Eczema is a common, yet sometimes difficult, skin condition to treat. No single treatment will work for everyone and several complications can occur when left untreated.
The experts at Florida Westcoast Skin and Cancer Center are highly trained in various treatments for this condition and look forward to helping you manage your symptoms and return to a better quality of life.
Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common type of eczema. It’s a chronic condition that can come and go for years or throughout life, and can overlap with other types of eczema. People with AD can get rashes anywhere on the body that can ooze, weep fluid and bleed when scratched, making skin vulnerable to infection. Skin can become dry and discolored, and repeated scratching can cause thickening and hardening — a process called lichenification.
Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis happens when the skin becomes irritated or inflamed after coming in contact with a substance that triggers an allergic reaction. It shows similar symptoms as the six other types of eczema, but it is not genetic and is not linked to other allergic conditions. In addition to itch, contact dermatitis may cause burning or blistering of the skin, and can have a major impact on a person’s quality of life, including sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating or performing duties at work and in school.
Neurodermatitis
Neurodermatitis is characterized by chronic itching or scaling that causes raised, rough, itchy areas of skin. It is usually confined to one or two patches of skin and rarely goes away without treatment. Continued scratching can irritate nerve endings in the skin, intensifying both itching and scratching. Neurodermatitis can occur anywhere you can reach to scratch, but is most common on the feet, ankles, hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, and scalp.
Dyshidrotic Eczema
Dyshidrotic eczema causes small, intensely itchy blisters on the palms of hands, soles of feet, and edges of the fingers and toes. While the actual cause of dyshidrotic eczema isn’t known, it is more common in people who have another form of eczema and tends to run in families, suggesting a genetic component. Knowing the triggers and maintaining a regular skincare routine can help prevent and manage dyshidrotic eczema flares.
Nummular Eczema
Nummular eczema, also known as discoid eczema and nummular dermatitis, features scattered circular, often itchy and sometimes oozing patches. It can occur at any age, and males tend to develop it more often than females. The causes for this type of eczema are not clear, but triggers can include very dry or sensitive skin and trauma to the skin from insect bites, scrapes or chemical burns. Symptoms can include coin-shaped lesions on arms, legs, torso, and/or hands, itching and burning as well as lesions that are oozing liquid or have crusted over.
Seborrheic Dermatitis
Seborrheic dermatitis appears on the body where there is a lot of oil-producing (sebaceous) glands like the upper back, nose and scalp. It can affect people of any age, though it’s most common in infants and adults between the ages of 30 and 60. In infants, the condition usually clears on its own and doesn’t come back. In adults, however, seborrheic dermatitis usually follows a pattern of flaring and clearing that can last for years. Certain medical conditions can increase people’s risk of developing seborrheic dermatitis, including psoriasis, HIV, acne, rosacea, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, alcoholism, depression, eating disorders, and recovery from a stroke or heart attack. Infants with seborrheic dermatitis most often have a form called cradle cap, which appears on their scalps as scaly, greasy patches. In teens and adults, seborrheic dermatitis forms on the scalp, the sides of the nose, in and around the eyebrows, the mid-chest, upper back, and in the armpits and groin area.
