About 2.5 million French people suffer from eczema. This chronic skin disease (which affects nearly 6% of women and 3% of men in France) comes in 3 main forms:
- L’atopic eczema (or atopic dermatitis) is caused by a genetic abnormality of the skin barrier. It is characterized by very dry skin that is particularly vulnerable to external aggressions (to allergens, in particular). Atopic eczema evolves through flare-ups or crises that manifest themselves through the appearance of red “patches”, edema, itching…
- L’contact eczema is an allergic reaction that occurs when the skin comes into contact with an allergen – the most common are nickel (in costume jewelry, for example), chromium (in some leather clothing and accessories, for example) and formaldehyde (in some paints and stains, for example). The outbreak of eczema can be local (around the contact area) or generalized (the whole body).
- L’chronic hand eczema (CME) also evolves by outbreaks, localized at the level of the hands: during crises, the hands are red, itchy and can be painful; in periods of calm, the skin of the hands appears very dry.
Eczema is a dermatological disease that has a heavy psychological impact. Thus, according to a survey conducted by the Association Française de l’Eczéma (in February 2018), 25% of patients with moderate eczema and 38% of severe cases say “permanently depressed“. And for good reason: 17% of patients have already suffered discrimination in hiring because of their illness, and 18.3% of patients regularly come up against a still too widespread received idea – that which (wrongly) ) that eczema is a contagious disease…
“During the holidays, a patient who suffers from eczema can thus refuse to put on a bathing suit or swim in a public swimming pool for fear of the gaze of others… and potential teasing.“says Pr. Marie-Aleth Richard, dermatologist.
Thanks to Pr. Marie-Aleth Richard, dermatologist at the Marseille University Hospital.
Thanks to theFrench Eczema Association.
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