Book excerpt: Eczema can be a devastating condition, yet friends, family and even healthcare professionals dismiss it. How many times do you hear others say it is only eczema. Yet they are wrong, eczema ruins lives. Your child is suffering, they are not sleeping, you are not sleeping. Everywhere you turn there is different advice - it is food allergy, it is a clothes allergy, use steroids, don't use steroids. The internet, health professionals and book shops are full of often contradictory advice of what to do. Why is this book any different? I am a doctor who has spent my career specialising in and treating children with eczema. I am also a father of two children with eczema. As much as I have learned from my professional career it is only since having my own children that I have truly understood how overwhelming eczema can be. This book balances the professional 'ideal' ways of treating eczema against the practicalities of doing this in real life. There are hints, tips and practical solutions to everyday situations and answers to all the commonest questions parents ask me. This book is purposefully short and pragmatic, so it can be read quickly and the eczema can treated properly as soon as possible. If you follow the advice in this book your child will get better and they will stay better. It may not be easy but you will be amazed how much better your child can be and how much this will improve your life. Dr James Halpern MBChB, BMedSci, MRCP(UK)(Dermatology) Consultant Dermatologist