Do you have eczema? Here are 5 ways to tell (and the best products for it)

If you’re feeling itchy and dry these days, it’s a good idea to ask yourself some questions about what’s really going on. Dry skin and eczema can look similar, but dryness can resolve itself with diligent hydration and exposure to warmer, more humid air. Eczema, meanwhile, may require more significant lifestyle changes and perhaps even prescription medications.

Anyone who suffers from this condition, also known as atopic dermatitis, will tell you that it’s seriously uncomfortable. “Itching from eczema can be excruciating,” said Dr. Ellen Marmur, board-certified dermatologist and founder of skincare brand MMSkincare. “Actually, the word comes from the Greek word ‘ekzein’ – ‘to boil’ – because it can feel an intense burn.”

It can be difficult to discern which condition is which, at least initially. “Dry skin is most commonly related to a person’s environment, such as dry air in the winter months or excessive washing,” said Dr. Jaimie DeRosa, dual board certified facial plastic surgeon. “Eczema, on the other hand, has an immune or genetic origin. Both conditions are not uncommon and people often assume they just have dry skin when in fact their skin condition is eczema.

“It differs from dry skin because a diagnosis of eczema implies skin barrier dysfunction, often due to an underlying mutation in filaggrin, which is a critical building block of the skin barrier,” said Courtney Rubin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist who echo. . -founder and chief physician of a skin care company Fig.1.

“Skin barrier dysfunction means that the skin barrier is ‘short’, dry and dehydrated. Environmental antigens and microbes pass through the skin and come into contact with the body’s immune system, causing inflammation. This leads to the itchy, scaly, red patches of skin we know as eczema.”

Here are some questions to help you determine what’s under the skin:

1. How old are you? The younger you are, the more likely you are to have eczema. “It affects about 25 percent of children and 3 percent of adults, although its prevalence is increasing,” said Dr. Lauren Penzi, a board-certified dermatologist.

“Children often outgrow atopic dermatitis by puberty,” said dermatologist Dr. Azadeh Shirazi. “In adults, eczema looks different like hand dermatitis or contact dermatitis, or we can see conditions like seborrheic dermatitis, where a rash develops in the T-zone,” she added, referring to the forehead and nose area.

2. What does it look like – and where is it? “For children, eczema tends to appear as dry, red, scaly patches on folds such as the neck, wrists, ankles or behind the knees,” Penzi said. “For adults, it can also appear on the face, neck, arms, back, hands and feet. Adults are also more likely to have thicker, scaly plaques.

On pale skin, the plaques usually appear as raised red spots. On darker skin, they may appear a darker brown or look more purple or gray.

3. How is your physical health? Patients with atopic dermatitis often have experience with asthma, allergic rhinitis or seasonal allergies, as well as a family history of eczema, Penzi said.

4. What about your mental health? “It’s not uncommon for eczema to flare up and be exacerbated by stress,” DeRosa said.

“It’s been well studied that eczema patients have higher rates of anxiety and depression than the general population,” Penzi added.

5. Are you hitting the concealer harder than usual? “People with eczema may also notice dark areas around the eyes, which can show [the kinds of] dark circles that appear for other reasons,” DeRosa said.

“First of all, don’t shower more than once a day and for no more than 10 minutes. Use warm water, not hot,” said board-certified dermatologist Dr. Lian Mack.

“After that, use only mild, unscented soap. After showering, dry your skin and apply a light, unscented moisturizer, cream, or ointment to damp skin. When doing laundry, use a hypoallergenic detergent and avoid fabric softener. In general, stay away from wool, perfume and body sprays and use a humidifier during the dry winter months.”

DeRosa had these suggestions: “If the itching is severe, steroid creams or topical creams called calcineurin inhibitors can be used. Sunlight or UV phototherapy [ultraviolet] The device is sometimes a good idea for drying out the lesions, but don’t forget to wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen. For severe eczema that keeps you up at night, oral antihistamines or diphenhydramine can help.

Even if you’re not sure if you have eczema, it’s still a good idea to see a dermatologist.

“I think the biggest mistake people make is continuing to live with itching because they feel like nothing is working,” said Dr. Latanya Benjamin, a pediatric dermatologist. “Instead of buying multiple products online or trying tons of over-the-counter creams, I recommend going to a dermatologist. I always tell my patients that the itch must be removed first for the skin to heal.”

“Recently, there have been many new treatments for eczema on the market, including a new class of drugs that target a previously untargeted pathway in the skin’s inflammatory process,” said Dr. Rebecca Marcus, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skins. Medical assistance company Mai MD. “So please ask your dermatologist for help. We have many tools to help with itching and discomfort.

“Choose either an ointment or a real cream,” Penzi said. “Avoid lotions like those found in pump bottles as they have a higher water content. Although they absorb quickly, they are not as effective in moisturizing the skin.

If your hands are affected, Marmur suggested using petroleum-based products like Aquaphor with gloves at night. “They’ll help lock in moisture,” he said.

The following products were highly rated by experts interviewed by HuffPost: