Can eczema be cured permanently? What to expect

Eczema is a group of skin conditions that make skin dry, itchy and inflamed, and a doctor confirms the diagnosis. "Can it be cured?" is one of the first questions people ask after that diagnosis. The answer depends on the type. This guide explains what the NHS, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and other health bodies say about a cure, which types can clear completely, and what realistic control looks like. For the condition as a whole, see the complete guide to eczema.

The short answer

Atopic eczema, the most common type, has no cure at present. The NHS says it cannot be cured, but treatment can help manage the symptoms. The AAD says that at this time atopic dermatitis cannot be cured, and that proper treatment can control it. When the AAD released its 2023 treatment guideline for adults, the guideline's co-chair said: "While atopic dermatitis cannot be cured, it can be controlled with proper treatment."

MedlinePlus, the health site of the US National Library of Medicine, says eczema may get better or worse over time, but is often a long-lasting disease.

Why there is no cure yet

The exact cause of atopic eczema is unknown, which makes a cure hard to design. The US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) says researchers know that genes, the immune system and the environment all play a part. The AAD says the outer layer of the skin develops gaps that let water out and irritants and germs in, and that researchers still have unanswered questions about why this happens.

Today's treatments work on the results of those causes. Moisturizers support the outer layer of the skin. Steroid creams and other medicines calm the inflammation that the overactive immune system causes. The guide to what causes eczema explains the causes in more detail.

Types of eczema that can clear completely

Some types of eczema are more likely to go away for good than atopic eczema:

• Contact dermatitis. The NHS says it usually improves or clears up completely if the substance causing the problem is found and avoided. MedlinePlus says it clears without problems in 2 or 3 weeks in most cases, but can return if the cause cannot be found and avoided.
• Nummular (discoid) eczema. The AAD says that with the right treatment, many people see this eczema go away. The NHS says that without treatment it can last for weeks, months or even years.
• Neurodermatitis. The AAD says it can clear completely with the right treatment, although finding what works can take time.

Other types tend to last. The NHS calls pompholyx and varicose eczema long-term conditions that treatment can help control. MedlinePlus calls seborrheic dermatitis a life-long condition that comes and goes and can be controlled with treatment. The guide to types of eczema describes each type.

What control looks like

The AAD says that by working with a board-certified dermatologist, you can control atopic dermatitis. With control, it says, it is possible to relieve the dry skin and itch, see clearer skin, and reduce flare-ups. It also says treatment can lead to clearer skin, and sometimes completely clear skin.

The AAD's 2023 guideline for adults gives strong recommendations for moisturizers, steroid creams and several non-steroid creams. Its 2024 guideline gives strong recommendations for several injected and pill medicines for moderate to severe eczema. The AAD says the first of these was approved by the FDA in 2017, and that newer medicines are easing symptoms for people who were not helped by earlier treatments. The guide on how eczema is treated describes each option a doctor may offer.

Control usually takes some patience. The AAD says it sometimes takes trying a few different medicines or light treatments to find the one that works best.

Many children grow out of eczema

Atopic eczema often fades with age, which can look like a cure. NIAMS says that for many children, atopic dermatitis goes away before the teenage years. MedlinePlus says that in children it often starts to go away around age 5 to 6, although flare-ups often still occur.

A 2016 review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology pooled 45 studies with 110,651 people from 15 countries. It found that 80 percent of childhood atopic dermatitis did not last beyond 8 years after diagnosis, and under 5 percent lasted 20 years. Eczema lasted longer in children whose eczema had already lasted a long time, started later, or was more severe. NICE, the UK body that writes guidance for doctors, reminds families that not all children grow out of atopic eczema, and that it may get worse in the teenage or adult years. The guide does eczema go away? covers the outlook for children and adults.

When eczema clears, it can return

When eczema clears, the tendency behind it often stays. The AAD says that even if the rash of atopic dermatitis goes away, the skin can still be easily irritated. It gives the example of people who had eczema as children and later develop raw, cracked skin on their hands when they do "wet work," which means having wet hands often, in jobs such as nursing or hairdressing.

Eczema can also return. The AAD says atopic dermatitis can go away in childhood and come back years later, often milder. NIAMS describes periods when the disease is worse, called flares, followed by periods when the skin improves or clears up entirely, called remissions.

What makes eczema harder to control

Some eczema is harder to settle than others. MedlinePlus says atopic dermatitis may be harder to control when it begins at an early age, covers a large area of the body, occurs along with allergies and asthma, or occurs in someone with a family history of eczema.

Early treatment helps. The AAD says there is no way to know whether atopic dermatitis will go away or become lifelong, but that seeing a board-certified dermatologist as soon as you notice signs can prevent it from getting worse. It says that the more severe eczema becomes, the harder it can be to treat, and the more likely a person is to still have it as an adult. The AAD also says treating eczema before the skin thickens can help prevent thick skin that itches most of the time.

Be careful with products that promise a cure

Because the health bodies agree there is no cure for atopic eczema, a product that promises one is making a claim they do not support. Some specific warnings:

• Herbal remedies. NICE says homeopathy, herbal medicine, massage and food supplements have not yet been properly tested for eczema in clinical trials. It also says steroids are deliberately added to some herbal products sold for children's eczema, and that some Chinese herbal medicines for eczema have been linked to liver damage.
• Special diets. The NHS says not to change your diet unless a doctor tells you to. The AAD's 2026 guideline for children found insufficient evidence or no benefit for dietary interventions such as early food introduction.
• Shop and internet allergy tests. NICE advises against them, saying there is no evidence of their value in managing eczema.

Questions to ask your doctor

A clear plan makes control easier. NICE says doctors should teach families how much of each treatment to use, how often to use it, when and how to step treatment up or down, and how to treat infected eczema. The AAD says a dermatologist tailors each plan to the person. Useful questions to bring to an appointment include:

• Which type of eczema do I have?
• Which product do I use every day, and which only during a flare?
• How long should I use a medicine before we decide whether it works?
• What are the signs that my eczema is infected, and what should I do then?
• When should I come back if the plan is not helping?

What you can do now

Control is possible now. The NHS says to apply moisturizer at least twice a day and to keep going even when eczema improves, to avoid things that make your eczema worse, and to see a doctor if treatments are not helping. The AAD says that sticking to the treatment plan, including skin care, medicine as instructed, and avoiding known triggers, helps prevent eczema from getting worse. The guides to moisturizing and bathing and flare-up triggers explain the daily steps. Keep to your prescribed treatment, and talk to your doctor before changing it.