Delphine Kerob, MD, is the La Roche-Posay International Scientific Director and a dermatologist for Saint Louis hospital in Paris.

Delphine Kerob, MD

, with data suggesting the impacts of childhood atopic dermatitis may continue to be experienced long after visible symptoms resolve, leaving what Delphine Kerob, MD, describes as an “invisible imprint” on patients’ lives.

Kerob is the La Roche-Posay International Scientific Director and a dermatologist for Saint Louis Hospital in Paris. In a new interview with 

, Kerob highlighted the lasting consequences of childhood atopic dermatitis on patients’ education, employment, and overall quality of life, regardless of whether the disease persists into one’s adult years. Kerob highlighted the cumulative burden of factors such as chronic pruritus, disruption in sleep, anxiety, difficulties related to attention, feelings of stigmatization, and bullying.

Kerob notes clinicians should view pediatric atopic dermatitis as more than a skin condition and pay closer attention to its psychosocial and developmental impacts. The following Q&A interview includes a transcription of Kerob’s 

What do you think is the biggest message from this study for doctors treating patients with atopic dermatitis?

I think that's what the big [lesson] of this study is: even though atopic dermatitis doesn't lead to visible scars, it can lead to invisible prints. What we saw in our study is that when atopic dermatitis affects children, the impact, whether atopic dermatitis persists or resolves during adulthood…is very important, that it will leave a print in the life of these people all their life for a lot of them. Having that in mind, we should change the way we see atopic dermatitis in kids, and take more care of the burdens of atopic dermatitis.

[We should consider] what the comorbidities are, for example, such as sleep disorders, anxiety, attention disorders. How are these children living with atopic dermatitis, not only at home but also at school? Are they suffering from bullying? Are they stigmatized because of all of this, on top of the disease itself? It will have an impact that can persist long term, so the main [lesson] is that we need to be very, very cautious with atopic dermatitis in kids, even though we know that most of them will resolve when they are adults.

Why do you think patients who develop atopic dermatitis in childhood seem to face more challenges later in school and work?

I think there are many drivers. First of all, they have skin lesions, so it's visible sometimes. Especially if they have atopic dermatitis on some uncovered areas, and we know that skin conditions can lead to stigmatization. We have also published this a lot. So this is the first thing. The second thing is that one of the cardinal signs of atopic dermatitis is itch, and itch can lead to difficulties sleeping or awakenings during the night. It can also lead to difficulties in staying concentrated. Because of all of that, it has an impact, either a direct impact or an indirect impact, along with also the environment, which can be at home or at school.

Also, there is this question of whether it resolves; it's a chronic, relapsing skin disease, so you never know when it will stop, and if it will stop at one point, we know that most cases of atopic dermatitis, starting in childhood, will resolve during adulthood. But some of them will persist. Sometimes atopic dermatitis will start in adulthood, but there is this question mark of when it will stop. In the meantime, they need treatment. Sometimes there might also be fear to treat very atopic dermatitis well, which means that you always have this level of inflammation of the skin lesion or burden of disease that is still there. So, I think this might be one of the reasons why it makes this patient feel a little bit different from people without atopic dermatitis.

How can doctors do a better job talking with patients, either children or adults, about the emotional and social effects of atopic dermatitis?

I think that one of the easiest ways really to talk, to discuss, to ask direct questions regarding how it goes at home, how it goes at school, and how the kid can concentrate during classes. How are they? Do they have issues with some kids due to the lesions? Do they have some issues when they go to the swimming pool? Are they afraid of some reactions from their peers? [We need to] explain to the kids, because they like to know their disease, but I think the kids also like to understand where it comes from.

This is because they have to explain that to their friends, and I think it's important that, as healthcare professionals. Not only dermatologists, but all the healthcare professionals surrounding patients and parents of patients with atopic dermatitis need to address these questions and talk and listen to the issues they are facing. The value of these epidemiological studies is that we take time to ask questions and ask people what they feel. We [should] go deep into their feelings, which sometimes they would not take the time to do during a consultation to discuss, because they just want to go straight to the point. It might go fast, but I think we need to encourage the patients to speak.

Atopic dermatitis can be a visual disease, with some peers believing a patient’s disease to be contagious. Do you feel that speaking with such patients regarding such concerns is worth a conversation with doctors?

I think that's worth a conversation, first with the kids to explain to them to talk about it again to have this discussion and to tell them, ‘Don't worry, it's not contagious.’ You can reassure your kids, but I think it's also a matter of education of the population that skin diseases are not contagious. At least the non-contagious skin diseases aren’t. There are just a few that are contagious, and sometimes the contagious ones are ones one doesn't see. For example, with scabies, you may not see it even if the patient is contagious…

I think we need to educate the population, especially regarding atopic dermatitis, because, as I said, one of the cardinal symptoms of atopic dermatitis is itch. I think that it goes beyond only what you see; people see the itch, which can also raise questions regarding contagious disease. It's very important that first the kid is reassured; of course, the parents need to be reassured as well, but then the kid can reassure the friends at school. We also need to reassure the population, maybe the teachers, the sports teachers, everyone that surrounds these kids. It's so important, because we see that this [impact] is very frequent.

This permanent print of this disease that may have resolved is permanent for a lot of people. They will have a memory of what happened when they were a kid. We know that, with a psychological analysis, a lot of what we are as adults is also the consequence of what we experienced when we were kids. Sometimes what we experience without putting words to it. So this is why I think that talking is one part of the solution; of course, addressing skin inflammation, skin barrier alteration, and each symptom is also key, but we should not forget the other side, the psychological side.

The quotes in this summary were edited for clarity.

Disclosures: Delphine Kerob is a full-time employee of La Roche Posay Laboratoire Dermatologique and has been employed by Laboratoires Vichy, France, and L’Oreal.

Scars of life: study shows impact of atopic dermatitis on educational and career choices. EurekAlert! May 28, 2026. Accessed June 3, 2026. 

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1129244

Stratigos A, Steinhoff M, Luger T, et al. Impact of atopic dermatitis on education and career choices: the Scars of Life international study. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. May 28, 2026. Accessed June 3, 2026. 

https://www.jidonline.org/article/S0022-202X(26)01041-9/fulltext

Articles

Childhood atopic dermatitis can generate durable psychosocial and functional sequelae despite lacking visible scarring and even after cutaneous clearance, creating an “invisible imprint” across the life course. Drivers include pruritus-associated sleep disruption, impaired attention and school performance, anxiety, stigma, and bullying, which may translate into altered educational trajectories and career choices. Clinicians are urged to treat pediatric disease as a systemic biopsychosocial condition, proactively screening for comorbidities and social harms, counseling families and children, and engaging broader school and community stakeholders through education and reassurance about noncontagiousness.

This Q&A interview highlights findings on the lifelong impacts on education and career faced by some patients with childhood diagnoses of atopic dermatitis.

Q&A: How Lifelong Burdens Are Shaped by Childhood Eczema, With Delphine Kerob, MD

What Are the Lasting Consequences of Childhood-Onset Atopic Dermatitis?

 with Delphine Kerob, MD, dermatologist at Saint Louis Hospital in Paris and Scientific Director at La Roche-Posay Laboratoire Dermatologique, expanded on the clinical implications of new research suggesting that childhood-onset 

 can have lasting effects on educational, professional, and psychosocial outcomes later in life.

Childhood atopic dermatitis can impact school performance, social relationships, and emotional well-being, so clinicians should routinely ask about these areas — not just skin symptoms.

Educating children about their disease helps them explain it to peers, reduce stigma, and feel less isolated.

Effective atopic dermatitis care requires a holistic approach: addressing psychological and social burdens is just as important as treating the skin itself.

Discussing findings from a large international study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Kerob emphasized that the data should encourage clinicians to move beyond a narrow focus on visible symptoms and actively explore the everyday experiences of children living with atopic dermatitis. While the disease is often evaluated through measures of skin severity, itch, and treatment response, she argued that healthcare professionals should also routinely ask questions about school performance, social interactions, and emotional well-being.

According to Kerob, simple conversations can reveal important burdens that may otherwise go unnoticed. She suggested clinicians ask children how they are doing at school, whether itch affects their ability to concentrate in class, and whether they experience challenges with peers because of visible skin lesions. Questions about activities such as swimming or sports may also help identify situations where children feel self-conscious or fear negative reactions from classmates.

Kerob additionally stressed the importance of education and communication for both patients and families. She noted that children often want to understand their disease so they can explain it to friends and classmates. Helping young patients understand the nature of atopic dermatitis, she said, can empower them to address misconceptions and reduce feelings of isolation. At the same time, clinicians should encourage patients to discuss concerns that may not emerge during routine office visits, where conversations often focus primarily on treatment plans and symptom management.

A major theme of the discussion was the need to address stigma surrounding visible skin disease. Kerob highlighted that many people mistakenly associate skin lesions with contagious conditions, despite the fact that atopic dermatitis is not transmissible. She argued that education should extend beyond patients and parents to include teachers, coaches, and others who regularly interact with affected children. Improving public understanding of skin diseases, she said, may help reduce social exclusion and the lasting psychological burden associated with childhood disease.

Ultimately, Kerob suggested that effective atopic dermatitis management requires a holistic approach. While controlling inflammation, repairing the skin barrier, and reducing itch remain essential goals, clinicians should not overlook the psychological and social dimensions of the disease. Given the study’s findings that childhood experiences with atopic dermatitis can leave a lasting imprint even after symptoms resolve, she emphasized that listening, education, and open communication should be viewed as important components of care alongside medical treatment.

Scars of life: study shows impact of atopic dermatitis on educational and career choices. EurekAlert! May 28, 2026. Accessed June 2, 2026. 

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1129244?

Stratigos A, Steinhoff M, Luger T, et al. Impact of atopic dermatitis on education and career choices: the Scars of Life international study. Journal of Investigative Dermatology. May 28, 2026. Accessed June 2, 2026. 

Videos

Delphine Kerob, MD, in this segment of her interview, expanded on the clinical implications of new data on atopic dermatitis and lifelong impacts.

How Are Career and Education Opportunities Impacted by Atopic Dermatitis? 

A new international analysis published in the 

 is highlighting the long-term consequences of 

 beyond its physical symptoms, suggesting the disease may shape educational, professional, and social outcomes long after skin lesions have resolved.

Childhood-onset atopic dermatitis may leave lasting “invisible scars”:

 Kerob emphasized that even when atopic dermatitis resolves, the disease can have lifelong effects.

The impact of AD extends far beyond the skin:

 Factors such as chronic itch, sleep disruption, anxiety, attention difficulties, stigmatization, and bullying may contribute to the greater educational and professional challenges.

Clinicians should take a more holistic approach to pediatric atopic dermatitis care:

 Kerob said dermatologists should assess not only disease severity but also sleep quality, mental health, school experiences, and other psychosocial factors.

, Delphine Kerob, MD, dermatologist at Saint Louis Hospital in Paris and Scientific Director at La Roche-Posay Laboratoire Dermatologique, discussed the findings and their implications for clinicians caring for children with atopic dermatitis, a common form of eczema.

The multinational cross-sectional study analyzed data from more than 22,000 individuals across 27 countries and found that patients with childhood-onset atopic dermatitis reported significantly greater limitations in educational and career choices than those whose disease began later in life. Among childhood-onset patients, more than one-third reported restricted study choices and career limitations, while many also described adapting their living or working environments because of their disease. The study additionally identified higher rates of social avoidance and persistent workplace challenges, even among individuals whose disease had resolved.

For Kerob, the findings reinforce the idea that atopic dermatitis can leave lasting “invisible scars” despite the absence of permanent physical scarring.

“I think that what the big [lesson] of this study is is that even though atopic dermatitis doesn't lead to visible scars, it can leave an invisible print,” Kerob said. She noted that the burden linked with childhood atopic dermatitis may persist throughout a patient’s life, regardless of whether the disease eventually resolves.

According to Kerob, the study underscores the need for clinicians to evaluate atopic dermatitis more broadly than as a skin disease alone. She pointed to several factors that may contribute to the long-term impact observed among patients, including sleep disruption from chronic itch, difficulties with concentration, anxiety, attention disorders, and social stigmatization associated with visible skin lesions. Children may also face bullying or exclusion at school, experiences that can compound the disease burden and influence future life trajectories.

Kerob suggested that these overlapping challenges may help explain why patients with childhood-onset disease reported greater educational and occupational limitations later in life. Beyond the visible manifestations of atopic dermatitis, she emphasized the uncertainty associated with a chronic relapsing condition, noting that patients often do not know when flares will occur or whether their disease will ultimately resolve. Persistent symptoms, ongoing treatment needs, and undertreated inflammation may all contribute to feelings of being different from peers without atopic dermatitis.

Ultimately, Kerob said the findings should encourage dermatologists to take a more comprehensive approach to pediatric disease management. While many children will see their disease improve with age, she argued that clinicians should proactively assess psychosocial burden, school experiences, sleep quality, and comorbid conditions alongside traditional measures of disease severity. By recognizing these broader impacts early, providers may be better positioned to reduce the lifelong consequences associated with atopic dermatitis.

A study revealed adults with childhood onset atopic dermatitis may see greater limitations in career and educational options.