How To Prevent Eczema Flare-Ups This Summer

People often associate eczema flare-ups with winter since the air gets cool and dry. However, summer can be equally challenging when you live with this skin condition, especially when temperatures and humidity soar. But you have ways to keep your skin looking and feeling its best.

The Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Associates team helps people of all ages manage skin disorders like eczema in Tampa and Brandon, Florida. If you want to avoid a flare-up this summer, we recommend taking these five steps.

1. Beat the heat

Or, more accurately, try to avoid excessive sweating. That’s because sweat contains numerous skin irritants, ranging from salt and zinc to manganese and chlorine. When trapped moisture builds up in certain areas, it can lead to significant irritation, especially on sensitive eczema skin.

To reduce sweating, try to avoid excessively high temperatures by staying in the shade or taking plenty of breaks in an air-conditioned environment. It also helps to wear light, breathable fabrics and wide-brimmed hats. Drinking plenty of water helps keep your body at a normal temperature.

And if you get wet or sweat through your clothes, put on dry items as soon as possible.

2. Rinse and repeat

Summer weather means more sweat and allergens, like dust. As a result, it’s time to add bathing to your daily regimen to cleanse your skin of potential irritants. However, you have to bathe correctly to avoid creating a bigger problem.

For the best results, wash with a mild soap that doesn’t contain dyes or fragrance. You should also use cool or lukewarm water and keep your bathing sessions short — 5-10 minutes max.

When you exit the shower, dab yourself lightly with a towel and apply a quality fragrance-free moisturizer while your skin remains damp. Our team offers personalized recommendations on the best skin care products to use when you have eczema, including mineral-based sunscreens.

Finally, if you have a chance to hit the pool, talk to our team. Some people find chlorine soothing to their skin, but others don't. Regardless, always rinse off immediately after swimming.

3. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

Dry skin is a common culprit for eczema flare-ups, and summer is no exception. 

Moisturizing when you have eczema is a crucial component to avoiding flare-ups. That’s because people with this condition have a damaged skin barrier, leaving them more sensitive to potential irritants, like bacteria and allergens. 

This damage also makes it harder for the skin to retain moisture, increasing the chances that eczema can flare up or even worsen.

Choosing the best moisturizer can be confusing when you have eczema, but we can make suggestions based on your symptoms. Keep in mind, whenever you’re introducing a new product to your skin, follow these guidelines:

• Check the ingredients for potential allergens
• See if it meets the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance™
• Apply a pea-sized amount on the underside of your wrist and watch for irritation over 24-48 hours

Once you have a product you can trust, try to moisturize several times a day, especially after showering and washing your hands.

4. Stop the itch

Even with the best efforts, eczema flare-ups can still pop up when you least expect them. If they do, it’s essential to stop the itch as quickly as possible because it can make things worse.

For mildly itchy skin, try these at-home remedies:

• Apply a cool compress or ice, then moisturize
• Add colloidal oatmeal to bathwater and soak for 10-15 minutes, then moisturize
• Apply over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream

Phototherapy treatments can also help with persistent flare-ups.

5. Partner with an expert

Last but not least, the best prevention plan for eczema involves an expert, like our team members at Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Associates. 

Working with a provider you can trust helps you to diagnose potential triggers and allergens, which opens the door to a wide range of treatments you may not have expected — like allergy shots. We can also provide the strategies you need to keep your skin barrier strong and healthy.

And, if flare-ups set in, we can prescribe oral, topical, or biologic therapies to get things back on track.

Are you ready to face summer without eczema flare-ups? Book online at Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Associates to create a personalized treatment plan today.