Atopic dermatitis in adults: 10 rules to feel better

What detergents to use for washing? Is it possible to practice sports? And sunbathing? Can I keep a dog indoors? Here are the tips for adults with atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, linked to a genetic predisposition, which mainly affects children in the first ten years of life and which is recognized by the appearance of areas of reddened skin, thickened and flaky patches, sometimes accompanied by vesicles, cuts and crusts.

These symptoms are not always present, but appear during the acute phases of the disease, when unfavorable environmental or internal factors are added to genetic factors. In pediatric age, the manifestations are localized mainly at the level of the head, forehead and face in younger children, moving in the folds of the elbows, behind the knees, in the area of wrists, feet and ankles in larger ones.

Those who suffered from atopic dermatitis in childhood usually experience a substantial improvement in symptoms during adolescence and transition to adulthood, often up to complete remission.

In many cases, however, despite the passing of the years, the skin continues to remain sensitive and reactive; In addition, in a minority of people, the disease can first manifest itself after the age of 20-30. In these cases, the skin lesions are mainly localized at the level of the face, neck, shoulders and trunk, and may appear as patches covered with vesicles that can break and form crusts intense chronic itching (itching) or as areas of inflamed, scaly and itchy skin around the eyes, nose and mouth At any age, for an effective prevention of more or less relevant discomforts, It is essential to ensure constant hydration and nourishment of the epidermis, respect its balance and reduce its exposure to environmental factors that could stress it negatively.

Here is described in summary in the following table (and in more detail in the following paragraphs) all the precautions to be taken and the behaviors to be avoided by adults with atopic dermatitis.

One or two washes a day

Proper daily hygiene is the cornerstone of the well-being of the epidermis with a predisposition to atopy. Both in summer and winter, the number of washes must be balanced in relation to the activities carried out and individual needs, but never excessive. Typically, 1-2 washes per day is enough.

Warm water and after emollient

Whether you opt for a bath or a shower, the water should be lukewarm, around 32-34 ° C to avoid dehydrating the skin and promoting itching, and the duration of washing limited to no more than 10-15 minutes, especially if the water is very hard.
To mitigate the sensitizing action of limescale it is advisable to add an emollient to the bath water and turn off the shower jet while washing.

Better soaps not soaps

The use of a mild cleanser is essential not to destabilize the dermoepidermal balance and not to promote exacerbations of inflammatory disease. In particular, for atopic skin, hypoallergenic non-soap solutions and breads with a slightly acidic pH (5.5-6.0) should be preferred, which respect the hydrolipidic microfilm, while ensuring deep cleaning.

Massages yes, scrub no

After diluting a small amount of detergent in water, the skin should be massaged with the hands, undoubtedly softer and much less irritating than any type of sponge and gloves. Absolutely contraindicated: scrubs, gels with microgranules and exfoliating products, which damage the skin barrier and promote sensitization of the epidermis (not only in adults with atopic dermatitis).

Dry carefully

The epidermis should be dried gently, dabbing with soft cloths or sponges (better to avoid linen and honeycomb fabrics, always a little rough), possibly rehydrated by vaporizing thermal waters and regularly nourished with a cream or an emollient fluid, to prevent the appearance of skin dryness and itching and to promote the restoration of the skin barrier.

A nice shower after sports

Those who practice sports should know that sweating has an irritating action on the skin. So, after physical activity a shower is always a must and should not be postponed, if you do not want to promote inflammation of the atopic skin. Much better, therefore, a quick wash in the gym, even with warm or fresh water, instead of waiting to get home.

The same applies after a swim in the pool or in the sea, given the well-known sensitization induced by chlorine or salt present in the water, when they remain in contact with the epidermis for too long, also facilitating the onset of dry skin.

In summer light and soft clothing

While practicing sports and during common daily activities, to avoid excessive sweating and the consequent sensitization of the skin, soft clothing in natural, absorbent and breathable fibers should be worn.

The ideal is to dress “onion” in order to easily modulate the level of coverage according to variations in body temperature and external temperature.

Avoid in every season: synthetic fibers, rough or raw materials, dark colors (potential cause of allergic reactions), clothing with seams, hard edges, labels, buttons and zips in direct contact with the skin.

Under the sun, yes, but with the right filter

Sweating aside, in summer children and adults with atopic dermatitis tend to feel better, either because of the more comfortable temperature or because UV rays reduce the reactivity of the local immune system and, therefore, the sensitivity and reactivity of the skin.

An advantage that is obtained, however, only if you expose yourself to the sun in moderation and protect the epidermis with clinically tested sun products suitable for your skin type. The risk, otherwise, is to replace the discomfort of atopic dermatitis with that of erythema and sunburn immediately and with a significant increase in the risk of developing melanoma and other skin cancers over the years.

An important aspect to consider is that sun exposure should be avoided during periods of treatment with corticosteroids (cortisone and derivatives), regardless of whether they are applied topically to skin lesions (in the form of cream) or taken by mouth (tablets). These drugs, in fact, increase the sensitivity of the skin and accentuate the risk of erythema, sunburn and other side effects. The same caution should be maintained for 5-7 days after discontinuation of corticosteroid treatment.

Nutrients that help

The health of the skin, like that of the whole body, is influenced by what you eat and the level of hydration. An unbalanced diet, too rich in fatty foods, fried, refined sugars and salt tends to increase the inflammatory state of the body, while a healthy diet, based mainly on fruits, vegetables, cereals and fish provides quality nutrients, vitamins, antioxidant elements and essential fatty acids (omega 3), which support the proper metabolic functioning and balance of the immune system.

Those suffering from atopic dermatitis, therefore, must also pay attention to what they put on the table. Equally important is to take sufficient amounts of water every day (1.5-2 liters), because the skin moisturizes especially from the inside and drinking too little strongly promotes skin dryness, flaking and itching.

To help improve skin balance, in any season, you can also use specific probiotic products to be taken by mouth: their favorable action on the intestinal microflora, indirectly modulating the activity of the immune system throughout the body, including the epidermis, could help prevent atopic manifestations and / or reduce the severity of skin lesions (inflamed patches, redness and dryness of skin, thickening, peeling, intense itching, etc.).

At home, lots of daily hygiene

Especially if atopy is linked to an allergic form, even very mild, in addition to that of the epidermis, attention must be paid to home hygiene: a real concentrate of allergens and sensitized substances.

Essential: regularly remove dust and mold (main triggers of allergies inside the home), ventilate the rooms several times a day (avoiding the central hours of the day during periods of pollination of plants at risk) and avoid hosting animals with hair in the environments where you live.