"For multiple actinic keratoses, conventional therapy can be painful and inconvenient," he added.
PDT targets only abnormal cells, so all lesions can be treated at one time, or repeated if necessary, according to Berne.
The use of PDT in dermatology, however, isn't universally hailed, says Dr. Gregg Menaker, director of dermatologic surgery at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and assistant professor of dermatology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
While director of the dermatologic surgery unit at Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston), "I saw a steady parade of people from our lab to my surgical unit for lesions that didn't go away with PDT," he says.
In patients with multiple actinic keratoses, not every lesion may be an actinic keratosis, he explains. The lesion could be a squamous cell, a common skin cancer. "There are other treatments that are faster, cheaper and more effective," he says.
As for using PDT for acne, Menaker says, "Our standard acne therapies are going to end up being the preferred way to treat acne. Acne patients are mostly kids who are in school and don't want to come to the dermatologist. From a scheduling standpoint it's difficult. And there is no long-term data to support its use."
But PDT is in use at the Texas Dermatology Research Institute, where Dr. William Abramovits, a professor of dermatology at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas employs it to treat actinic keratoses, acne and other skin diseases.
He says, however, that because low-energy light may not be able to penetrate deep enough into thick lesions, PDT may fail to destroy squamous cell cancers or thick actinic keratoses.
"Many centers, particularly in Europe, are exploring the potential of newer sensitizers, and light of wavelengths that will penetrate deep enough to destroy thicker lesions," Abramovits says. "The results are very promising."

Dry Skin Care

During the winter months, people wear layers of clothes to protect their bodies from the elements, but they don't always take steps to protect their skin. Some may end up paying for this oversight: The lack of humidity in the air, combined with dry indoor heat, can lead to dry, itchy and even flaking or cracked skin.
And while a long hot shower sounds like just the thing to warm yourself up in cold weather, it might be just the wrong thing to do to your skin. Below, Robin Ashinoff, MD, chief of dermatologic and cosmetic surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey and an associate clinical professor of dermatology at New York University, discusses how to manage common dry skin conditions and how moisturizing skin daily can usually keep skin smooth and soft.
Take quick, cool showers. You don't want to sit in a bathtub because it will dehydrate your skin more. You want to use a mild soap, preferably a moisturizing soap. There are also body washes now that have petrolatum in them, and when you use a puff to apply the body wash, it will coat you with sort of a lipid barrier, and that may be helpful for a lot of people.
When people come out of the shower, they should pat, not rub themselves dry with a towel, and then they can start out with an over-the-counter moisturizer.
I also tell people when they get undressed to go to sleep, put moisturizer on again. And for bad hands, I tell people to keep a tube of moisturizer in their pockets.
People with dry skin should look for moisturizers that contain lactic acid, which is a humectant that draws moisture into the skin. There are over-the-counter products with lower concentrations of glycolic acid, which acts as an exfoliant, and moisturizers that contain urea, another humectant. Urea may help for badly dry skin, especially on cracked heels in the wintertime.
You want to look for ones that say "for heavy use" or "for body use" because the facial moisturizers typically have less petrolatum in them, so that people won't break out on their face. On your body, you care less about breakouts. You want something heavier. The best moisturizer, though we don't like it because it's not very cosmetically appealing, is something like Vaseline (petrolatum). It is very moisturizing, but it's very greasy.

Allergic Contact Dermatitis

Allergic contact dermatitis is a red, itchy, weepy reaction where the skin has come into contact with a substance that the immune system recognizes as foreign, such as poison ivy or certain preservatives in creams and lotions. Red, bumpy, scaly, itchy, and swollen skin are all symptoms which can signify an allergic skin condition. These skin problems are often caused by an immune system reaction, signifying an allergy. Allergic skin conditions can take several forms and are due to various causes.

What Is Dermatitis?

Dermatitis is the most common inflammatory disease of the skin. It affects 15 million adults and children - 6% of all Americans. It nearly always begins within the first 5 years of life and while 50% of cases will be outgrown, the remainder will persist throughout a lifetime.
The exact cause of the condition is not known, but genetic factors are thought to play a role in the development of this disease.
Persons with dermatitis often have allergies or asthma, as well. Various materials such as wool can cause a worsening of symptoms.
Dermatitis appears as redness, scaling and/or small blisters (vesicles) on the head, face, neck, or the insides of the elbows, wrists, and knees. These characteristic features are often masked by secondary lesions such as crusting, excoriations, infection, or irritation from topical treatments.
There is no cure for dermatitis. Current therapy is directed at suppressing the inflammation and reducing triggering factors with topical treatments and ultraviolet light therapy.

THE FACTS ON IRRITANT CONTACT DERMATITIS

Irritant contact dermatitis is produced by a substance that has a direct toxic effect on the skin. After exposure to an irritant, a skin reaction can occur immediately or gradually after repeated exposure. Examples of common irritants include acids (certain toilet bowl and drain cleaners, dishwasher detergents), alkalis (ammonia, lye), cement, turpentine, and paint thinners. With acute and mild exposure, there is typically redness, swelling, and oozing. If left untreated, the condition can result in dry, thickened, cracked skin.Irritant contact dermatitis is often more painful than itchy, and is the result of an offending agent that actually damages the skin with which it comes into contact. The longer the skin is in contact—or the more concentrated the agent—the more severe the reaction. Water with added soaps and detergents is the most common cause. Thus, it is not surprising that these reactions appear most often on the hands, and are frequently work-related Individuals with other skin diseases, especially eczema, are most susceptible.

Dermatitis Treatment Tips

Initial and ongoing treatment for dermatitis should include:
Avoiding dry skin. Keep your skin hydrated through proper bathing and using moisturizers. This includes bathing in warm water, bathing for only 3 to 5 minutes, avoiding gels and bath oils, and using only nondrying soaps;
Apply a moisturizer immediately after bathing; avoiding irritants that causes a rash or make a rash worse. These include soaps that dry the skin, perfumes, and scratchy clothing or bedding; Avoiding possible allergens that cause a rash or make a rash worse. These may include dust and dust mites, animal dander, and certain foods, such as eggs, peanuts, milk, wheat, or soy products;
Controlling itching and scratching. Keep your fingernails trimmed and filed smooth to help prevent damaging the skin when scratching. You may want to use protective dressings to keep from rubbing the affected area. Put mittens or cotton socks on a baby's hands to help prevent him or her from scratching the area.

Common Types of Dermatitis

The more common types of dermatitis include:
Contact Dermatitis is dermatitis caused by physical contact with an irritant or allergen;
Atopic Dermatitis is a hereditary dermatitis thought to be caused by an allergic reaction;
Stasis Dermatitis is dermatitis of the leg area due to poor circulation;
Seborrheic Dermatitis appears as flaking or redness of the skin;
Neurodermatitis is dermatitis caused by repeated scratching or chafing.

The Causes of Stasis Dermatitis

Stasis dermatitis is usually caused by poor blood flow from the veins of the legs back to the heart. It is seen most often in middle-aged people or people who are elderly. The poor blood flow may be associated with the following conditions:
~varicose veins, which are bulging veins caused by damage to the valves within the veins
blood clots in the veins of the lower legs or pelvis
~congestive heart failure, a condition in which a weakened heart is unable to pump blood effectively throughout the body
~kidney failure
~chronic leg swelling

The rash is often made worse by the use of salves or ointments. It may be aggravated by infection with bacteria or fungus.

Neurodermatitis

Neurodermatitis can occur when something such as a tight garment rubs or scratches your skin. This irritation may lead you to rub or scratch your skin repeatedly. Common locations include ankles, wrist, outer forearm or arm, and the back of your neck.
Neurodermatitis, also known as lichen simplex, is a chronic form of dermatitis. Chronic itching and scratching can cause the skin to thicken and have a leather texture. Neurodermatitis results in a constant scratch-itch cycle. Although signs increase in times of stress, changes in the nerve fibers are also present.

Living With Darier's Disease

Darier disease is a stubborn rash which usually runs in families. The rash often starts when one is a teenager or older. It most commonly affects the chest, neck, back, ears, forehead, and groin, but may involve other body areas. At times the rash will cause a bad odor. This disease can also cause the fingernails to be fragile at the tips causing V-shaped notches at the end of the nails.

The cause is thought to be due to a defective gene. The gene that causes Darier disease is often inherited from one's parents.
Darier disease is not contagious; that is, it does not spread from person to person.
The rash is often worse in the summer, due to the heat and humidity, and is aggravated by sunlight. Dermatitis-ltd has been known help with the symptoms of Darier's Disease.

Cleansing the skin with a mild antibacterial soap such as Lever 2000 sometimes helps control the odor.
The doctor may give you a prescription for a gel or lotion to use on your skin.
There is no medical cure for Darier disease. A strong drug called Accutane sometimes helps this condition. Your doctor will discuss the possible use of this medication with you.
Jojoba Oil applied to the rash twice a day can often clear the lesions in 2-3 weeks.