Dermatitis itself does not kill, but ignoring it has real costs - most of them preventable with steady basic care.

The skin complications

Infection: scratched open skin invites bacteria (impetigo - yellow honey crusts), and eczema patients catch widespread viral infections like eczema herpeticum (a herpes emergency: clusters of punched-out blisters with fever - same-day care)
Lichenification: months of scratching leave permanently thickened, darkened, leathery patches - slow to reverse
Cracks and fissures: painful splits on hands and heels that limit work and daily life
Post-inflammatory colour change: darker or lighter patches after flares - usually fades over months, more noticeable on darker skin

The life complications

Sleep loss: night itch fragments sleep for the patient and often the whole family; children show it in school performance and mood
Mental health: visible rashes and chronic itch carry real rates of and low mood - worth naming, worth treating