Myth busters

AD is contagious.

One of the most common concerns that exists in the community is that AD is contagious. People see a rash and wonder if it’s an infection, and the answer is, ‘no’. AD is a genetic, chronic, inflammatory condition, and it’s not contagious at all. If you have AD, there’s no way you’ll give it to anyone else by touching or rubbing against them.^1,2

If I change my diet, my AD will go away.

When people realise it’s an allergic condition, they begin to wonder, ‘Well, what am I allergic to?’ ‘What do I need to stop eating or doing?’ While food allergies often go alongside AD, elimination diets or eliminating foods that you believe will trigger an allergic response won’t necessarily eliminate your AD.^5,6 Remember, AD is a chronic inflammatory condition.

If you suspect you have a food allergy, you should talk to your doctor and get nutritional counselling from a dietitian.

There is no cure, and I'm going to have to suffer like this forever.

While there is no cure for AD yet, clinical researchers are making big strides in identifying safe and effective treatments. Once scientists can pinpoint the behaviours of this disease at a molecular level, they could be on track to learning how to prevent AD from developing in the first place.¹ In the meantime, always follow the advice of your specialist to best manage your AD symptoms.

AD is caused by stress.

Stress doesn’t cause AD, but it can trigger flare-ups and make it worse. That’s due to the release of stress hormones, which can make inflammation worse. Stress can also make you more likely to scratch and become more irritated, which, of course, also makes AD worse.^2,9,10

AD will clear up on its own.

Treating AD quickly is key to keeping it from becoming more inflamed and problematic. More inflammation leads to more scratching, which can lead to bacterial infection, making AD worse. There are many treatments available, plus lifestyle changes, such as avoiding excessive sweating, steering clear of soaps and fragrances typically known to be triggers, and moisturising. The key, though, is acting fast and treating the skin before the vicious itch-inflammation-infection cycle begins.²

Talk to your dermatologist about which products are good options for managing your AD and which to steer clear of.

Moisturisers provide moisture to the skin.

Moisturisers don’t add moisture to your skin, but they do help keep moisture in by creating a lipid (fat) barrier. People with AD have a dysfunction in their skin barrier.

The skin barrier is important in protection against microorganisms as well as keeping water in the skin. The compromised skin barrier in AD causes more water loss to occur from the skin, which makes the skin even drier.

Moisturisers can help seal in the moisture from the bath and repair the skin barrier.^5,12 Although not all mosturisers are created equal. Talk to your dermatologist about good options for managing your AD and which ones to avoid.

Hard water makes AD worse.

The jury is still out on this one. Hard water has been reported to make AD worse and contribute to infants developing the condition. A review published in March 2021 examined this issue and found that living in an area where the water was ‘hard’ (high in calcium carbonate) was associated with AD in children. However, there was no evidence that using water softeners improved the severity of disease in established AD. The review authors suggested that more studies are needed to clarify this issue.¹³

It’s just a skin problem. It’s no big deal.

People think AD is not serious because it just affects the skin. That’s not true because people with AD can have a lot of quality-of-life issues. While it's true that AD is not life-threatening, there are considerable physical and emotional impacts for people living with AD. It’s itchy, it’s painful and can be embarrassing, so it’s more than just a skin condition.^1,3

Unless you know what it’s like to live with AD, it’s really hard for others to understand just how big a deal AD can be. It may seem like AD is a concern only for people who are preoccupied with their looks, but its impact is more than skin deep. When your skin is itching so much that you can’t work comfortably, study successfully, or enjoy relationships, your quality of life is greatly decreased.²

Adults with AD are 14% more likely to develop depression and 17% more likely to develop anxiety than people without AD.⁴

I can’t go swimming because of my AD.

When it comes to swimming, not everyone with AD will have the same experience as AD is a very individual condition.⁷ Be sure to check with your doctor and follow their care instructions regarding swimming. They will be able to recommend steps for both before and after swimming to minimise skin problems. For instance, applying an emollient cream or ointment before entering the pool can create a barrier to the water.⁷ If you go for a swim in a chlorinated pool, be sure to wash off the chlorine with fresh water and immediately moisturise. If you are outside, it is also important to use sunblock.⁷

Some people find swimming in the ocean can be soothing for their skin, while others find it irritates them, so if you fall into the soothing group of people then remember to wash off and moisturise your skin after saltwater swimming too.⁷

A family history of AD means my baby will have it, too.

Because it’s genetic, having family members with AD may increase the risk of your child also having it. However, breastfeeding may reduce your baby's chances of developing AD in early childhood. In a Taiwanese study, breastfeeding either partially or exclusively for at least six months has been found to significantly reduce the risk of AD in the first 2 years of life.⁸

AD can be cured.

Unfortunately, there’s no cure for AD, but AD can go into remission. AD, being a chronic disease, means it won’t go away completely, but there are treatments and lifestyle changes that can help you keep it under control.² 

Talk to your doctor about any aspects of your condition that are affecting your quality of life, and they can help to better manage them.

Children with AD will outgrow it.

For some children, AD starts to go away by age four. However, others may continue to have dry, sensitive skin as they grow up. It’s hard to predict which children will outgrow the condition and which ones will continue to have AD as adults.¹¹

People with AD shouldn’t bathe every day.

Some people believe that for people with AD, bathing too often may dry out the skin even more, however, most dermatologists agree that once daily bathing can help hydrate the skin as well as remove any microorganisms that could cause infection.^5,12 Talk to your dermatologist about your bathing regimen to see if you need to make any changes to better manage your AD.