What is eczema?
Eczema (also known as dermatitis) is a non-contagious, inflammatory dry skin condition that can affect people from early infancy to old age. The most common form, atopic eczema, affects 1 in 5 children and 1 in 10 adults in the UK.
The skin is often unbearably itchy – the urge to scratch can be irresistible – and during a flare-up it can also be red, cracked, sore and raw. Alongside the painful physical symptoms, many children and adults experience related sleeplessness, anxiety, depression and other mental health problems.
