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Current board • World Atopic Eczema Day • 14 September 2026 • 6 posters

Atopic Eczema Awareness

Occasion: World Atopic Eczema Day · 14 September 2026. Atopic eczema is a long-term inflammatory skin condition that can affect more than the skin. This board explains how it presents, why it flares, the link with atopy and allergy, common myths, and practical ways to keep it under control.

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World Atopic Eczema Day · 14 September 2026
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Poster 1: World Atopic Eczema Day: more than skin deep
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World Atopic Eczema Day: more than skin deep

Atopic eczema is a long-term inflammatory skin condition that can flare repeatedly and affect daily life beyond the skin.

  • It commonly causes dry, itchy, inflamed skin with repeated flares.
  • “Atopy” means a tendency to develop allergic conditions; some people with eczema also have allergic rhinitis, wheezing or asthma.
  • Itch and flares can disturb sleep, mood, study, work and day-to-day comfort.
  • World Atopic Eczema Day highlights both the visible skin changes and the less visible burden of the condition.
Poster 2: How does atopic eczema look?
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How does atopic eczema look?

It does not look the same in everyone. Itch is often the main symptom, and the appearance can vary with age and skin tone.

  • Skin may feel dry, tight or rough, and itching can be intense or worse at night.
  • Patches may look red, brown, purplish or darker than the surrounding skin depending on skin tone.
  • During flares there may be swelling, tiny blisters, oozing or crusting.
  • Repeated scratching can make the skin thicker, darker and more leathery.
  • Common sites include the cheeks/face/scalp and limbs in babies, elbow or knee folds and neck in older children, and flexures, neck, hands or around the eyes in adults.
Poster 3: Why does it flare again and again?
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Why does it flare again and again?

Repeated flares usually come from a combination of a weaker skin barrier, atopy and individual triggers—not one single cause.

  • When the skin barrier is weak, moisture escapes more easily and irritants can enter the skin, leading to dryness and itch.
  • People with atopy are more likely to react to environmental allergens or irritants.
  • Heat, sweating, harsh soaps, fragrances, dust, dry weather and rough fabrics can trigger flares in some people; triggers vary from person to person.
  • The itch–scratch cycle can keep the problem going: itch leads to scratching, scratching damages the skin further, and that causes more itch.
Poster 4: Skin, nose and lungs: the atopy connection
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Skin, nose and lungs: the atopy connection

Atopy is a tendency to develop allergic conditions, so eczema, allergic rhinitis and asthma can occur in the same person or family.

  • Atopic eczema affects the skin, allergic rhinitis affects the nose, and asthma affects the airways and lungs.
  • A family history of eczema, asthma or allergy can increase the chance of atopic conditions, but it does not mean everyone will develop them.
  • In some children these conditions can appear over time in a pattern sometimes called the “atopic march”.
  • Having eczema does not mean asthma will definitely develop. Early recognition and appropriate care still matter.
Poster 5: Atopic eczema: myths and facts
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Atopic eczema: myths and facts

Good information helps avoid fear, unnecessary restrictions and unsafe treatment.

  • Atopic eczema is not contagious. It does not spread from one person to another by touch or close contact.
  • It is not simply caused by poor hygiene or “not bathing enough”; skin-barrier weakness, atopy and inflammation are important factors.
  • Atopic conditions can run in families, but a family history does not mean every child will develop eczema.
  • Topical steroid creams are useful for many eczema flares when the correct medicine, strength, site and duration are chosen. Problems are more likely with inappropriate or prolonged unsupervised use.
Poster 6: Living well with atopic eczema
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Living well with atopic eczema

Consistent skin care, correct treatment and trigger control can reduce flares and improve day-to-day comfort.

  • Use moisturiser every day, even when the skin looks better, to support the skin barrier.
  • Prefer lukewarm water, avoid harsh soaps and fragranced products, and moisturise soon after bathing.
  • Notice your own triggers—heat, sweat, dust, fragrance, rough clothing or friction may matter differently for different people.
  • Use prescribed creams or medicines in the right amount and for the advised duration; do not stop too early or continue on your own for too long.
  • Seek medical advice if itch is disturbing sleep, flares are frequent or severe, the skin becomes wet/crusted or develops pus, redness spreads, or fever appears.
  • Atopic eczema may recur, but good skin care and appropriate treatment can keep it well controlled.
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