Emollients and atopic dermatitis: proven benefits
Atopic dermatitis, sometimes called “atopic eczema”, is a chronic, allergic, inflammatory disease of the skin. Its prevalence is increasing and it is the most common skin disease. Although it affects 15 to 20% of babies and usually disappears before the age of four years, it can persist to adolescence, even to adult age in one out of ten cases. The skin is very dry and sensitive, with red plaques, lesions, itching: these are the main symptoms of this disease which manifests in flares. Available treatments aim to eliminate the symptoms and to improve quality of life for those affected. Its cause has not been fully identified but there is a significant genetic component which incorporates other allergies such as asthma and allergic rhinitis. As with asthma and food allergies, excessive hygiene –and therefore reduced exposure of the organism to bacteria–could contribute to an overreaction by the immune system. The first element to be affected is the cutaneous microbiota, whose diversity is impoverished by the disease and whose balance must be restored to optimize treatment.

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