Why Do I Suddenly Have Eczema On My Face

You Have An Infection Or Serious Health Condition

Underlying health issues such as infections can trigger eczema flares, and swelling of the legs associated with congestive heart failure can result in itchy, red skin of the lower legs. Although the presence of eczema does not typically indicate an underlying concern, if your eczema is not responding to treatments as expected, it is best to bring it up with your dermatologist.

Skin Cleansers And Body Washes

If you have eczema, one of the worst things you can do is wash with traditional bar soaps. They are not only harsh but can strip away many of the skin’s natural oils. These oils are known as a natural moisturizing factor, or NMF, which are meant to protect the skin.

Choose an eczema-friendly soap or cleanser designed specifically for dry, sensitive skin. An ever-expanding range is available on store shelves. The best of them carry the seal of acceptance from the National Eczema Association.

For infants, toddlers, and young children, you can choose to avoid cleansing products and opt for plain water baths only. Older children, teens, and adults may also benefit from soaping the hands, armpits, and groin rather than the entire body.

Antibacterial gels are ideal for cleaning hands, since their alcohol base does not reduce NMF.

Types Of Facial Eczema

Eczema is actually a term for a group of conditions that cause itchy, red, and inflamed skin rashes. The types of eczema that are most likely to appear on the face are:

• Atopic dermatitis: This is the most common type of eczema overall. It is very common on the cheeks and chin, especially in infants. It can also appear around the eyes, on the eyelids, and around the lips. It can, however, occur anywhere on the face or the rest of the body.
• Contact dermatitis: This is also a common type of eczema. It is a skin reaction to a specific irritant. On the face, it is usually found around the eyes, the hairline, and in areas that contact perfumes and jewelry, like the neck and earlobes. But, like atopic dermatitis, this type of eczema can occur anywhere.
• Seborrheic dermatitis: This type most often occurs around the hairline, in the eyebrows, around the ears, and on the sides of the nose.

• Small blisters that may weep or ooze
• Cracked skin that may bleed

This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.

The skin may also feel sore and raw during a flare-up. If eczema lasts long, the skin can eventually become thick, discolored, or scarred.

Nearly 30 million people live with eczema in the United States, and it impacts everyone differently. Some people may experience minor flare-ups, where their skin becomes mildly itchy. For others, flare-ups involve severe itching, dryness or oozing, and bleeding.

Read Also: Best Dog Food For Eczema

Seattle Children’s Urgent Care Locations

If your childâs illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

Will Your Child Have Eczema

The predisposition to eczema is an extended family situation. Even if neither parents have the condition, but a grandparent, aunt, cousin or nephew have one of the atopic conditions, there is a possibility that a child of that family will get eczema. Atopy affects one in three people. That puts a lot of people in the target area.

But what is the situation if you, as a parent, have one of the atopic diseases ? In his book, Your Child with Eczema, Dr David Atherton explains:

If one parent has or has had one of these conditions, the childs risk of developing atopic eczema will be about double that of a child whose parents have never had any of these. If both parents have or have had any atopic disease, the risk of eczema in their child is doubled again. Having a brother or sister as well as one parent with atopic disease does not appear to increase the risk any further. If parents, or brothers or sisters have a history of eczema itself, rather than just asthma or hayfever, then the risk is increased even further.

You May Like: Different Types Of Eczema In Toddlers

Diagnosing Food Allergy And Eczema Flare

• Your child’s doctor may suggest the steps listed below:
• Remove the suspected food or foods from your child’s diet for 2 weeks. The eczema should greatly improve.
• Then give your child that food when the eczema is under good control. This is called a “challenge.”
• If the food is causing flare-ups, the eczema should become itchy and red. The flare-up should occur quickly within 2 hours of eating the food.
• If this occurs, avoid giving this food to your child. Talk to your child’s doctor about the need for any food substitutes.
• If the eczema does not flare-up, your child isn’t allergic to that food.

What Else Should I Know

If you live with eczema, tune in to what triggers it and how to manage it. For example, if you find that some types of makeup irritate your skin, ask a dermatologist to recommend brands that are less likely to do so.

Your self-esteem doesn’t have to suffer because you have eczema, and neither does your social life! Getting involved in your school and extracurricular activities can be a great way to get your mind off the itch.

Don’t forget to exercise. It’s a great way to blow off stress try walking, bike riding, swimming, or another sport that keeps your skin cool and dry while you work out.

Read Also: Can Cocoa Butter Help Eczema

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.

How Do You Treat Eczema On The Fingers

Treatment

29.03.2021

Recommended Reading: Eczema Skin Peeling On Hands

You May Like: Why Do You Have Eczema

How I Overcame Severe Eczema When Doctors Said There Was No Cure

As a kid, I suffered from severe eczema for most of my life. It was a really tough battle especially if you know anyone else who suffers from it. I was seeing doctors on a weekly basis and getting steroids, cortisone creams, and medications most of which dont work on a large population of eczema sufferers.

This post contains some graphic images,so only continue scrolling down if you feel you are able to handle it.

that I experienced from birth, dating, marriage, and giving birth. I flared up very severely after giving birth, but thankfully Ive cleared up significantly. You can continue to listen to my full podcast here.)

As an individual who was covered almost 100% from head to toe with severe eczema, my doctor said mine was one of the worst they had ever seen. I was unable to find many online resources or conventional treatments that helped, which led me to discover how nutrition could change my life. Since then, I have become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist to help other people overcome eczema by using food natures greatest medicine to bring healing to the body.

I hope to share my experiences to help you get better. I have since learned that there are natural remedies for severe eczema and there is always a way to help it get better.

Recommended Reading: Is Beer Bad For Eczema

What Makes Atopic Eczema Flare

• Many factors in a persons environment can make AE worse these include heat, dust, woollen clothing, pets and irritants such as soaps, detergents and other chemicals.
• Being unwell, for example having a common cold cancause a flare-up.
• Infections with bacteria or viruses can worsen AE. Bacterial infection makes the affected skin yellow, crusty and inflamed, and may need specific treatment. An infection with the cold sore virus can cause a sudden painful widespread flare-up of AE, with weeping small sores.
• Dryness of the skin.
• In some, food allergens may rarely cause a flare up

You May Like: California Baby Therapeutic Relief Eczema Shampoo & Bodywash

Keeping Eczema At Bay

There are a number of ways in which you can cut down the possibility of triggering or aggravating the eczema. Here is a quick checklist:

• Wear cotton next to your skin. Synthetic or woollen clothes and bedding can cause over-heating. Some people can get away with putting woollens over cotton clothes.
• Use soap-substitutes and mild shampoos.
• People with atopic eczema may be allergic to dust, dust mites, grass seeds, pollens, feathers, animal fur and dander.
• Use non-biological soap powders and detergents.
• Use cotton mitts at night to stop you scratching and take antihistamines to curtail the itchiness and to help you sleep.
• Dietary factors are not commonly associated with adult atopic eczema so do not embark on a diet without consultation with your doctor or dietitian. Food additives are the most likely to cause problems, particularly artificial colourings and preservatives .
• Over-heating, frosty weather, low humidity, dry air, central heating, air conditioning and car heaters can all aggravate a dry skin and eczema.
• Get to know your own triggers. What sparks off one persons eczema doesnt necessarily trigger anothers.

Eczema Coping Tips Avoid Changes In Temperature

Abrupt temperature and humidity changes can sometimes irritate the skin for example, going in and out of air-conditioned buildings on hot days or heated buildings on cold days.Hard physical activity or exercise that makes you sweat heavily can also trigger the itch of eczema.Suggestions include:

• In winter, dont overheat your house. Dress warmly when going outdoors and remove the extra layers as soon as you return.
• In summer, dont over cool your house. Air conditioners can dry out the air and irritate your skin.
• Avoid hard physical activity in hot weather. For example, do your gardening first thing in the morning, or in the evening when the sun is lower in the sky.

Don’t Miss: How To Get Rid Of Eczema Bumps

Eczema On Face: Types Symptoms & Treatment

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is an inflammatory disease of the immune system.

It manifests as itchiness, inflammation, dryness, flakiness, and a red, rash-like appearance of the skin.

Often developed in early childhood, eczema can lead to recurrent infections if left untreated.

In this article, Ill discuss the types of facial eczema, and the symptoms of each.

Ill talk about how eczema is diagnosed, the treatment options are available, and offer some prevention tips.

Eczema first appears as an itchiness or redness of the skin.

In some circumstances, the skin may break out in tiny bumps or blisters.

While it is more commonly experienced by children, adults can also have bouts of eczema due to genetic and environmental factors.

Caused by dehydration of the skin, eczema is not contagious, but can leave a person more susceptible to infectionsharmful substances can more easily penetrate affected skin.

More than 30 million Americans have eczema.

What Is Involved In A Skin Biopsy

During this test, a specialist skin doctor called a dermatologist will take a small sample of skin from an area without the rash. Samples of skin taken from the area with the rash dont always give an accurate result.

The skin sample is then tested. If you test positive for DH youll be referred to a specialist gut doctor called a gastroenterologist to be tested for coeliac disease.

Read Also: Eczema Itching All Over Body

Also Check: Can Dog Dander Cause Eczema

Deficiency In Omega 3s

Your skin is made up of fatty acids, and unfortunately, our diet in modern society is made up of too much Omega 6 and not enough Omega 3s . If your ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 is imbalanced , youll most likely be more prone to having inflammation.

Since omega-3s also help the body product important anti-inflammatory hormones, falling short of it can contribute to conditions, such as eczema, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart disease. A severe deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids can also result in dry skin, hair loss and an impaired immune system.

When my eczema flared up like crazy, I doubled the dosage from 1-2 grams a day to 3-4 grams a day to reduce the inflammation. If you use a good quality fish oil, youll notice that the quality and softness of your skin will change as well . Make sure to look for a good quality fish oil, like Nutrasea.

Try to get the liquid supplement whenever you can, as it absorbs better. And, dont worry, there are so many flavours like apple flavour or lemon flavour to mask any fish flavour!

Dont be alarmed if your healing does not come overnight. Since its taken years for bad habits of toxins to accumulate in your body, natural eczema healing will also take some time for your body to reverse the damage.

Dont Miss: Natural Eczema Treatment For Kids

Atopic Eczema On The Face Or Neck

Atopic eczema affects these areas of the body most often in infants and adults.

In infants, it is usually the first area affected by eczema. It appears on the convexities, especially the cheeks .

In adults, eczema patches tend to appear on several areas: the hands, the crook of the arms, etc.

This type of eczema is caused by atopy rather than by an allergy. Atopy is a genetic hypersensitivity to the environment and can also manifest as asthma or rhinitis. In people with atopic skin, eczema appears in flare-ups alternating with periods of remission.

Read Also: Why Is My Eczema Wet

Similarities Between Ad In Adults And Children

While AD tends to change how it looks and where it appears as we age, there are still many similarities between having AD as an adult and as a child.

The list of similarities often includes that AD can:

• Appear anywhere on the skin

• Be intensely itchy

• Cause sleep loss due to the itch

• Make you feel depressed, anxious, or both

• Lead to skin infections

ImageUsed with permission of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol 2001 44:89-93.

ReferencesEichenfield LF, Tom WL, et al. Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis. Section 1. Diagnosis and assessment of atopic dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014 70:338-51.

Ellis CN, Mancini AJ, et al. Understanding and managing atopic dermatitis in adult patients. Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2012 31:S18-22

Kanwar AJ. Adult-onset atopic dermatitis. Indian J Dermatol. 2016 Nov-Dec 61: 6623.

Kim JP, Chao LX, et al. Persistence of atopic dermatitis : A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016 75:681-7.

Silverberg JI, Vakharia PP, et al. Phenotypical differences of childhood- and adult-onset atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2017 Nov 10. pii: S2213-219830757-2.

All content solely developed by the American Academy of Dermatology

The American Academy of Dermatology gratefully acknowledges the support from Leo Pharma, Inc., and Sanofi and Regeneron.

How Seborrheic Dermatitis Is Diagnosed

A skin specialist called a dermatologist or another healthcare provider will review your medical history and perform a physical exam. They can usually diagnose seborrheic dermatitis based on its appearance.

There are other common skin conditions that can cause symptoms similar to those seen in seborrheic dermatitis. These include:

• Psoriasis: A skin condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells, causing patches anywhere on the body
• Rosacea, a chronic condition characterized by redness and bumps on the face
• Allergic contact dermatitis, or an allergic skin reaction after coming in contact with an allergen
• Tinea versicolor fungal infection, which is caused by yeast in the Malassezia family
• Pityriasis rosea, an itchy round or oval-shaped rash that typically resolves on its own

Less commonly, a widespread rash that can mimic the patches of seborrheic dermatitis may be due to secondary syphilis. This is a worsening of primary syphilis, the sexually transmitted bacterial infection that usually begins as a sore at the infection site.

Facial seborrheic dermatitis may also resemble the classic “butterfly rash” seen in systemic lupus erythematosus , a disorder in which the immune system damages connective tissues and the lining of blood vessels throughout the body.

To differentiate among these conditions, a dermatologist may perform the following tests:

Read Also: What Tea Is Good For Eczema