Atopic Dermatitis Home Treatment

By Heather Brannon, MD, About.com
Atopic dermatitis is a persistent, itchy skin condition that comes and goes. Even though there is no cure for atopic dermatitis, with the right knowledge, it can be managed. This means that you can:
- Reduce itchiness, redness and scaling
- Go longer with normal, non-itchy skin
- Take care of flare-ups before they get worsen
First, Keep in Mind that Avoiding Allergens May Not HelpWe have long recommended various strategies to reduce exposure to certain allergens such as reducing dust mites, waiting to give solid foods to infants until they are older, restricting certain foods in the diet for moms who are pregnant or breastfeeding, breastfeeding as long as possible and avoiding pollen.
While these strategies seem to make sense based on our knowledge of what causes atopic dermatitis, recent medical studies do not clearly show that they actually help.

But Avoiding Known Triggers Is Helpful

Of course, if certain triggers have caused flare-ups in the past, it makes sense to avoid these triggers. Examples of common triggers include:
- Perfumes or scented skin care products
- Exposure to cats or dogs
- Known food allergies -- especially to milk, eggs, peanuts and shellfish
- Heat, perspiration, or low humidity
- Rough clothing, especially wool
- Viral skin infections such as herpes simplex
- Stress and anxiety

How to Minimize Scratching

To break the itch-scratch cycle, you have to stop scratching. For some people this may seem like an almost impossible goal, but here are some things that can help:
- Taking antihistamines like Benadryl or Zyrtec can help control itchiness and prevent scratching during sleep
- Cut your nails short
- Wear mittens at night to keep from scratching
- Use loose gauze wraps to protect the skin
- Slather on the right moisturizers to help with itching

Atopic Dermatitis Skin Care

Good skin care for atopic dermatitis is one of the most important measures you can take to keep flare-ups from starting. And if you do have a flare and need to use medication, if you've taken good care of your skin, it will heal faster.