Eczema Vs Psoriasis On Face

Why Is Eczema Confused With Psoriasis

Mistaking eczema for psoriasis is common, as both are inflammatory skin conditions and are similar in appearance. The two not only share similar symptoms, but they frequently develop in the same areas of the body, such as the scalp or hands.

While those are two of the more common sites for flare-ups, both conditions can form anywhere on the body. They also share some common triggers, including cold, dry air and allergens in the environment.

How Effective Are Over

Most of the over-the-counter products are low-potency corticosteroids or plain moisturizers. Keeping the skin well moisturized is helpful but not an effective sole treatment for these skin diseases. Be careful with botanicals and natural products, as many have fragrances that can aggravate the skin.

What Is Atopic Dermatitis

Eczematous dermatitis refers to a specific type of reaction rather than a single condition. Eczema, which is also called atopic dermatitis, is the most common cause of eczematous dermatitis. It occurs when the immune system overreacts to irritants or allergens, such as environmental allergens or harsh laundry detergents. While the cause is not fully understood, atopic dermatitis is known to be more common in families with a history of allergies.

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How Psoriasis Is Diagnosed

A GP can often diagnose psoriasis based on the appearance of your skin.

In rare cases, a small sample of skin called a biopsy will be sent to the laboratory for examination under a microscope.

This determines the exact type of psoriasis and rules out other skin disorders, such as seborrhoeic dermatitis, lichen planus, lichen simplex and pityriasis rosea.

You may be referred to a specialist in diagnosing and treating skin conditions if your doctor is uncertain about your diagnosis, or if your condition is severe.

If your doctor suspects you have psoriatic arthritis, which is sometimes a complication of psoriasis, you may be referred to a doctor who specialises in arthritis .

You may have blood tests to rule out other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and X-rays of the affected joints may be taken.

How To Treat Psoriasis

Moisturizing creams can be helpful, but this more likely needs to be treated with physician prescribed medications. Anthralin can promote healthy genetic expressing in the skin. While effective, it can stain or irritate areas unaffected normally. Topical coal tar can reduce inflammation and available in multiple levels of doses.

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Salicylic acid is an ingredient of many popular medicated shampoos and solutions. It encourages new cell replacement. Synthetic vitamin D creams like calcipotriene or calcitriol can work as well. Retinoid, methotrexate, cyclosporine, and immune-modulating drugs can be injected.

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How To Tell The Difference Between Eczema And Psoriasis

The most common form of psoriasis generally appears as red, scaly patches of dry skin with an overlying silver scale that may crack and bleed. Eczema patches can be brown-gray or red in appearance, may have pustules, and are typically less well-defined. Eczema tends to form where the skin folds, whereas psoriasis tends to be on the outer parts of the joints. Additionally, while both conditions cause itchy skin, the itching associated with eczema tends to be more extreme and almost universal for people with eczema.

Read more about psoriasis symptoms.

Eczema Vs Psoriasis On The Face

Psoriasis is typically found on elbows and knees, but a person with scalp psoriasis may find patches extending to the forehead, ears, and other areas close to the face. Eczema may also be found on the face and appears as pus-filled blisters. In both cases, there can be extreme itching and discomfort.

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Otc Products For Psoriasis

You can find different products at your local store to help treat your psoriasis. Two main ingredients commonly used are salicylic acid and coal tar. Salicylic acid helps lift the scales, softening and removing them. It can also cause serious irritation if you leave it on your skin too long.

Coal tar is one of the more common treatments for psoriasis as it helps slow your fast-growing skin cells and lessens inflammation, itching and scaling. Unfortunately, it also has some downsides. It can irritate, dry or redden your skin. So be sure to test it before using it to treat your psoriasis.

When looking at other OTC treatments look for those with beneficial ingredients including: Aloe Vera, Zinc Phyrithione, Capsaicin, & Jojoba.

What Is Pustular Psoriasis

This type of psoriasis appears as small blisters surrounded by red skin and can be limited to certain areas of the body or cover most of the body. With this psoriasis type, the redness usually appears first, before the pustules and scaling develop. It’s worth noting that these blisters associated with pustular psoriasis are filled with white blood cells and are not contagious.5

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Could It Be Eczema

Eczema is a skin rash from a reaction or allergy. The condition is mainly present in young children. However, older persons can develop the condition. With eczema, the reaction is the bodys immune system attacking the skin. This causes inflammation in areas like the wrists, elbows, knees, and face. More severe cases show up on the hands and feet. Environmental occurrences like pollen, metals, and even stress cause these flareups.

Psoriasis Remains A Mystery

While eczema appears as a skin rash, psoriasis presents in different forms. Some outbreaks look like scaly red patches. Others look like a plaque buildup. This is due to the rapidly growing skin cells. The cause of psoriasis is unknown, with no cure. Genetics is the most prominent precursor of the disease. Persons with diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and depression can also have psoriasis. Like eczema, external factors like stress and alcohol trigger the disease.

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The Definition Of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin condition that comes in different forms:

• inverse
• pustular
• sebopsoriasis

Psoriasis is the chronic form of this skin condition and tends to run in families. This skin condition causes new skin cells to develop rapidly, causing old skin cells to build up.

This causes the thick, itchy patches or areas of skin adorned with silvery or white scales that you see. It can occur on different areas of your body including:

• lower back

Should You Treat Yourself

You may think its just a rash and that you can put some antibiotic cream on it and call it all good. However, if you are having a reaction to an allergen or something in your environment, you may not get any relief until a dermatologist or allergist helps you identify the source.

If you have a rash that is painful, oozing, hasnt improved in a few days, or is getting worse, you should see a dermatologist to find out what it is and the best course of treatment. Eczema and psoriasis both may go through periods of dormancy and suddenly reappear. If you have a plan in place with your doctor, you will know how to treat your breakout without making it worse through guessing and self-treatment.

There are some things you can do at home that will help control these two skin conditions:

• Use moisturizers daily

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Treatment Of Eczema Vs Psoriasis

Both eczema and psoriasis are treated by modulating the immune system. Topical Corticosteroids are commonly used to treat both conditions. The effects of topical medications are mostly limited to the skin. In severe cases of eczema, it may be necessary to take systemic oral medications such as Methotrexate or Mycophenolate mofetil.Read more about eczema treatments.

Since psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause systemic symptoms and progressive joint damage, it is important to calm the immune system throughout the body to control inflammation and reduce autoimmune attacks on the skin and joints. Systemic treatments for psoriasis include immunomodulators such as Methotrexate and newer biologic drugs such as Enbrel , Humira , and Stelara , which are injected.

, or light therapy, may also be helpful in some cases of psoriasis or eczema.

Condition Guide

FAQs

Whats the difference between hives and eczema?Hives can be similar in appearance to eczema, with itchy red patches of skin on different parts of the body. However, hives are generally smoother in appearance and quickly disappear. Hives rarely bleed, and the onset can be sudden. Hives may occur once, may last for a short period over time or over months, or may be chronic. Hives are usually caused by an allergy.

Is there an eczema and psoriasis cream?There are several topical medications such as lotions, creams, and ointments that may be prescribed for either eczema or psoriasis.

Eczema Vs Psoriasis: Whats Causing My Itchy Skin

If you or a loved one has patches of red, dry and itchy skin that may even come and go, you may be wondering is it eczema or psoriasis? Or are these two conditions the same thing? Theyre not. Eczema and psoriasis are two distinct skin diseases that may require different treatment plans. Thats why its important to speak to your healthcare provider to get the right diagnosis.

While they may be difficult to tell apart, a dermatologist can spot the differences between these two non-contagious and common skin conditions:

• Plaque psoriasis, the most common type of psoriasis, causes well-defined, thick, silvery-white scaly patches, commonly found on areas like the elbows, knees, the scalp and lower back.
• Atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, may look slightly different in children and adults. Eczema is typically very itchy in all who are affected. In children, it appears as a dry or scaly, red rash, often in the creases of the elbows or knees. Adults tend to have patches of thicker or more chronic scaly skin rashes in similar areas as children, but are most noticeable on the face or hands.

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Identifying Eczema Vs Psoriasis On The Face

When psoriasis affects the face it often appears on the hairline, in or behind the ear, or on the scalp. Though, it can also occur on the eyebrows and the skin surrounding the nose. The patches or plaques are often well defined with sharp borders. On the face, psoriasis sometimes occurs in association with seborrheic dermatitis, a common skin condition that can also cause red or pink scaly patches.

Conversely, eczema on the face is more common on the eyelid skin or around the mouth, often as a result of a contact dermatitis. Prolonged eczema around the eyes can make the skin look wrinkled and discolored, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as ‘allergic shiners.’

Given the similarities, it can be especially challenging to distinguish between eczema and psoriasis on the face. That said, the biggest hints are that eczema favors the area or around the eyes and mouth, while psoriasis favors the forehead, extending from the brows to the hairline, sometimes covering everything in between.

Where On The Body Is Psoriasis Likely To Appear

Psoriasis can affect any part of the body, but especially in those areas where skin rubs against clothing, such as:

• Elbows
• Lower back
• Soles of the feet

The hands are also common sites for psoriasis flare-ups as a result of frequent hand washing and because of the wear and tear on busy hands throughout the day. Anything that puts stress on the hands or causes dryness raises the risk. Psoriasis that forms on the scalp is associated with psoriatic arthritis, a type of psoriasis that causes inflammation of the joints.

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What’s The Difference Between Eczema And Psoriasis

• Children get eczema. They can also get psoriasis.

• While more children develop eczema than psoriasis, almost 1% of children have psoriasis.

• Its not always easy to tell whether a child has eczema or psoriasis. A study conducted in Australia found that most children who had psoriasis were initially diagnosed by their primary care doctor as having another disease, often eczema.

• To a dermatologists trained eye, psoriasis and eczema tend to look quite different.

Learning The Differences Between Eczema And Psoriasis

• Psoriasis causes well-defined, thick, red, scaly patches, commonly in areas like the elbows and knees. It is common to see psoriasis on the face, buttocks, and scalp of a child. Youll also commonly see thick patches of skin with overlying redness.

• Eczema tends to appear in the crooks of the knees and the elbows.

• Children who have psoriasis tend to have mild itching. In eczema, the itching can be intense.

• There are many ways for a dermatologist to tell the difference between eczema and psoriasis, including what one sees on the skin, the amount of itch, and where the disease appears on the skin.

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There Can Be Overlap Between Eczema And Psoriasis

• Still in some children, its hard to tell the difference. In this case, a dermatologist might diagnose the child with psoriasiform dermatitis.

• Sometimes, a child has both eczema and psoriasis, so there can be some overlap.

• A dermatologist, however, will generally be able to differentiate between these two relatively common skin disorders.

All content solely developed by the American Academy of Dermatology

What Innovative Treatments Do You Offer For Eczema And Psoriasis

Correct diagnosis is the first step. We take a thorough patient history and perform detailed testing to determine the skin condition. Depending on your history and symptoms, we may ask for tests such as a biopsy, patch tests or other diagnostic studies. Once we are sure of the diagnosis, we will make treatment recommendations.

We offer a wide range of extensive topical and systemic therapies, as well as ultraviolet light therapycalled phototherapy. UV therapy given in a controlled medical setting can be extremely effective treatments for both conditions depending on the patient.

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Acne: Blocked Pores That Lead To Pimples

Some forms of psoriasis appear as pus-filled blisters that may be confused with pimples. Pustular psoriasis forms white blisters that are filled with pus and surrounded by red skin. Far more common than psoriasis, acne also causes a pus-filled pimple eruption. However unlike psoriasis acne is caused by excess oil, blocked pores, and bacteria. Acne is common in teens and young adults and occurs on the face, neck, back, or chest. Pustular psoriasis is usually seen in adults and can occur anywhere on the body, but less likely on the face.

Eczema Up And Down The Legs

Eczema on the legs may often occur in body creases, such as the back of the knee or the front of the ankle. These areas may trap sweat or irritants from clothing and the air.

Close contact of irritants with skin and areas of skin rubbing together create a perfect environment for atopic dermatitis to thrive.

If eczema on the backs of the knees isnt quickly or effectively treated, it can become very irritating and painful. Constant contact from clothing can cause significant bleeding, oozing, and infection.

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What Causes Eczema And Psoriasis

Scientists arent sure exactly what causes eczema, but its likely genetic and triggered by allergic reactions to items like soap or fragrance, or could be onset by dry skin, Dr. Wang says. Environmental factors, like cigarette smoke, pollution and stress, could also trigger eczema, per AAD experts.

Research suggests that the immune systems in people with eczema likely overreact, causing inflammation when they come in contact with certain triggers, which makes the skin red and itchy.

Like eczema, theres no exact known cause for psoriasis, but it too has an immune system link. Psoriasis is caused by an overactive immune system that revs up the production of new skin cells. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, skin cells typically grow and fall off within a month, but in people with psoriasis, skin cells go through this process in just a few days. Instead of falling off, the cells pile up on the skin, creating thick, scaly patches, which experts call plaques.

Shingles: A Rash And Severe Pain That Lingers

Shingles is another viral infection that shares some symptoms with psoriasis. Like psoriasis, shingles can make your skin burn and itch and produces a red, blistered skin rash. Shingles is caused by the same virus that first brings on chickenpox. The virus stays in your body and can come back years later to cause shingles, especially during times of stress or infection. The skin rash of shingles follows the course of a single nerve, usually on the trunk. In some cases, severe pain lasts long after the burning, itchy rash disappears. Shingles is more common in people over age 50.

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Still Unsure Time For Some Help

Most persons will have difficulty discerning the condition. The best bet is to visit a dermatologist. Dermatologists can perform different tests to diagnose the condition clearly. There are no cures for either eczema and psoriasis. Rest assured, the doctor will provide the right medication and advice for the right disease.

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Biology Of Eczema And Psoriasis

The cause of many diseases were long term mysteries. Advances in technology allow for more sophisticated investigations. Microscopes and other advanced techniques have led to the discovery or many conditions. It also showed up clear differenced in eczema and psoriasis.

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The likenesses are not only superficial, they share resemblances on the molecular level. A healthy immune system typically creates a protective barrier against microbes and allergens. Deficits in filaggrin, a protein, have been linked in a number of skin diseases including ichthyosis vulgaris and peanut allergies. They hinder the natural ability of the body to shield individuals from foreign substances. Things that shouldnt result in allergic reactions flare-up symptoms.

Psoriasis is also a natural overreaction. It is the result of deficiencies in the immune system trigger skin cells to grow faster than normal. It prevents dead skin from falling off, and the debris builds up. Although research is still incomplete as a definitive cure remains elusive, this provides hope for sufferers and the potential of our future understanding.

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