Atopic basically refers to a group of diseases with an inherited tendency to develop other allergic condition like asthma or hay fever. Dermatitis generally refers to skin irritations. This disease is common in young children and infants, but usually disappears after about the baby s second year. Some people, however, bring it with them till adulthood and suffer throughout their lives. This can be seen at various body parts including the cheeks, elbows and knees. The problem can be experienced by both adults and children, but this is likely to develop during infancy and by the time the child reaches the age of five. It is said that about 10 to 20 percent of all kids will likely develop this kind of skin problem. 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. Moisturizers give moisture to the skin (myth) Many people believed that moisturizers add moisture to the skin and can be applied at any convenient time. Dermatologists advise eczema sufferers to apply moisturizers within 3 minutes right after bathing to lock in the moisture in the skin. The patients are also advised to continue applying moisturizers throughout the day in dry areas of the body. ) 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). Irritants are however harder to control because these can be anything you encounter in your daily life. Usually, irritants are chemicals that your skin reacts to like strong soaps and detergents, paints, shampoo. If you notice that your skin gets rashes when you use a particular item, refrain from using that immediately.