That means that everyone looks after his or her eczema in a different way. There are lots of things that can cause eczema and there will be some times when your doctor may not know for sure what is causing it. Most people with eczema have atopic eczema . This is sometimes also called childhood eczema, because it usually starts when you are a baby. Most people are lucky and will grow out of their eczema when they are children but some don't and will have eczema when they are teenagers or adults.
Atopic eczema is something that is passed down through families.
However, not everyone in your family will have eczema. This is because something, or many things, that you come into contact with everyday may be 'switching on' your eczema. Some people may never get 'switched on' and that may be why they don't have eczema. Having atopic eczema is no ones fault, it is something that you are born with. That is because they are part of the same group of conditions as atopic eczema.