Welcome to another Canberra winter! The sky is a piercing blue, the wind is cold and your skin is itchy and red.

Eczema is a term used to describe a family of skin disorders characterised by redness and inflammation, itch, and flaky skin. There are many different types of eczema (or dermatitis, the names are used interchangeably), but these aggravating symptoms are common to most of them.

And Canberra is a tough town in which to be a sufferer. This is because Canberra winters are usually very beautiful, very cold and very dry. This combination of low temperature and low humidity can be a real trigger for people’s skin.

That’s not to say that it effects everyone in the same manner; eczema flares have been linked to a wide variety of dietary and environmental cues, but every case is different and every person has a unique presentation and experience of this disease.

What can be said about eczema treatments in general is to do with diet. Basically, when a person is suffering from a disease like eczema it is essential that they eat a diet that is appropriate for the state of their health. That is, when your skin is flaring it is vital that you don’t add to the problem by eating foods that can cause further inflammation while maximising your intake of healthy and nutrient-rich foods.

The treatment regime we employ at the Healthy Skin Clinic is based around identifying an individual’s eczema triggers and then devising strategies that allow the patient to minimise their risk of further flare-ups. This approach has proven successful in thousands of patients and allowed them to live itch and aggravation free!