Different Types of Eczema

Eczema is a chronic problem for lots of people – in fact, it’s estimated that eczema affects 35 million Americans: 1-3% of adults, and 10-20% of children. Despite its frequency, eczema remains as a stressful and frustrating condition that can make your daily life uncomfortable. For the more extreme cases, constant itching can lead to lack of sleep and restlessness. Dry patches can cause severe irritation and painfully cracked skin. And the intermittent flare-ups can make a sufferer avoid normally enjoyed activities, such as going to the pool or playing sports.
 
Although this affliction is a general term for a set of chronic skin conditions caused by inflammation, eczema actually comes in many different forms. Depending on the cause and type, eczema may flare up and cause severe symptoms, such as itching, scaling, redness, blisters, and cracked skin. Here are some of the different types of eczema:
 

Atopic

 
The term ‘atopic’ refers to a personal and family tendency to develop eczema, asthma and/or hay fever. While these conditions tend to be hereditary, they are not always passed directly from parent to child and may skip a generation. Although we still do not know exactly why atopic eczema develops in some people, research has shown that a combination of genetic and environmental factors play a part.
 

Contact

 
Contact eczema, or contact dermatitis as it is more commonly referred to, is the name given to those types of eczema that occur as a result of contact with irritants or allergens in the environment. These include chemicals and frequent hand washing. Contact eczema has two types: Irritant and Allergic Contact Eczema.
 

Adult Seborrhoeic

 
Adult seborrhoeic usually starts on the scalp as dandruff that can progress to redness, irritation, and increased scaling, which becomes seborrhoeic eczema. As the scalp becomes inflamed, the eczema may spread onto the face and neck.
 

Infantile Seborrhoeic

 
Infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis is a common skin condition seen in infants under the age of one year. It usually appears suddenly between two weeks and six months after birth. It commonly affects the scalp, which brought on the name cradle cap, but the face, ears, neck, behind the knees, inside the elbows, armpits, and nappy area may also be affected.
 

Nummular

 
This type of eczema more often affects men than women. Men usually don’t get their first outbreak before their mid-50s, while women tend to get it in their teen years or early adulthood. Nummular dermatitis causes coin-shaped red marks that appear most often on the legs, backs of the hands, hips, lower back, and forearms.
 

Asteatotic

 
Also known as “eczema cracquelée”, Asteatotic eczema almost always affects people over the age of 60. The cause is not known, but asteatotic eczema can be linked to a decrease in the oils on the skin surface, low humidity, over cleansing of the skin, hot baths, scrubbing the skin and vigorous towel drying. Pre-existing dryness and roughness of the skin are also linked to this type of eczema.
 

Varicose

 
If you have poor circulation, have had a blood clot in your legs, have varicose veins, have had phlebitis or cellulitis in the past or are overweight you are at risk of developing varicose eczema. Also known as gravitational or stasis eczema, this type of eczema is common in later life, particularly in women but can occur from the teenage years onward. Stasis dermatitis can arise quickly, causing weeping and crusting of the skin. Over time, this type of eczema can cause the skin to develop brown stains.

There is a wide range of treatment options for the different types of eczema, so always consult a doctor before trying anything on your skin. But no matter the eczema you suffer from, one treatment has been tried and true: Doctor Developed Creams. Because our formula was developed by doctors, application is safe for daily use whenever your eczema flare-ups arise. Don’t let your skin run your life, try a proven-to-work treatment and say goodbye to your irritation today.