Eczema: what is wet-wrapping?

Wet-wrapping offers soothing relief from moderate to severe acute eczema. It is not recommended for mild atopic eczema, and should only be used according to medical advice. This technique, used in hospitals, can also be applied at home.

For more severe forms of eczema, cortisone creams are sometimes applied under a “dressing” for several hours to promote better skin absorption.
A cortisone cream alone, or a mix of cortisone cream and emollient, is applied to the body then covered in a wet material, dampened with hot water. For the material, you can use either bandages or cotton clothing.

This wet material is then covered with a second layer of dry material (another bandage or item of clothing) to keep the water from evaporating or to prevent the sheets or surroundings from getting wet.

1. Shower, then dry off by dabbing with a towel, without rubbing;              
2. Apply your creams (usually a mix of emollient and topical corticosteroid) onto dry and damaged skin;
3. Wrap in two layers of cotton clothing, a stretch jersey or bandages (one wet layer, one dry). 

In some cases, an entire tube of topical corticosteroids is needed for the first application. But don’t worry: the amount of cortisone in a tube of cream is less than that ingested in a single 20 mg tablet! Plus, very little cortisone is actually absorbed into the skin when applied topically, with most staying on the surface to combat inflammation. This means you have no risk of developing the side effects observed with oral cortisone treatments.

This treatment is very effective. Symptoms often subside within a week, or sometimes sooner: you will know it works when the smile returns to your child’s face and their well-being is restored. Feel free to follow up with your doctor after a week of treatment...