Online Eczema Treatment
Start an eczema consultation now. A board-certified doctor reviews photos of your rash and your symptom history, then sends a prescription cream or oral medication to your pharmacy the same day when treatment is medically appropriate.
Available 24/7 for a first flare-up, a patch that is not settling on drugstore hydrocortisone, or a repeat prescription you have run out of.
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Hi I’m Dr. Nicole. How may I help you?
Hi Dr. Nicole, I have dry, itchy patches on the elbows and knees. Can you please help?
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Our online doctors can help you with your medical issues and give you prescriptions.
Prescription
- Hydrocortisone 1% Ointment
- Apply to the affected area once a day in the morning for a maximum of 4 weeks.
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What are the virtual treatment options for eczema?
Online eczema treatment covers everything a first visit for a flare-up would cover, apart from a hands-on skin exam. Your doctor may recommend:
- A daily skincare routine: Use a moisturizer twice a day, preferably within three minutes after a lukewarm shower or bath.
- A steroid cream: A topical corticosteroid can help calm an active flare-up. Apply it before your moisturizer.
- A non-steroid cream: Medicines such as tacrolimus or pimecrolimus may be used on sensitive areas such as the face, armpits, and groin.
- An antihistamine: Your doctor may recommend one if severe itching is keeping you uncomfortable.
- An antibiotic: If the eczema looks infected, such as when the skin is oozing or covered with crusts, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic.
- Trigger advice: Your doctor can help you identify things that may be making your eczema worse, such as soaps, detergents, wool, dust, dry air, or stress.
Where a topical or oral medicine is appropriate, we can provide an online prescription and send it to the pharmacy of your choice. Skin that stays severe on topical treatment needs in-person care for phototherapy, a biologic such as dupilumab, or other systemic medicines.
What eczema medications can we prescribe online?
Topical steroid
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Topical steroid
Learn More Non-steroid cream
Learn More Non-steroid cream
Learn More Antihistamine
Learn More Antibiotic
Learn More What is eczema?
Eczema is a long-term skin condition that causes dry, itchy, and irritated skin. The symptoms can come and go, with periods when the skin gets worse called flare-ups. People with eczema have a weaker skin barrier, so their skin loses moisture more easily and can become irritated. Eczema is sometimes called “the itch that rashes” because the itching may start before the rash appears.
What are the symptoms of eczema?
Eczema symptoms include:
- Rash on swollen skin that varies in color depending on your skin color
- Small, raised bumps on brown or black skin
- Raw, sensitive skin from scratching
- Oozing and crusting
- Dry, cracked skin
- Thickened skin
- Itching
In children under two, the rash often starts on the face, scalp, hands, and feet. In older children and adults, it is more often on the inside of the knees and elbows, and in adults, it can be limited to the hands, eyelids, or genitals.
What causes eczema?
Eczema develops from a mix of genetic and environmental factors that affect how the skin barrier and immune system work. It is not caused by an allergy, although people with eczema often have allergies too. Common factors include:
- Family history: a child with one parent who has an atopic condition has a greater than 50% chance of developing one, rising to as much as 80% when both parents are affected
- Skin barrier genes: loss-of-function changes in filaggrin, the protein that keeps water in the skin, are found in up to 30% of people with atopic dermatitis
- An overactive immune response in the skin, which also lowers its natural defenses and lets Staphylococcus aureus take hold in more than 90% of patients
- Other atopic conditions: eczema sits in the atopic triad with asthma and allergic rhinitis
Separate from the causes are the triggers that set off a flare: pollen, mold, dust mites, pets, cold, dry winter air, colds and flu, harsh soaps and detergents, wool, long hot showers, sweating, sudden changes in temperature, and emotional stress.
How do you treat an eczema flare-up?
A flare is treated in a set order, and most of it happens at home once you have the right prescription.
- Put the topical corticosteroid on first and the emollient over it, so the steroid is not diluted.
- Use a potency strong enough to settle the flare promptly, then taper to every other day and finally to twice a week on the areas that keep flaring.
- Moisturize twice a day, within three minutes of a lukewarm shower or bath, and choose an ointment over a cream or lotion on cracked skin.
- Keep nails short and cover the skin at night if scratching in your sleep is keeping the rash open.
- Take an oral antihistamine if the itch is severe.
- Cut out what set it off: strong soap, wool, a hot bath, or a new detergent.
Contact a doctor if the flare does not improve with home care, worsens with treatment, or you see signs of infection, such as fever, spreading redness, or pain. Eczema that covers a large area or keeps returning despite treatment is a reason to be assessed for stronger options.
FAQs about eczema treatment online
What is the best medication for severe eczema?
There is no single best medicine. When topical treatment is not enough, severe eczema is managed with phototherapy, a biologic injection such as dupilumab, or a systemic immunosuppressant such as cyclosporine, methotrexate, azathioprine, or mycophenolate mofetil. Those systemic options need in-person monitoring, so an online visit is the route to a topical plan and a referral rather than to those drugs.
What can cure eczema completely?
Nothing cures eczema. It is a long-term inflammatory skin condition, so treatment aims at settling a flare and keeping the skin barrier in good shape between flares. A topical corticosteroid is the first-line way to bring an active flare down quickly, and daily moisturizing is what keeps the next one further away.
What can I use for eczema while pregnant?
Ask your doctor before you start anything. Fragrance-free moisturizers and gentle cleansers are the safe base at any stage. A mild topical corticosteroid is usually the next step, and your doctor picks the strength and the length of the course with the pregnancy in mind.
Can you do telehealth for eczema?
Telehealth visits to online doctors can be beneficial for long-term eczema management. They offer convenience and accessibility in monitoring and treating the condition remotely with the availability to get prescriptions delivered to your preferred pharmacy without waiting hours in the queue.
How do I get prescribed eczema cream?
Message a board-certified doctor, describe the rash, and send photos of the affected skin. If a prescription is medically appropriate, the cream goes to the pharmacy you name, usually the same day.
What makes eczema worse in babies?
A baby's eczema gets worse with harsh detergents, woolen clothing, getting too hot, dry indoor air, dust and pet dander, and stress. Foods can play a part in very young children, but check with your doctor before you cut anything out. Eczema also runs in families alongside asthma and hay fever, which does not trigger a flare but does make one more likely.
What triggers eczema on the face?
Harsh soaps and cleansers, fragranced skin products, cold dry air, wool scarves, and stress are the common triggers on the face. Facial skin is thin, so this is where a doctor is most likely to reach for a non-steroid cream such as tacrolimus or pimecrolimus instead of a strong steroid.
What does eczema look like?
Eczema looks like a rash and can vary in color and intensity from purple, red, brown, or gray. It varies according to their skin tone and the intensity of the marks on the skin.
What is the most effective medicine for eczema?
Corticosteroids like hydrocortisone 2.5% and triamcinolone 0.1% are anti-inflammatory medications, effective in relieving eczema symptoms. By suppressing immune cell activity, corticosteroids interrupt the inflammatory process, providing relief from itching, redness, and swelling associated with eczema and dermatitis.
Is it bad to leave eczema untreated?
Eczema symptoms can occur at any age and may persist without proper treatment. Untreated eczema can lead to complications such as additional skin issues, mental health concerns, and sleep disturbances. It's essential to seek medical attention to manage eczema effectively and prevent potential complications.
What kind of doctor is best for eczema?
Most eczema is diagnosed and treated by a family doctor or a board-certified online doctor, who can prescribe the creams and oral medicines that settle a flare. Skin that stays severe despite topical treatment is referred on for specialist care.
When should I get checked for eczema?
You should seek medical attention if your eczema symptoms persist despite using over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams for a week. Additionally, if you notice the formation of crusts or pus-filled blisters over existing eczema patches or have been exposed to individuals with viral skin diseases during an eczema flare-up, consulting a healthcare professional is recommended for proper evaluation and treatment.
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