The pattern of atopic dermatitis changes depending on your age. In children, the condition often appears on the head and neck; in adults, it generally appears in the folds of the body (called the antecubital fossa) or the area just by the crook of the elbows, or back of the knees. It can also involve the hands.

Treatment of atopic dermatitis involves avoiding triggers that make the skin drier and itchier, such as perfumed soaps or exposure to wool.

Patients with atopic dermatitis should use moisturizers twice daily. Good skin care is important to decrease the number of bacteria on the skin, and that includes a gentle washing, patting the skin dry, and then putting on the moisturizers to improve that barrier and seal the skin.

There are also prescription and non-prescription topical medicines that can reduce inflammation and itching. Some patients benefit from long-term or short-term steroidal or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. Common medications for atopic dermatitis include methotrexate, cyclosporine and azathioprine.

For severe cases of atopic dermatitis that don’t respond to treatments and/or are interfering with a patient’s ability to sleep or work, more generalized treatments that affect the entire body may help. A special light treatment called phototherapy can decrease the inflammation in the skin.