Bleach treatment for eczema? Yes I have heard it all. I actually see many websites
recommending this treatment as an alternative home remedy for eczema.
As a mother, I always ask myself about the side effects of any products we use in our bodies either orally or topically.
One alternative I would NOT recommend to any mothers out there, who like me have a child that is suffering from eczema, is bathing your little one with a small amount of bleach. Many say it's a cheap home solution that helps heal eczema.
The recommendation is to use the bleach treatment for eczema two to three times a week because many doctors like Pediatric dermatologist Amy Paller, MD, say it helps clear the outbreak and also kills the bacteria in children with moderate to severe eczema.
Dr. Paller along with some colleagues from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine conducted a research on bleach baths taken twice a week amongst children age 6 months to 17 years with promising results.
In all honesty, I wanted to try it when I first found out about it because many mothers and doctors said it worked effectively. Then I learnt about the side effects and dangers of bleach, even when you use it in small amounts.
Making a bleach bath is not hard at all as all you have to do is add half cup of household bleach to a tub full of water. It's better to use water that is room temperature than hot water because it can further irritate the skin.
A friend of mine tried this method and explained to me: "To make sure the bleach is evenly spread in the water, slowly mix the bleach into the water. Before I let my child soak into the water, I always make sure to remind him not to drink the water and avoid getting the water in his eyes and face, because as we know it bleach is a dangerous chemical. I let my child soak in the bleach bath for about ten minutes and pat him dry after soaking."
She of course cautioned me about the treatment by saying : "Some important reminders when using a bleach treatment for eczema is to make sure that it's done with close supervision. I never leave my child alone when bathing in a bleach bath to make sure he is safe and doesn't drink the water."
The bleach bath works best for my friend when her son's skin is inflamed with moderate or severe eczema.
I could not bring myself to bathe my son with bleach so I decided to consult my pediatrician to ask her why bleach is effective in treating eczema. My son's doctor pointed out that eczema often comes with Staphylococcus aureus or straph infection.
Staphylococcus aureus or commonly called staph is a bacteria that affects the skin and causes it to be itchy as well as rashy. Anti-bacterial medicines can get rid of the staph infection and so does household bleach.
More serious consequences appear on people who got bleach in their eyes, even in small amounts. It is a powerful irritant and if you don't wash it quickly and thoroughly it can cause loss of vision in extreme cases and in mild cases some tissue damage.
Many mothers find the bleach treatment better than loading their child with anti-bacterial medicines which have numerous side effects.
Mothers also argue that a bleach treatment for eczema is cheap and also cleans their tubs but I always think it is not worth putting your kid to use a dangerous chemical that can cause more harm than good.
As a mother, I always ask myself about the side effects of any products we use in our bodies either orally or topically.
One alternative I would NOT recommend to any mothers out there, who like me have a child that is suffering from eczema, is bathing your little one with a small amount of bleach. Many say it's a cheap home solution that helps heal eczema.
The recommendation is to use the bleach treatment for eczema two to three times a week because many doctors like Pediatric dermatologist Amy Paller, MD, say it helps clear the outbreak and also kills the bacteria in children with moderate to severe eczema.
Dr. Paller along with some colleagues from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine conducted a research on bleach baths taken twice a week amongst children age 6 months to 17 years with promising results.
In all honesty, I wanted to try it when I first found out about it because many mothers and doctors said it worked effectively. Then I learnt about the side effects and dangers of bleach, even when you use it in small amounts.
Making a bleach bath is not hard at all as all you have to do is add half cup of household bleach to a tub full of water. It's better to use water that is room temperature than hot water because it can further irritate the skin.
A friend of mine tried this method and explained to me: "To make sure the bleach is evenly spread in the water, slowly mix the bleach into the water. Before I let my child soak into the water, I always make sure to remind him not to drink the water and avoid getting the water in his eyes and face, because as we know it bleach is a dangerous chemical. I let my child soak in the bleach bath for about ten minutes and pat him dry after soaking."
She of course cautioned me about the treatment by saying : "Some important reminders when using a bleach treatment for eczema is to make sure that it's done with close supervision. I never leave my child alone when bathing in a bleach bath to make sure he is safe and doesn't drink the water."
The bleach bath works best for my friend when her son's skin is inflamed with moderate or severe eczema.
I could not bring myself to bathe my son with bleach so I decided to consult my pediatrician to ask her why bleach is effective in treating eczema. My son's doctor pointed out that eczema often comes with Staphylococcus aureus or straph infection.
Staphylococcus aureus or commonly called staph is a bacteria that affects the skin and causes it to be itchy as well as rashy. Anti-bacterial medicines can get rid of the staph infection and so does household bleach.
Danger of Using Bleach Treatment for Eczema
If your skin touches bleach and you wash immediately and thoroughly there will be no harm. Also, the more diluted the bleach the less harm to the skin, but according to the CRC Handbook of Laboratory Safety written by A. Keith Furr, Clorine can burn, itch and cause other kinds of irritations and in some cases tissue damage if you leave it on the skin.More serious consequences appear on people who got bleach in their eyes, even in small amounts. It is a powerful irritant and if you don't wash it quickly and thoroughly it can cause loss of vision in extreme cases and in mild cases some tissue damage.
Many mothers find the bleach treatment better than loading their child with anti-bacterial medicines which have numerous side effects.
Mothers also argue that a bleach treatment for eczema is cheap and also cleans their tubs but I always think it is not worth putting your kid to use a dangerous chemical that can cause more harm than good.
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