Moisturizers help prevent flares of Atopic Dermatitis.
Professor Siriwan Wanakul
3rd Asian Eczema Master Class
For my first two-day virtual dermatology conference, the 3rd Asian Eczema Master Class held in Taiwan was superb! The lecturers and the topics were all soooo good… But my poor eyes and ears were strained. Two days staring at the screen while wearing earphones is not easy! I had a bad headache afterwards. I can just imagine everyone attending online school right now. My heart goes out to you!
Anyway, one of the points that consistently came up is the role of moisturizers in the care of patients with Atopic Dermatitis. What do we know about Atopic Dermatitis? It is a condition wherein the skin is constantly dry, itchy and red. Why? Well, the skin has dysfunctional proteins and innate immune system causing the the skin barrier to be defective. This means that the skin cannot regulate transepidermal water loss (TEWL), defend against external physico-chemical agents nor fight against microorganisms are that attack skin barrier.
One of the easiest and most cost-effective means that we can do to repair the defective skin barrier is by consistently using good skin moisturizers.
The types of skin moisturizers are categorized depending on how they work. (Check this poster I made on the left.)
What is the best moisturizer, you ask?
Well, it is the one that you will use daily!
However, my go-to moisturizers for Atopic Dermatitis are:
- Aveeno Skin Relief Lotion for mild AD
- Cetaphil PRO AD Derma Skin Restoring Moisturizer for moderate AD
- Avene Xeracalm AD Cream for severe AD, especially for babies!
- Oillan Med+ Restorative Cream for severe AD in older and elderly patients
Moisturizers are not only beneficial for patients with Atopic Dermatitis. Moisturizers can benefit everyone!!!
As we age, our sweat and oil gland function steadily decrease. This makes our skin dry and wrinkly. Be it on the face or body, I always make it a point to add a moisturizer in my patient’s regimen.
Consider it “me” time whenever you apply your moisturizer at night.
MFC