How to prevent the onset of atopic dermatitis?

Written in partnership with Dr Clarence De BELILOVSKY, dermatologist member of the Mustela circle of experts. SIGNS THAT ARE NOT DECEIVED A few months after birth, your baby's skin is rather dry and even shows some redness? Are you or your partner prone to atopic eczema? You don't need to wait any longer to adopt, from the birth of your child, certain habits that could well become synonymous with pleasure and comfort. And in this case, “prevention is better than cure!” ". Because if atopic eczema is above all hereditary, we can still act and make life more complicated. Two key words for this: “avoid and repair”. PREVENTION OF ATOPIC DERMATITIS IN BABY AND SKIN CARE We know that dry skin is more permeable and allows allergens, partly responsible for atopic eczema, to pass through (see our file on atopic eczema). To repair dry skin, and more particularly its skin barrier, we give it the means to play its role as a shield. Without forgetting that well hydrated skin is less irritated skin... To do this, apply emollient treatments (see The benefits of emollients). In addition to containing all the ingredients of an effective moisturizer, they mainly include lipids that restore the necessary layer of fat to the skin's surface. It becomes more supple, more resistant... It's even proven: applied from birth, emollient treatments can reduce the risk of developing symptoms of atopic eczema by 33% to 50%1. It would be a shame to deprive yourself ! For more effectiveness, choose treatments adapted to your baby's fragile skin (see the specificities of baby's skin). Indeed, if you find it crunchy and don't stop touching it, it has not reached maturity. Its dermis is three times thinner, it is also much more permeable (which requires even more caution in cases of atopic eczema)... It will take three years to acquire the same functionalities as that of an adult. So many reasons to turn to specific baby-child formulas designed for all these particularities and which you can apply without fear from the first days of your child. ECZEMA, ATOPIA, REDNESS: PREVENTIVE REFLEXES Avoid anything, in everyday life2, that can promote atopic eczema. This includes: - allergens such as dust mites or dust, - drying or irritating factors such as soap, certain rough clothing materials, very dry air, too high a temperature, etc. Obviously, it is not always easy to plan everything and it's not about panicking when your baby is too hot or loves to cuddle up to you when you're wearing your beautiful wool sweater, which is apparently so soft... It's just about staying vigilant and reduce certain environments or activities as much as possible. If your child loves to splash around, a small drop of Stelatopia bath oil in their bath or an inflatable pool filled with chlorine-free water can also make them happy by reducing aggression (hard water). Even so, there will be times in your baby's life when atopic eczema comes to visit. Do not panic ! Here too, care will be his best friends. If necessary, you can also seek advice from your doctor. 1Source: Eric L. Simpson 2014, Horimukai 2014. 2Read about it: Living well every day