Besides identifying the source of the rashes, parents can also help control the problem by keeping the skin of the baby well-moisturized. This helps prevent the dryness of the skin and eventually scaling and lesions. Be careful though when doing this because as mentioned before, some products that have chemical on them can actually cause the flare-ups. Atopic is used to refer to a group of diseases that comes with a tendency to develop other allergic conditions, such as asthma and hay fever. This condition is often inherited. Prevalence Based on the latest findings, atopic eczema is increasing and presently afflicts around 9 to 30% of the population in the U. There are some therapies that can be applied depending on the skin condition of your child. This includes using steroid creams that may start frequently, every other day until it is no longer needed. This can also be applied at certain parts of the body that are not responding to other treatments. It is also possible for your doctor to recommend UV light phototherapy treatment, the use of coal tar lotions and shampoos and the use of cyclosporine to suppress the body s immune system. (Seek out products marked fragrance free. ) There are many metals that can cause allergic reactions all around us nickels (found in jewelry and food including tomatoes, chocolates and nuts), mercury (dental fillings), gold, chromate (for tanning leather) and many others. Other irritants include plants (poison ivy, poison oak), UV light exposure, and perspiration (combined with metals). Usually, these forms are treated with moisturizers and oil to lessen the disadvantages. Those who have dandruff turn to commercial products to solve their problems. But not all types of eczema are harmless. There are some that require medication. One example perhaps is the atopic eczema, which is a very common allergic reaction; the discoid eczema, which often lead to dry rash and lesions; and the venous eczema, which often results to scaling, redness and darkening of the skin because of the scars. They can be an effective carrier for dermatological medications. It soothes inflamed and weeping (oozing liquid) skin. Powder It is a single agent and is usually added to others to make shake lotions and pastes. For eczema, the common powdered medication is zinc oxide. They are used to decrease skin-to-skin friction, and promote drying of sweaty and oozing skin lesions.