Chronic Eczema: Why Healing Gets More Difficult Over Time
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The longer eczema persists, the more challenging it becomes to manage and resolve effectively, as outlined below.
Chronic Inflammation Cycle: When eczema persists, the skin remains in a constant state of inflammation. This prolonged inflammatory response not only damages the skin barrier, making it increasingly difficult for the skin to repair itself, but over time, the immune system becomes hyper-reactive, causing more frequent and intense flare-ups.
Skin Barrier Degradation: Long-term eczema progressively weakens the skin's protective barrier (stratum corneum). This barrier normally prevents moisture loss and blocks irritants and allergens. As the barrier becomes more compromised, the skin becomes:
More susceptible to irritants
Less able to retain moisture
More prone to infections
More sensitive to environmental triggers
Dry, red and irritated
Nerve and Immune System Remodeling: Chronic eczema can actually cause neurological and immunological changes:
Nerve endings become more sensitive
Immune cells develop a "memory" of inflammatory responses
The skin becomes more reactive to potential triggers
Microbiome Disruption: Prolonged eczema disrupts the skin's natural microbiome. The balance of beneficial and harmful bacteria becomes altered, which can:
Increase skin inflammation
Reduce natural healing mechanisms
Make the skin more vulnerable to secondary infections (like, bacterial infections)
These cumulative effects make early intervention and consistent management crucial for preventing the progression and entrenchment of eczema. The longer eczema remains untreated, the more complex and challenging it becomes to restore normal skin function.
