Will Eczema Go Away?

If you or someone you know has eczema (also called atopic dermatitis), you might be wondering: will it ever go away? Here is a brief guide to help you understand what the research says, especially for kids, and what to expect moving forward.

What is eczema?

Eczema is a condition where the skin becomes red, itchy, dry, and sometimes cracked or bumpy. It’s common in children. For example, in the U.S., about 10.8% of children ages 0-17 had a diagnosed case of eczema in 2021 (CDC, 2021). It often shows up early on, with many children having diagnosed eczema by age 2.

Do children outgrow eczema?

The short answer: yes, some do — but not all.

Some good news

• A large review found that about 80% of children with eczema had improved or gone into remission by about 8 years after diagnosis (Medical Journals of Sweden, 2017, Healthline, 2022).

• For kids whose eczema started very early and was mild, remission (meaning no symptoms) is more likely by school age (Medical Journals of Sweden, 2017).

What about the rest?

• A study found that among children whose eczema began before age 4, by age 16 about 8% still had persistent eczema. (Medical Journals of Sweden, 2017).

• Some recent research suggests that fewer than 20% of people with childhood eczema were completely symptom-free in early adulthood. (WHYY, 2021).

• So, while many children improve a lot, some will continue to have flare-ups or skin that stays sensitive for years.

What affects whether eczema goes away?

Several things make a difference:

• Age of onset: Kids who get eczema earlier (before age 2) may have a better chance of outgrowing it. (Healthline, 2022).

• Severity: If the condition is very severe, it may be more likely to persist (Medical Journal of Sweden, 2017). In addition, having asthma, or environmental allergies in combination with eczema typically means eczema may stay long term.

What Does This All Mean?

• Every child is different. Many children do see improvement as they grow and in many cases, the eczema may disapear altogether. However, there are no guarantee that eczema will go away on its own, especially in more severe cases. Because we can’t always know ahead of time which children will outgrow it, the best approach is to treat and manage eczema well — rather than relying on “they’ll grow out of it” and waiting.

Final Thoughts

So, will eczema go away? It can — for many children it does — but it’s not a sure thing. What matters most is how we respond: good skin care, avoiding triggers, and working with medical professionals to keep skin as healthy and comfortable as possible.

If you’re dealing with eczema (for you or your child), remember: you’re not alone. Come see us at Monarch Medical and we can make a plan to control your eczema.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Atopic dermatitis among children aged 0–17 years: United States, 2021. National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief No. 459.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db459.pdf

Healthline. (2022, May 11). When do babies outgrow eczema?
https://www.healthline.com/health/when-do-babies-outgrow-eczema

Medical Journals Sweden. (2017). Remission and relapse of atopic dermatitis in a birth cohort. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 97(3), 376–381.
https://www.medicaljournals.se/acta/content/html/10.2340/00015555-2919

National Center for Biotechnology Information. (1992). Natural history of atopic dermatitis and factors predictive of remission. PubMed (PMID: 1290844).
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1290844/

WHYY. (2021, September 28). Penn study finds kids are unlikely to outgrow eczema.
https://whyy.org/articles/penn-study-finds-kids-are-unlikely-to-outgrow-eczema/

Eczema Society of Canada. (2023). Will kids outgrow their eczema?
https://eczemahelp.ca/will-kids-outgrow-their-eczema/