Hello!

Has anyone else ever experienced cracked skin behind their ears? A quick web search informs me children often get it and it’s eczema related. Just wondered about any adult experiences of it.


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  • Use mild soaps and cleansers, and stay away from heavy perfumes or dyes. Consider bathing less frequently to allow your body’s natural oils to protect your skin. Moisturize your skin when you first notice that it’s drying out. Cover your ears with a hat or apply sunscreen to avoid sunburn.
    Vaseline is neutral and forms a barrier against infections whilst moisturizing the skin.
    Recently I had an operation in my face and instead of using bandages Vaseline was advised.
    When Vaseline doesn’t work I would try Sigmacort, which you can buy over the counter. SIGMACORT is a type of cortisone and belongs to the group of medicines called corticosteroids, however it’s not very strong, hence you can buy it without script. It is a topical corticosteroid therapy for non-infective inflammatory conditions of the skin e.g. eczema, dermatitis. It is used to relieve the redness, swelling, itching and other discomforts of the skin. When that doesn’t help I would pay the Gp a visit.


  • Yes I get it sometimes and use Vaseline too


  • My doctor told us just to put Vaseline on thickly overnight


  • Almond oil is great for this


  • I have had it occasionally, didn’t realise it was eczema related. I apply pawpaw ointment for a few days and that seems to fix it


  • I had a similar issue and found that if I used a little nizoral shampoo around my ears than it cleared up within a couple of days. Nizoral can be purchased from the chemist and I used the one with the red label….from memory its 2%. This was suggested by my Doctor.


  • Oh I feel their pain and discomfort!!! If they would like to find out more or get some supply I could certainly help them. I’m all for natural healing and 100% essential oil Myrrh does wonders for exactly this! I have previously suffered from this and since using a topical blend and gently massaging Myrrh oil on it cleared up and I have not severely suffered since. If they would like more info or would like to get their hands on some of this magical Myrrh oil please tell them to contact me!


  • We don’t yet use soap on our littlie (under 2 months) but I have found coconut oil is really good. The MCHN suggested any vegetable based oil even the common variety found in most kitchens. Good luck.


  • Absolutely wonderful reply by mom:ap264. I too was going to suggest Bepanthan.


  • Aside from suggesting you get it checked by a doctor just to be sure. Cracked skin behind the ears could be caused by several things including cradle cap, fungal infection, bacterial infection, dermatitis, allergy – eg to shampoo, psoriasis, etc. Have you recently changed shampoo or skin care products?
    There are a couple of things you could try before racing out to the doctor though.
    If the skin is also flaky, it could be similar to “cradle cap”. This can be treated with baby oil. Apply before bed then wash with perfume free shampoo in morning. You could also try Bepanthan. If this doesn’t work in a few days you might need something stronger from the doctor.
    Hope this help.


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