Treatment Tips for Dermatitis

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.

Psoriasis is a Variation of Dermatitis

A variation of dermatitis is psoriasis. The symptoms of psoriasis include itching, cracking, stinging, burning, or bleeding. Research indicates these symptoms are usually worse in the winter months due to the lack of sunlight and low indoor humidity. The skin is most likely to crack at the joints where the body bends or in areas where the individual fails to refrain from scratching. Scratching can also lead to bleeding and infection, which is why it should be avoided at all costs. Psoriasis has also been known to affect fingernails and toe nails by causing pits or dents in them. There is also the possibility that the soft tissue inside the mouth and genitalia can be affected. In some cases, individuals experience joint inflammation, which can lead to the development of arthritis symptoms. Each type of psoriasis has it's own distinct symptoms.