Varicose eczema can be a tough condition to manage, but is it possible to cure it completely?

Although we’d love to say that there’s a cure for any kind of eczema, the complex nature of any chronic skin condition means that it’s not really possible to say any eczema can be cured for good. It’s more a question of finding out what causes flare-ups and managing those triggers, while keeping your skin in the best possible condition.

Varicose eczema is also known as venous, gravitational or stasis eczema, and relates to the way the blood circulates around the body. When the valves in the veins of the legs don’t work properly to push blood uphill, blood can settle in smaller vessels and cause a lot of pressure to build up. That can lead to fluid leaking into the surrounding areas and trigger an inflammatory response, which in turn leads to inflamed, itchy and damaged skin.

If you’ve been suffering from venous/varicose eczema, you might know how difficult it can be to shift. Because it’s caused by a problem with your veins, that root cause needs to be resolved as far as possible before the eczema itself subsides. Doctors might suggest exercises, compression bandages, weight loss, leg elevation, but of course all those may be difficult to achieve if you have other health issues. 

In the meantime, you can manage the surface symptoms by looking after your skin as well as possible. We'd suggest a good skincare routine, with regular and generous applications of unfragranced emollients. An oil-based ointment (balm or salve) like Skin Salvation is ideal if skin is delicate or broken; oil-based balms tend to be best at moisturising very dry or itchy skin, as they're more protective and less likely to sting than water-based creams.