Care For Your Skin In The Bath Or Shower
Bathe only with a mild unscented soap, such as Dove, Basis, or Olay. Use a small amount of soap. Keep the water temperature cool or warm, not hot. Soaking in the tub for a short time can be good for your skin. Doing so allows your skins outer layer to absorb water and become less dry. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Then use a soft towel to pat your skin dry without rubbing. Immediately after drying, apply a moisturizer to your skin. This helps seal in the moisture.
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Symptoms Of Ringworm Vs Nummular Eczema
While both conditions can present as itchy, red, and scaly there are some distinct differences in each condition including longevity and transmission.
Ringworm Symptoms
- Rash that is round and has a defined edge
- Itching, which may be severe
- May have small black dots in the center of the rash
- Can spread to other parts of the body very easily
- Rash that is red and dry, can be scaly and may look like the skin has been burned
- Itching, which is often not severe unless caused by an allergic reaction or other cause of eczema flare-ups
- May not have a round shape but can occur in different areas on one person at once if they are exposed to something that causes them to break out
- Ringworm can spread to other parts of the body and is contagious to others, especially with skin-to-skin contact.
Eczema symptoms Include:
- Itching, which may be severe, especially at night
- Red to brownish-gray patches, especially on the hands, feet, ankles, wrists, neck, upper chest, eyelids, inside the bend of the elbows and knees, and in infants, the face and scalp
- Small, raised bumps, which may leak fluid and crust over when scratched
- Thickened, cracked, scaly skin
- Raw, sensitive, swollen skin from scratching
Eczema is not contagious and typically lasts longer than ringworm. Many individuals have chronic eczema, which means it can last for years or a lifetime. It is common for eczema to flare up in intensity. This difference is one of the most crucial in both identifying and treating eczema and ringworm
Can Discoid Eczema Become Infected
Yes when patches of affected skin begin to weep and itch, the chances of that site becoming infected with bacteria are high, particularly if scratched. Sometimes a skin infection may spark off a flare of discoid eczema. If the surface has a yellow crust or is very weepy, the skin is probably infected and you should see your doctor to get treatment.
The condition can become more widespread if any infection is left untreated, while treatment of the infection can help clear up the eczema.
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Is My Skin Condition Eczema Or Something Else
Lets face it: Skin conditions are not fun to deal with. Maybe theyre issues you have been treating for a while, but sometimes they can appear on the skin seemingly out of nowhere. Its easy to misdiagnose yourself, because to the untrained eye, different rashes and discolorations can look similar. To make things more complicated, some conditions can overlap with others. For example, did you know that rosacea is actually an adult form of acne?
Here, , a dermatologist with Henry Ford Health, shares the defining characteristics of several skin conditions, how to tell them apart, and how to treat them.
Eczema Around The Eye
When eczema occurs on the face, it often affects the skin around the eyes or eyelids . Eczema that develops near the eyes needs special attention because the eyes themselves can be affected.
Those with eczema around the eyes are more susceptible to certain eye problems such as conjunctivitis , inflamed cornea, and changes in the shape of the cornea .
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Symptoms Of Discoid Eczema
Discoid eczema causes distinctive circular or oval patches of eczema. It can affect any part of the body, although it does not usually affect the face or scalp.
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The first sign of discoid eczema is usually a group of small spots or bumps on the skin. These then quickly join up to form larger patches that can range from a few millimetres to several centimetres in size.
On lighter skin these patches will be pink or red. On darker skin these patches can be a dark brown or they can be paler than the skin around them.
What Are Some Common Nummular Eczema Triggers
A trigger is anything that causes the ring-shaped discoid eczema rash to appear for the first time or to reappear later in a flare-up. Researchers are still learning about potential triggers and their causes, but below are some known nummular eczema triggers, according to the AAD.
- Dry skin, because it weakens your skin barrier.
- Dry air, because it can lead to dry skin. We see more nummular eczema in the colder monthslate fall and throughout the winterin people who tend to be excessively dry, Dr. Makhzoumi says.
- Certain medications that have the potential to dry out the skin.
- Skin injuries, such as scrapes, cuts, or bug bites, especially if these areas become infected.
- Catching a virus, like the common cold or flu.
- Intense periods of stress.
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Circular Or Oval Patches Of Eczema
Circular or oval patches of eczema can affect any part of the body, although they don’t usually affect the face or scalp.
They start as a group of small red spots or bumps on the skin which join up to form larger pink, red or brown patches that can range from a few millimetres to several centimetres in size.
Choice Of Topical Corticosteroid
There are different strengths of topical corticosteroids that can be prescribed depending on the severity of your eczema. Discoid eczema usually needs a stronger type of corticosteroid than other types of eczema.
You might be prescribed a cream to be used on visible areas, such as face and hands, and an ointment to be used at night or for more severe flare-ups.
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Laser Therapy And Chemical Peels
Laser therapy and chemical peels can also have benefit, but they do come with a higher risk of adverse effects, including irritation.
Ablative laser procedures remove layers of skin, while non-ablative laser procedures can help tighten skin and promote the growth of collagen.
Your dermatologist can help you determine the best type of laser therapy for your skin type.
Chemical peels, like glycolic acid peels, remove the top layer of the skin, which can help get rid of patches of hyperpigmentation. You can get this procedure done at a dermatologists office or by a licensed aesthetician at a spa.
Research on using chemical peels for hyperpigmentation has found mixed results.
Chemical peels seem most effective when used with topical prescription medications like tretinoin and hydroquinone. According to Fowler, gentler lactic and mandelic acid peels may be a better option if you have sensitive, irritation-prone skin.
All of these treatments can increase your sensitivity to the sun, so its crucial to wear sunscreen daily while using them.
Signs Of An Infection
Occasionally, areas of skin affected by atopic eczema can become infected. Signs of an infection can include:
- your eczema getting a lot worse
- fluid oozing from the skin
- a yellow crust on the skin surface or small yellowish-white spots appearing in the eczema
- the skin becoming swollen and sore
- feeling hot and shivery and generally feeling unwell
See a doctor as soon as possible if you think your or your childs skin may have become infected.
Page last reviewed: 05 December 2019 Next review due: 05 December 2022
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How Can I Prevent An Outbreak Of Eczema On Nipples
To prevent an outbreak, you should:
- Avoid strong soaps and lotions, especially those with artificial smells or colors. Use hypoallergenic lotions. You may also want to try creams and lotions that contain ceramide, which can restore your skins natural barrier.
- Cut foods out of your diet that you are allergic to or that trigger an eczema outbreak.
- Maintain a healthy weight, and talk to your provider about losing weight if you have obesity.
- Manage stress levels with relaxation exercises or therapy.
- Run a humidifier in your room to keep the air from getting too dry.
- Take shorter showers or baths, and dont bathe in water thats too hot since it can dry out your skin.
- Try not to scratch the rash. Scratching might give you relief at first, but it can make the itching and pain worse. It can also cause your skin to break, which increases the chance that youll get an infection.
- Use unscented laundry detergent made for sensitive skin.
- Wear cotton shirts and bras. Manmade or scratchy fabrics can irritate your nipples.
What Is Discoid Eczema And What Are The Symptoms
Eczema is also called dermatitis. Dermatitis is a general term which means inflammation of the skin. There are a number of different types of eczema. Discoid eczema is one of these.
Discoid eczema causes round or oval-shaped, red patches of skin on your body. So discoid refers to the disc shape of the eczema patches. Discoid eczema is also called nummular dermatitis. Nummular literally means coin-shaped, another way of describing the shape of the patches of eczema.
Discoid eczema can start as a small group of little blisters or red spots but then develops into a pinky-red, dry and scaly patch of skin. The skin patches are usually very itchy. The itching is often worse at night and can affect your sleep. Some people complain that the skin patches burn or sting.
The skin between the discoid eczema patches looks normal except that, in general, people with discoid eczema have dry skin.
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Get A Diagnosis Before Trying Topical Corticosteroids At Home
While topical corticosteroids are effective at treating eczema, they can actually make ringworm worse. Steroids may improve the itching and swelling, but they cannot kill the fungal infection. This may lead to the infection spreading and weakening your skins defenses. Using steroid cream can also cause ringworm to change its appearance. This makes it harder for your primary care doctor to diagnose it and provide the right treatment.
What Does That Mean For People With Eczema
Now if its your first time hearing about this, then you might feel a little mind-boggled about what that means for you, with eczema.
After all, if eczema is auto-immune, does that mean we need to all start treating eczema with auto-immune drugs or start suppressing our immune system?
Well, thankfully, no. While some might want to jump on the drugs, Im not sure more medicine is necessarily the answer.
However we can consider some things:
Gut health plays a major role. As Hippocrates stated 2,000 years ago, all disease begins in the gut! Including autoimmune ones. Many autoimmune disorders, including eczema, can occur if you dont pay attention to your guts health. If your breakouts started randomly, this could be a sign that you have an autoimmune disorder, and you need to take care of your guts health!
Diet is extremely important. Many of the antigens that over-activate or overwhelm the immune system can be found in our food. As I talk about in my training series, you need to get rid of your eczema triggers if you want to see results on your skin! If you already started eliminating the main food triggers like gluten, dairy, and sugar, then this is a great place to start.
The good news is that if DO you have eczema, then treating it from the inside like in my program), would be more highly effective than treating it only on the outside.
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The Cause Of Chronic Eczema
Dr Peter Norén says…
“Take time to understand The Vicious Circle that has caused your chronic eczema before you learn habit reversal”
The Combined Approach is a treatment programme. For best results it needs to be followed in stages – no short cuts! In the clinic-based format, the handbook is best used in its three parts separately – only move on to the next part when the homework of the previous stage has been completed. In theself-help format, follow the instructions on pages 17-18 of The Eczema Solution: the book is structured as a series of steps similar to a series of clinic visits.
In the diagram above, from part one of the handbook, and on page 16 of The Eczema Solution, the main elements of The Vicious Circle are arranged to show how they interact. See how dry skin and eczema, and itching and scratchinginteract, while dry skin, eczema and scratching all lead to itching. Most importantly see that scratching leads to more eczema, not only the chronic eczema caused by friction….
…but also more acute eczema in atopic skin: this is because chronic atopic eczema is unstable and more sensitive to the triggers of acute ecezma.
The first week of homework is essential to success. Use of the hand tally counter and registration of all scratching episodes, with a record made of all scratchy situations, is the essential awareness training required before learning habit reversal. Finish this important mapping out process before you go on to change things.
No short cuts!
How Common Is Eczema On Nipples
Eczema is very common. It affects around 15 million people in the United States, usually in cities. Every year, providers diagnose eczema in around 10% of adults and up to 20% of kids. Its more common among women and Black people. Only a small number of people with eczema will get it on their nipples.
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Acute Stage Treatment Options
An over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream or antihistamine can be used to suppress the immune system. Additionally, cold, wet compresses can help soothe symptoms.
Topical steroids can be prescribed to reduce inflammation. Oral steroids may be used in cases where the rash is very severe or widespread.
While antibiotics don’t clear up acute eczema, they may be prescribed if the rash is infected.
How Is Discoid Eczema Treated
A number of medications are available from your doctor to help treat discoid eczema, and there are also things you can do at home to make the skin more comfortable. See your GP for a diagnosis if you think that you may have discoid eczema, because other skin conditions such as psoriasis and ringworm can look very similar.
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Inspiration To This Post
Some CES readers joined the Facebook group Reverse Eczema Together where people post and comment on each others questions.
Part of the reason is because I may not always be present to offer suggestions , and partly because the members come from different backgrounds with more specific experience e.g. mothers who are struggling with their childs eczema.
So this post bases on a short poll I created inside the group. If you have topic suggestions for the next publish, do let me know!
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Triggers Of Eczema Flare
- Soaps. Never use bubble bath. It can cause a major flare-up.
- Pollens. Keep your child from lying on the grass during grass pollen season.
- Animals. Avoid any animals that make the rash worse.
- Foods. If certain foods cause severe itching , avoid them.
- Wool. Avoid wool fibers and clothes made of other scratchy, rough materials.
- Dry Air. Use a humidifier if the air in your home is dry.
- Herpes Virus Infection . Keep your child away from anyone with fever blisters . The herpes virus can cause a serious skin infection in children with eczema.
- Eczema is not caused by laundry soap you use to wash clothing.
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When Should I Call My Healthcare Provider About Nummular Dermatitis
If you have nummular eczema, you should talk to a healthcare provider and receive treatment. They can help you clear the flare-up more quickly and prevent infection.
During treatment, call for any signs of infection, such as:
- Feelings of pain or tenderness on or near affected areas.
- Red or brown streaks on the skin near a lesion.
What Does Nummular Eczema Look And Feel Like
People with lighter skin usually develop red or brown areas on their skin. People with darker skin can develop dark brown patches, or they may develop patches that are lighter than their surrounding skin.
The rash appears as a round, coin-shaped, or oval patch in both cases. Nummular comes from the Latin term for coin.
These spots or patches can appear on the arms, hands, legs, or torso. They may be present in clusters or join up to form larger patches. As a result, they can range in size from a
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Treatment Options For Ringworm And Eczema
It is important to choose the right treatment for your specific skin condition. As you can imagine if the goal is to stop the itching and discomfort let a doctor make the call!
Ringworm treatment:
Ringworm is a fungal infection, so the treatment focuses on killing the fungus. This can be done with over-the-counter or prescription antifungal medications.
Eczema treatment:
There are many different treatments for eczema, depending on its cause. If you have allergies, your doctor may prescribe antihistamines for you. You can also try topical corticosteroids or other types of steroids that are applied directly to the area affected by eczema but these may have some side effects and should not be used too often, especially in children. Some people find relief from taking oral antihistamines like Zyrtec, Benadryl, Claritin, and Allegra or allergy shots. If you have a severe case of eczema, your doctor may prescribe oral steroids.