Eczema can be caused by a variety of factors, including environmental allergies, food sensitivities, and stress. My guest today talks more about these different allergies, and shares some natural tools to help manage atopic dermatitis.  Dr. Peter Lio is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology & Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.   He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, completed his internship in Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital, and his Dermatology training at Harvard where he served as Chief Resident in Dermatology. While at Harvard, he received formal training in acupuncture. He has written a textbook on Integrative Dermatology and has published over 100 papers. Today, Dr. Lio and I have a discussion about allergies and eczema, why super restrictive diets are often not the best way to go, and some natural methods to manage your chronic eczema. Do you use stress management techniques to manage a skin condition? Leave a comment!   In this episode Mary's Rash segment on the Ellen Show (that's caused a lot of outrage and pushback from her audience) The three troublesome ingredients in Cortizone-10 Is it important to know what skin condition you actually have? How does he differentiate between rashes? Environmental allergy testing for those with severe eczema Can the nickel in foods affect the skin the same way as the nickel found in metal? Why very restrictive diets can be detrimental Dr. Lio's favorite natural tools for skin conditions   Quotes “People often say. 'With dermatology, just look at a picture and you'll know,' and it's actually not always that easy. We really want to hear the story. I want to see the patient. I want to get a sense of what is going on. And, many times, that history is more important than just looking at it, even though we pride ourselves on being a very visual specialty.” [2:55] “What I've found is that allergies are extremely common with atopic dermatitis, both food allergies and environmental allergies.” [5:55] "I do feel very strongly that stress brings out eczema in a lot of people. So stress reduction techniques like meditation, Tai Chi, yoga...it sounds kind of goofy and sometimes patients will roll their eyes, but it helps for some people." [13:46]   Links Mary's Rash Segment on The Ellen Show Find Dr. Lio online Listen to my first interview with Dr. Peter Lio Follow Dr. Lio on Facebook | Twitter