Essentially, the treatment and care of neurodermatitis depends on the type and severity of the symptoms and the individual provocation factors. Therefore, no general therapy recommendations and care recommendations can be given. A personal visit to the dermatologist is essential in order to determine the treatment strategy that is right for each individual case. The external treatment and care is carried out with ointments, creams or emulsions.
The basic care
Consistent skin care is the basis of successful neurodermatitis treatment. During the periods when there are no symptoms, they serve as protection against a new attack of the disease. A skin that is healthy has a natural greasing, which ensures that the skin does not dry out. Skin that is highly hydrated is elastic and pathogens cannot penetrate it, nor does it itch. The skin of a person with neurodermatitis is naturally less supplied with fat, which is why it dries out more. The oily condition of normal skin comes closer to that of neurodermatitis skin with good basic care. The special cream Alfason REPAIR, which is available in pharmacies without a prescription, is a very good basis for neurodermatitis therapy. If you have neurodermatitis, you should avoid very hot baths or showers. Moisturizing shower lotions or washing lotions can be used while the skin is being cleaned. There are also special oil baths for full baths or partial baths, which contain additives to relieve itching. The personal care product should be applied immediately after the bath. The care product must be composed in such a way that it suits the skin condition as well as the season and the time of day. In no case should the daily skin cleansing be exaggerated so that the protective function of the skin is not impaired. Soap-free skin cleansers or non-alkaline soaps are recommended because they dry out the skin less. Many creams and shampoos contain urea, a water-binding substance that increases the water content in the top layer of skin. In this way, the skin's flexibility is normalized and the natural skin barrier is restored due to the less itching caused by fewer scratch injuries. In this way, no pathogens can penetrate. The recommended pH value for care products and detergents is 5.5. This value corresponds to the natural skin pH value. Contact with water that is too hot or water containing chlorine should be avoided. Dab the skin carefully after showering/bathing and apply cream again.
Choosing the right care base
In particular, the choice of the base that is suitable is important, in addition to the choice of the required active ingredient. Depending on the case, whether it is better to use a solution, cream, lotion or fatty ointment depends in particular on the parts of the body that need to be treated and the type of skin change that needs to be treated. Liquid cream bases, pastes, sitz baths or zinc shake mixtures are just right for acute, deep red and weeping skin areas as well as areas where skin is on skin. Chronically dry or scaly neurodermatitis foci are usually treated with fatty ointments or fatty ointments. The season of the year and skin care also influence the choice of a suitable base for external treatment. In summer, lotions and creams in particular are perceived as pleasant, whereas in winter, with the dry, cold air outside and the dry heating air inside, ointments and fatty ointments are used in particular. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQL8zJABQ4w
Tannins, urea, tar preparations and other active ingredients
In the foreground of the therapy is always the relief of the itching and the interruption of the inflammatory processes of the skin. Oiling the skin and increasing the moisture content of the upper layers of the skin are other important factors. Many skin care creams contain urea. This is an endogenous, natural substance that increases the water content in the top layer of skin and thus normalizes the skin's flexibility. This restores the natural skin barrier due to the reduced itching, which leads to fewer scratch injuries and no pathogens can penetrate. Urea is used in particular in concentrations of 5% and 10% in the treatment of neurodermatitis . Products containing urea should be used with caution in children up to 5 years of age and only in concentrations of 2 to 3%, because urea can cause a burning sensation on young skin. Polidocanol is also often used to relieve the itching. The skin-surface numbing effect of Polidocanol lasts for around 4 hours. It is often used in finished preparations and formulations in combination with urea.
The tannins
In childhood, these are easily tolerated because they are easily tolerated in a mild form of neurodermatitis and in severe cases as a supportive measure. The tannins have an anti-inflammatory effect, relieve itching slightly and regulate the water balance in the skin. They can be found in different bases in different finished preparations. The phytopharmaceuticals are herbal preparations with anti-inflammatory active ingredients such as chamomile or echinacea and also herbal tanning agents such as Hamamelis virginiana. Compared to the anti-inflammatory herbal preparations, they have low effectiveness in contrast to the substances that are applied externally. With regard to the itching, the oils menthol, capsaicin and camphor are also used to combat it. The tar preparations are characterized by their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory and antipruritic effects. A possible provocation factor of neurodermatitis is the bacterium Staphylococcus areus, especially in childhood. The therapeutic purpose of these antibacterial additives is in particular to eliminate inflammation from the pathogen. Cortisone preparations or care creams, antiseptics such as triclosan, chlorhexidine or fusidic acid or erythomycin, which are antibiotics, can be added. Antiseptics should be preferred to antibiotics because of the lower risk of allergies. In older children and adults, the yeast Pityrosporon ovale is sometimes multiplied. This is actually a harmless , normal colonizing germ from the skin and comes into question as a trigger factor in neurodermatitis. In these cases, creams or shampoos containing antifungal agents can improve the condition. This effect is comparable to that of cortisone. In the area of the lips, the neurodermatitis herds show up as cracked dry skin - this is how yeast fungi can penetrate. The doctor can create a fungal culture to detect the fungus. These herds are treated with pastes containing antifungal agents, such as lozenges or oral gels.
