Eczema treatment is typically dictated by the severity of the condition and the detection of an underlying trigger. In mild to moderate cases, attention to skin care may help alleviate much of the itching and dryness. Bathing in lukewarm water instead of hot water and air-drying the skin after bathing can help reduce dryness. Many doctors recommend that eczema patients use hypoallergenic bath and skin products. Tar products can help extremely dry and thickened skin heal faster. Immediate moisturizing, within a couple of minutes of bathing, also helps reduce dryness. Oral antihistamines are often used to decrease itching; they may be particularly helpful for the relief of nighttime itching. Ultraviolet phototherapy, with or without a drug called psoralen, can also be used in mild to moderate cases in older children and adults.

For more severe eczema, corticosteroid creams can be used. Some of these creams are available over the counter, while more potent formulations are available under prescription only. Corticosteroid creams act by suppressing the immune reactions in the skin that occur during eczema and eventually lead to skin damage. These creams should always be used with caution, and only for as long as is absolutely necessary. This is because they have several side effects, such as thinning of the skin, appearance of stretch marks, interference with growth in children, and skin infections.

When skin care and corticosteroid preparations alone do not improve eczema, more powerful drugs called immune modulators may be prescribed. Tarcolimus and pimecrolimus are two such drugs that act by suppressing the immune system. However, their use has recently been linked to some forms of skin cancer. Systemic corticosteroids, taken either by mouth or by injection, may also be prescribed, but can cause potentially serious side effects such as bone weakening, high blood pressure, infections and cataracts. Immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporine or methotrexate may be prescribed for refractory cases. These drugs have toxic effects on the body and can only suppress eczema, not cure it.