Actresses Tia Mowry and Kerry Washington have this in common
By Roberta Cannon, RN
Their skin always looks perfect on TV, but what you may not know is that actresses Tia Mowry and Kerry Washington have suffered from a troublesome skin condition called eczema. In an interview with People Magazine in 2020, Mowry talked about being misdiagnosed as a child, and Washington said she had severe eczema growing up.
Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, affects an estimated 35 million Americans, according to a 2020 study published in Science Daily. The study looked at the link between lipids and bacteria as contributors to this chronic skin condition.
The researchers noted that when the skin is intact in normal, healthy conditions, bacteria do not penetrate the skin barrier. However, when there is a depletion of lipids on the skin, as with atopic dermatitis/eczema, the skin tissue becomes more vulnerable to bacterial infection.
They concluded that lipids are the protection that prevents bacteria and other microorganisms from penetrating underlying skin tissue and causing infection. They also surmised that bacteria could cause eczema and not be the result of the disease.
“The skin is made up of an outside layer of skin like a brick and mortar situation,” said Elizabeth Tocci, MD, a dermatologist with Cape Cod Dermatology. “The bricks are extra cells on the skin called corneocytes, and the mortar is protein and lipids that keep all the cells intact. When the lipids and proteins are abnormal, the mortar is leaky. As a result, water inside the skin can leak out, and the skin gets dry. When the skin barrier is no longer intact, allergens such as chemicals, pet dander, pollen, and soaps can contribute to eczema. Bacteria can enter the skin, and extra staph on the skin can contribute also and make eczema worse.”
Who is at Risk of Developing Eczema?
“Anyone can develop eczema,” said Dr. Tocci. “You can have a genetic predisposition with certain proteins in your skin that are sometimes faulty. The protein, filaggrin, protects the skin, but when it is faulty, it can cause the skin to break down. You can also develop eczema by over-washing your hands.”
The Science Daily study noted that healthcare workers, hairdressers, metal workers, and food processing workers are more prone to eczema because of increased handwashing and contact with detergents related to their jobs.
Steps to Diagnosing Eczema
Dr. Tocci explained the steps involved in making a diagnosis:
“The most important thing about eczema is keeping the skin barrier intact, and you can do this by using a good moisturizer once or twice a day,” said Dr. Tocci. “This is true for everyone, whether it be children or adults. A good thick cream or ointment that is hypoallergenic and fragrance-free once or twice a day over your entire body will help keep the skin barrier intact and prevent outside irritants from the environment from getting into the rash on your skin. Hands should be moisturized after every washing. This will keep the moisture and water in your skin while keeping it hydrated.”
Some of the creams and moisturizers Dr. Tocci recommends are Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream, Excipial Hand Cream, Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Cream, Cerave Moisturizing Cream, Eucerin Eczema Cream, Aveeno Eczema Cream or ointment.
“The oldest treatment and the mainstay of our treatment is a topical steroid ointment once or twice a day for the stubborn areas,” said Dr. Tocci. “Eczema is essentially inflammation, so the steroid calms the inflammation down. There are injectable and oral medications, but these can have serious side effects, so the benefits must outweigh the risks for me to prescribe one of these.”
Although not a treatment, she recommends avoiding anything with a fragrance, such as soaps, laundry detergent, and chemicals. Anything you have contact with in these areas should be hypoallergenic, said Dr. Tocci.
A Couple of Myths about Eczema
Dr. Tocci noted the following myths and truths:
Myth: You can get eczema from the food you eat.
Truth: This is very rarely the case. It can sometimes be associated with foods that children eat because they may be allergic to them. Environmental factors and dry skin can trigger eczema.
Myth: Allergy testing is necessary.
Truth: Allergy testing is usually not necessary because eczema is not usually associated with the food you eat. Sometimes a specific type of allergy testing called patch testing can be helpful to determine if something you are coming into contact with is causing the eczema.
Originally published on Cape Cod Health News, June 27, 2023
Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, affects an estimated 35 million Americans, according to a 2020 study published in Science Daily. The study looked at the link between lipids and bacteria as contributors to this chronic skin condition.
The researchers noted that when the skin is intact in normal, healthy conditions, bacteria do not penetrate the skin barrier. However, when there is a depletion of lipids on the skin, as with atopic dermatitis/eczema, the skin tissue becomes more vulnerable to bacterial infection.
They concluded that lipids are the protection that prevents bacteria and other microorganisms from penetrating underlying skin tissue and causing infection. They also surmised that bacteria could cause eczema and not be the result of the disease.
“The skin is made up of an outside layer of skin like a brick and mortar situation,” said Elizabeth Tocci, MD, a dermatologist with Cape Cod Dermatology. “The bricks are extra cells on the skin called corneocytes, and the mortar is protein and lipids that keep all the cells intact. When the lipids and proteins are abnormal, the mortar is leaky. As a result, water inside the skin can leak out, and the skin gets dry. When the skin barrier is no longer intact, allergens such as chemicals, pet dander, pollen, and soaps can contribute to eczema. Bacteria can enter the skin, and extra staph on the skin can contribute also and make eczema worse.”
Who is at Risk of Developing Eczema?
“Anyone can develop eczema,” said Dr. Tocci. “You can have a genetic predisposition with certain proteins in your skin that are sometimes faulty. The protein, filaggrin, protects the skin, but when it is faulty, it can cause the skin to break down. You can also develop eczema by over-washing your hands.”
The Science Daily study noted that healthcare workers, hairdressers, metal workers, and food processing workers are more prone to eczema because of increased handwashing and contact with detergents related to their jobs.
Steps to Diagnosing Eczema
Dr. Tocci explained the steps involved in making a diagnosis:
- Presentation: Is the skin itchy, looks eczematous, red, scaly, and sometimes with little blisters?
- Irritants: What substances, chemicals, allergens, and irritants have they come in contact with?
- Job History: What does the patient do for work?
- Medical history: Did they have eczema as a child that went away and then came back?
- More lab work: A skin biopsy is often done, if the diagnosis is still unclear
“The most important thing about eczema is keeping the skin barrier intact, and you can do this by using a good moisturizer once or twice a day,” said Dr. Tocci. “This is true for everyone, whether it be children or adults. A good thick cream or ointment that is hypoallergenic and fragrance-free once or twice a day over your entire body will help keep the skin barrier intact and prevent outside irritants from the environment from getting into the rash on your skin. Hands should be moisturized after every washing. This will keep the moisture and water in your skin while keeping it hydrated.”
Some of the creams and moisturizers Dr. Tocci recommends are Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream, Excipial Hand Cream, Eucerin Advanced Repair Hand Cream, Cerave Moisturizing Cream, Eucerin Eczema Cream, Aveeno Eczema Cream or ointment.
“The oldest treatment and the mainstay of our treatment is a topical steroid ointment once or twice a day for the stubborn areas,” said Dr. Tocci. “Eczema is essentially inflammation, so the steroid calms the inflammation down. There are injectable and oral medications, but these can have serious side effects, so the benefits must outweigh the risks for me to prescribe one of these.”
Although not a treatment, she recommends avoiding anything with a fragrance, such as soaps, laundry detergent, and chemicals. Anything you have contact with in these areas should be hypoallergenic, said Dr. Tocci.
A Couple of Myths about Eczema
Dr. Tocci noted the following myths and truths:
Myth: You can get eczema from the food you eat.
Truth: This is very rarely the case. It can sometimes be associated with foods that children eat because they may be allergic to them. Environmental factors and dry skin can trigger eczema.
Myth: Allergy testing is necessary.
Truth: Allergy testing is usually not necessary because eczema is not usually associated with the food you eat. Sometimes a specific type of allergy testing called patch testing can be helpful to determine if something you are coming into contact with is causing the eczema.
Originally published on Cape Cod Health News, June 27, 2023