Severe atopic dermatitis can have an enormous impact on a child and the child's caregivers. Topical corticosteroids can be highly effective, but not all patients respond. If atopic dermatitis does not improve with a topical corticosteroid, poor adherence should be strongly considered as the cause of treatment failure. We report a child with horrendous atopic dermatitis whose disease resolved rapidly in the hospital when therapy was changed to a product that was easier to apply.