Asteatotic eczema is a form of eczema that appears cracked, irregular and dry. This type of eczema appears mostly on the area just below your knee. It is more commonly found on older people. Another area that can be affected is usually the hands. Some medical professionals have described Asteatotic eczema as cracked porcelain, and this description does appear to be appropriate. Your skin can bleed because of the tension building up in the epidermis as it extracts water. It is very unwise to scratch the affected area even if the itching seems unbearable. Scratching may temporarily alleviate the itching but the damage caused by your nails will result in more severe bleeding and damage to the skin.

Asteatotic eczema does feature more prominently during the winter months. This is because of the decreased humidity in your house due to your central heating system. By removing humidity your skin may have trouble attracting moisture. Winter, therefore, is a bad period for people who are affected by this type of eczema. Keeping your skin moisturised and possibly buying a humidifier are good actions to take. Make sure you buy a humidifier that has sufficient capacity to handle the volume of your room. It is advised to place the humidifier in the room you spend most of your day in. Humidity levels of between 40% and 60% are healthy for your body, and also your furniture.

Asteatotic eczema can reoccur even if the condition seems to have disappeared, especially in dry winter months. Make sure that if you have been affected by this skin condition in the past that you prepare well before the dry winter season, this will ease the effects somewhat.

Men aged 60 and older are the most common group of people who develop Asteatotic eczema. This is not to say that young people are excluded completely, however the chances are much smaller.

If untreated the skin can become extremely red and fragile. You must contact a dermatologist if you see a worsening of the skin quality. If treated in time the condition can be neutralised to an extent. Your doctor will ask you several questions to determine if your skin condition is actually Asteatotic eczema. This includes questions about products you use, your location, your overall health and past skin conditions. If you wish to read more about this form of eczema then go to your local library and look for books on eczema, or Asteatotic eczema. The latter is also known as “eczema cracquelée“, and “Asteatotic dermatitis”.