Eczema healing strategies

Below are some tips to jumpstart healing at home, but for complete healing, please make an appointment with Dr. Gaffney.

• Avoid use of topical steroids and immune suppressant drugs
• Get DNA map stool testing to look for GI infections, available on mymedlab.com
• Don’t bother w/IgG food sensitivity testing, elimination diets or super restrictive diets
• Do cut out the inflammatory foods: sugar, alcohol, processed foods, canola oil & corn syrup
• Focus on including ample amounts of healthy foods, protein and fiber, wide variety of fresh fruits and veggies
• Combat environmental dryness – lots of water w/electrolytes, humidifier running by bed at night, moisturize frequently with thick cream (I prefer the brand “Untoxicated”)
• If hands are affected, moisturize and wear cotton gloves at night
• Remove products with fragrance especially soaps, lotions, cleaning products, & laundry detergent, for soap I like the herbal wash “Soothing Bath & Shower Oil” by Dermatology M
• Don’t use very hot water to wash hands, bathe, or shower
• Avoid medicines and foods with dyes – check labels
• Occasional heavy metal detox using Zeolite
• Avoid Tylenol and acid blocking drugs as these are known eczema triggers
• Use hypochlorous acid spray on eczema areas to control staph overgrowth (common w/eczema)
• Add some of the best eczema supplements: omegas, zinc, vitamin D, L-histadine
• Do whatever you can to reduce stress or increase relaxing activities
• Schedule a consult w/Dr. Katie Gaffney, OMD for a custom Chinese herbal formula and comprehensive lab work with a functional medicine perspective