Prolonged use, even in older children, can cause the thinning of the skin and stretch marks to appear. Prevention is still the best way to manage the problem. Flare-ups can be controlled if eczema is caused by a known allergen or irritant. Simply take out the allergen or irritant and the episode of itchiness will be gone. Risk factors Today, many risk factors related to atopic dermatitis eczema had already been isolated. Foremost is family history. If one or more members of your family had atopic conditions (dermatitis, asthma, hay fever), you have a good chance of developing the same. Pollution-prone places also increase the risk of the illness. What is even more a problem is that it is hard to manage eczema in one so young because of the lack of medicines that has no side effects. Children are more vulnerable to the side effects of drugs and as much as possible, they should not be given anything. This does not mean though that your child should not have been given a medicine for eczema. Studies had shown that when stress strikes, the skin starts to itch. Today, there is a continuing study on the effectiveness of many stress-reduction techniques. Some of the stress-reduction techniques include biotherapy, progressive muscle relaxation, and massages. However, these studies are too small at present and their results, while encouraging, are not sufficient to draw significant conclusions from. They do not only reduce water loss, they also help rebuild the skin. Patients report that they also help calm the burning and the itching. Avoiding allergens prevents flare-ups (myth) Patients complain that if they can identify their allergens, their miseries with eczema would vanish. The rule of thumb would be to simply avoid it. If the allergen (those that cause allergic reactions) cannot be removed (or worse, identified), try to minimize the allergic inflammatory response. Apply some non-prescription steroid creams together with anti-itching lotions. Apply the cream as often as possible until the rash disappears. You can also use cold compresses to dampen the itch.