19 April 2024
Eczema is a common skin condition that often occurs in babies before the reach the age of one.
Babies tend to start showing symptoms of eczema at around 2-3 months, which can continue for several years and sometimes even into adulthood.
It can be a stressful time for both babies and parents when a child develops eczema, so it’s normal to want it to go away as quickly as possible.
However, eczema tends to be a chronic condition that varies from person to person.
Does eczema in babies go away?
Eczema is typically a genetic condition and is triggered by allergens – similar to other allergic reactions.
If someone in your family has chronic eczema or lifelong allergies such as asthma, hay fever or food intolerances, it’s more likely that your child will, too.
The severity and duration of the eczema will depend on your baby’s particular genes.
It could end up being a chronic condition into adolescence, or it could subside by the time your baby starts school.
It’s possible for babies to ‘outgrow’ eczema within the first few years of life if it’s not too severe and controlled properly.
Though it can be stressful to not know for sure how your baby’s eczema will develop, there’s always a good chance it’ll get better with age as their immune system improves.
According to an article in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment, eczema affects 30% of 4 year olds, 11-20% of children, and 5-10% of adults in the UK.
It’s less common for the condition to continue into adulthood, and it often subsides with age.
However, eczema doesn’t just go away by itself.
Environmental irritants will continue to cause flare-ups if you don’t avoid them, and symptoms can get worse and even result in skin infections if eczema is left untreated.
There’s no cure for eczema, so it’s important to manage flare-ups properly with the appropriate treatments.
This includes things like avoiding harsh soaps and detergents and moisturising regularly.
Even babies and children who experience eczema remission will still have sensitive skin for the rest of their life, and should continue to avoid irritants.
How long do eczema symptoms last?
There are three common stages of eczema:
- Chronic – lifelong occasional flare-ups, may improve with age
- Acute – short-term eczema resulting from contact with an irritant, heals in a few weeks
- Subacute – healing phase which can flare up again if unmanaged
If eczema is triggered by an irritant, it can take 2-4 weeks to heal with treatment.
This is because the regenerative cycle of skin cells takes at least 14-28 days, which can be faster in babies but takes longer the older you get.
The symptoms will continue as long as your baby is exposed to the irritant, so you’ll need to identify eczema triggers and reduce your baby’s exposure to them.
It can take some time to figure out what’s causing your baby’s skin to flare up, but it’s useful to write a diary to keep track of things.
Establishing a skin-repair routine is vital in helping your baby’s eczema improve and reducing their discomfort.
This includes removing triggers from your baby’s environment and applying moisturiser to the affected areas multiple times a day.
If the skin is particularly inflamed, you might need a stronger hydrocortisone cream that you can get over the counter or preferably from your GP.
It’s important to prevent your baby from scratching eczema, because damaged skin will take even longer to heal and is susceptible to infection.
One way to soothe your baby’s eczema and prevent them from itching is with clothing such as HappySkin®, which are coated in a specially formulated technology that prompts the skin to repair and self-heal.
HappySkin® baby clothes are an affordable and effective way of managing your baby’s eczema throughout the day and night.
Designed to bring them comfort
For maximum comfort, the garments include off-set, flat seams to ensure minimal irritation.
Healthy skin is HappySkin®
HappySkin is a range of base layer clothing, which are designed to be worn next to the skin.
Protection for your little ones
HappySkin forms a next-to-skin barrier to provide protection against skin irritants often found in washing detergents, which can lead to further irritation.
HappySkin® baby clothes are an affordable and effective way of managing your baby’s eczema throughout the day and night.
The proprietary technology coating used in HappySkin® clothes is the same technology approved by the NHS and prescribed by dermatologists for the treatment of eczema and is now available to the public under the HappySkin® brand.
This is less time consuming and so much more practical and comfortable for your child than trying to use wet wraps or applying thick oily creams several times a day all over an unhappy baby.
If you find that your baby’s eczema isn’t clearing up even with consistent treatment, or if your baby’s skin shows signs of infection, you should take them to the doctor.
Your family doctor may be able to prescribe stronger treatments or refer you to a dermatologist for a long-term treatment plan.
The better you treat your baby’s skin, the more resilient it will become, and the more likely it is that your baby’s eczema will lessen as they grow up.
