I've quoted the article in italics and inserted my comments throughout. This article says most people get eczema because they have thin skin.
Scientists have long believed that eczema is an allergic reaction. However, new research has found that most eczema cases are the result of an entirely different phenomenon – a defective skin barrier that predisposes eczema sufferers to damage from environmental irritants. These findings revolutionize scientists’ understanding of eczema and open the door to more effective eczema treatment.
I am glad that scientists are saying that chemical irritants are the #1 cause of eczema (that's hopeful and good news). However, it is misleading to use the terms "defective skin barrier" and "predisposes," because it is like saying cars have a predisposition to crash, and when they get damaged in a crash, it is the car's defect.
Hundreds of dermatologists are now recommending the use of a shielding lotion, a new type of skin care product that mimics the skin’s protective outer layer. This may well be the new global standard for eczema treatment.
Occlusive barriers are not good for long term use, because they suffocate the skin. Better to protect the skin from the chemical damage of soaps, lotions, shampoos and chlorinated water than to suffocate the skin and continue to expose the skin to damaging chemicals.
The new study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, revealed surprising findings - the raised allergic antibodies that would support the immune reaction theory were not present in two-thirds of the cases studied.
Although 2/3rds may be suffering from purely contact dermatitis, still, 1/3rd remain with raised allergic antibodies indicating that the immune system is involved. The public has already been told they have a defective off/on switch in the inflammatory cycle and that there is no cure. Now, they are told they have a defective barrier function. Damaged barrier function and immune response, yes ... defective, I don't think so. One implies they are genetically defective and a condition with which they must permanently live; the other implies something ecologically altered their body's response and that by addressing the root of the problem they can recover. I believe eczema is from ecological disturbances within the body and on the skin's surface and that once these disturbances are corrected, the sufferer will recover. I say blame it on the chemicals and imbalances and not on the human body.
Instead, they found evidence that the protective surface layer of the skin was compromised. Scientists now believe that this problem is the true source of many eczema conditions and that treatment must take an abrupt turn away from the immune system focus towards preserving the integrity of the skin’s protective layer.
Of course the barrier function is compromised with alkaline soaps, fragrances, preservatives and chemical sensitizers that are found in the average household. Even chlorinated water will dry out the skin and harm the skin's barrier functions. How many people let's household cleaning chemicals touch their skin when the label says don't.
The profound news of the impact of probiotics on the immune system with regard to eczema never even saturated the eczema community before studies like this get widely published saying scientists should bail out on the immune research ship. For me, that's a problem.
Scientists suspect that the breakdown is due to a combination of factors - a genetic predisposition to thin skin which is then easily damaged by moisture loss and irritation caused by overheating, cold weather, dry winds and exposure to chemical irritants like soap or detergents. One thing is certain, while thin skin is more susceptible to developing eczema, exposure to irritants is often the key precipitating element for flares.
According to Dr. Peter Helton, cosmetic dermatologist and medical director of the Helton Skin and Laser Institute in Newport Beach, California, “In order for the skin to heal and return to its healthy condition you have to seal in the moisture and oils that are below the outer layer of skin and protect it from the irritants in the environment.”
Although some irritants are named, the light in which they do still puts the blame on the skin and not on the chemicals. I disagree. Although, yes, in order for the skin to heal, it is crucial to protect it, and occlusive barriers are a great temporary band-aids to help accomplish this.
A good shielding lotion does just that. “Shielding lotions can significantly restore the skin's natural barrier and thus make it less susceptible to environmental irritants and eczema flares,” explains Dr. Lisa Benest, a board certified dermatologist in Burbank, California. A recent Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) study found that shielding lotion increases the protective layer formation properties by more than 50 percent within one hour of application. “A shielding lotion is a new kind of lotion. It is a new technology that blends moisturizers with a light silicone material that is like a liquid film that bonds with the surface of your skin. It is like wearing an invisible shield that helps heal the skin. It keeps the moisture in and keeps the irritants out,” said Dr. Helton.
It takes 4 days for barriers functions to return to normal after they have been damaged with chemical irritants and 30 days for all layers of the skin to rejuvenate; so, if consumers continue to wash away their natural acid mantle and good bacteria and dissolve their intercellular cement with hot soapy water, they'll be in the damaged barrier function boat forever. For the two-thirds with merely contact dermatitis, understand that urine is better for your skin than soap. You can use yogurt to wash your skin and do protect your skin from chemicals and sensitizers.
Learn about the huge value of calcium in this regards. Read, also, about how red palm oil and sunflower oil can repair the barrier function and how topical olive and soybean oils delay repair.
For those who think it is more than contact dermatitis, continue to explore probiotics and read "The Cure for Eczema" to get a better understanding of the situation.
Steroid creams and ointments are the traditional topical eczema treatment, but, as they can further damage the protective layer, these new findings indicate the need for a different approach. Shielding lotion may be the wave of the future.
First the experts give you topical steroids that thin the skin, and then they tell you that you got the condition because you have thin skin. That's not funny, but the good news is that the sunlight and Gotu Kola will thicken the outer layer of the epidermis.
I'm not saying never use topical steroids, because sometimes they can be helpful; however, if you live off of them, you can learn so much here so that you don't need to. In sum, you can help the skin heal with occlusive barriers, even mineral oil which is inert and won't cause a reaction in hypersensitive skin, and then be easy on your skin and learn about your skin's barrier function. Start right now learning the ABC's of the barrier function by reading about Vitamin A.
It's also important that you see how hormones affect the thickness and oil production of the skin.
The National Skin Care Institute
Contact Sally Falkow
Tel : 323-882-8125
www.skincarenet.org
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