What is eczema?
Eczema is a condition that causes your skin to become dry, itchy and bumpy. This condition weakens your skin’s barrier function, which is responsible for helping your skin retain moisture and protecting your body from outside elements.
Eczema is a type of dermatitis. Dermatitis is a group of conditions that cause skin inflammation.
Symptoms of eczema include:
What does an eczema rash look like?
Eczema can look different on each person diagnosed with the condition. If you have a dark skin tone, an eczema rash can be purple, brown or gray. If you have a light skin tone, an eczema rash can look pink, red or purple.
Where do symptoms of eczema appear on my body?
Symptoms of eczema can show up anywhere on your skin. The most common places where you’ll notice symptoms of eczema include on your:
- Hands.
- Neck.
- Elbows.
- Ankles.
- Knees
- Feet.
- Face, especially cheeks.
- In and around ears.
- Lips
While less common, eczema can also occur on your:
Does eczema hurt?
Eczema doesn’t usually cause pain. If you scratch your skin, you could break the surface of your skin and create a sore, which could be painful. Some types of eczema, like contact dermatitis, cause a burning sensation and discomfort.
What causes eczema?
Several factors cause eczema, including:
- Your immune system: If you have eczema, your immune system overreacts to small irritants or allergens (triggers) in your environment. When you contact a trigger, your immune system assumes that these small irritants are foreign invaders, like bacteria or viruses, that can harm your body. As a result, the triggers activate your body’s natural defense system. Your immune system’s defense is to create inflammation. Inflammation causes symptoms of eczema on your skin.
- Your genes: You’re more likely to have eczema if there’s a history of eczema or dermatitis in your family. You’re also at a higher risk if there’s a history of asthma, hay fever and/or allergies. Common allergies include pollen, pet hair or foods that trigger an allergic reaction. You could also have a genetic mutation that causes your skin’s barrier function to not work as it should.
- Your environment: There’s a lot in your environment that can irritate your skin. Some examples include exposure to smoke, air pollutants, harsh soaps, fabrics such as wool, and some skin care products. Low humidity (dry air) can cause your skin to become dry and itchy. Heat and high humidity can cause sweating and that can make your itchiness even worse.
- Emotional triggers: Your mental health could affect the health of your skin, which can cause a flare-up of eczema symptoms. If you have high levels of stress, anxiety or depression, you may have more frequent flare-ups of eczema symptoms.
What triggers eczema to flare up?
Eczema affects each person diagnosed with the condition differently. What causes your symptoms to flare up might not trigger someone else with the condition. Common triggers that cause eczema include:
- Dry weather (low humidity).
- Fabrics or clothing material.
- Makeup or skin care products.
- Smoke and pollutants.
- Soaps and detergents.
- Stress or your emotional well-being.
- Touching something you’re allergic to.
A healthcare provider will diagnose eczema after a physical exam, where they can take a close look at your skin. Most often, people receive an eczema diagnosis as a child, as it’s common among children, but a diagnosis can happen at any age when symptoms arise.
Symptoms of eczema can look similar to other conditions. Your provider might offer tests to rule out other conditions and confirm your diagnosis. Tests could include:
- An allergy test.
- Blood tests to check for causes of the rash that might be unrelated to dermatitis.
- A skin biopsy to distinguish one type of dermatitis from another.
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