Eczema is a kind of dermatitis or inflammation of the skin. It is also not one but a range of skin diseases. It is manifested mainly by dry, red, scaly, itchy skin or a rash that is red and raw, and oozing and blistering.

What Causes Eczema?

Science does not yet have an answer for what causes eczema but doctors do know that this condition is linked to the immune system and dysfunctions in the skin barrier.

Eczema is also part of a triad of diseases, all of them linked to the immune system. These are asthma, hay fever and eczema.

It is a disease that strikes infants. But the condition clears up in half of them by the age of three or four. When it persists into adulthood, the condition is called atopic dermatitis, which is chronic and long-term.

Eczema is partial to the face and neck though it also frequently manifests itself on the insides of the elbow joint, knee joint and the ankles, where there are cartilages and tendons.

Stress Triggers Eczema

Though the cause of eczema is not known, it has many triggers. Unfortunately, as with most allergies, these are varied and difficult to pinpoint except in contact dermatitis.

Contact with certain substances such as soaps and detergents, cosmetics, certain kinds of fabric, sweat or certain kinds of jewellery.

Outbreaks are also related to abrupt temperature changes and definitely stress.

The disease does have some classic symptoms but these vary from one person to another and with the kind of eczema that the patient contracts.

Origin of Term

Eczema usually manifests itself as dry, red itchy spots. These could either be oozing blisters or lesions dry, scaly and flaky skin. Interestingly, the word “eczema” is Greek for “boil over” and refers to the oozing stage of the disease.

Eczema is treated with topical applications and drugs aimed at controlling or easing the itching and inflammation of the skin. These would include creams, lotions and ointments that hydrate the skin and which have high oil content.

Lifestyle Changes

Sometimes antihistamines are prescribed to control persistent itching and sometimes, corticosteroids are needed.

Lifestyle changes that reduce emotional stress and anxiety are also advised in the treatment of eczema.

Eczema – What Is It? is a post from: Skincare

Nummular dermatitis is a type of eczema seen mainly in older men. In fact, eczema itself is a generic word that typifies a host of skin rashes and allergies. These word eczema and atopic dermatitis are often used interchangeably.

Origin of the Term

Patients with nummular dermatitis have excessively dry and scaly skin with red, itchy spots that look like small coins or discs. In fact, the term nummular is derived from the Latin word “nummus” which means “coin”.

The skin gets extremely dry leading to the formation of scales. Scales are the result of the hardening of the outermost layer of the epidermis called the stratum corneum. It consists of dead cells and the protein keratin. The cells in this layer have no nucleus.

These cells either accumulate to form a hardened layer or they shed and fall off.

Papules and Scales

Before the scales form, the skin breaks out in small papules or water-filled vesicles or blisters. These burst, dry and then crust over into clusters of scales or plaques.

Nummular dermatitis is a chronic or long-term condition and rashes break out usually on the forearms, lower legs and buttocks and on the backs of the hands. The condition worsens in winter when the weather is cold and dry and humidity in the atmosphere drops.

There are some other skin conditions that look like nummular dermatitis but are not the same. These are psoriasis, tinea corporis, and parapsoriasis.

Other Similar Diseases

Sometimes, rashes that are a reaction to certain drugs could look like nummular dermatitis though patients usually do not experience an itchy sensation.

A resemblance has also been found between nummular dermatitis and impetigo, Bowen’s disease and mycosis fungoides.

As we mentioned earlier, nummular dermatitis is one of many types of eczema. Contact dermatitis is another kind. This kind of eczema develops when an individual is especially sensitized to an allergen in the environment.

The allergen could be anything from nickel in jewellery to certain perfumes and cosmetics, certain synthetic fabrics or washing soaps and detergents.

Skin Allergy

Contact with these substances or allergens sets of a skin reaction characterised by an itchy rash that may also cause a burning sensation.

Usually, once contact is severed, the allergy begins to subside. Apart from nummular dermatitis, the other types of atopic dermatitis are seborrheic eczema, neurodermatitis, and dyshidrotic eczema and stasis dermatitis.

All about Nummular Dermatitis is a post from: Skincare

Hand eczema or hand dermatitis is among the more commonly occurring types of eczema in the population. Around 15 per cent of the population is affected by one form of eczema or the other. Hand eczema accounts for a large number of these patients.

Common Condition

Hand eczema or hand dermatitis is particularly debilitating because we use our hands to perform various simple and complex tasks all the time.

This common skin condition is characterized by the appearance of scaly skin with plaques. There is often discolouration and redness of the skin with or without an angry red rash.

It is very itchy and the skin is excessively dry. Sometimes, though, the skin cam weep and blisters and lesions form. When the skin gets dry and cracked, deep and painful fissures appear.

Atopic Dermatitis

Hand eczema or hand dermatitis surfaces in people who are already prone to atopic dermatitis. This is a skin disease that is connected to the immune system and is triggered by certain substances in regular contact with the skin that patients are allergic to.

Hand eczema is prevalent in about 10 per cent women and four per cent of men, especially those who use their hands to do a lot of work on a regular basis.

Though the causes are not understood, it is presumed that this is the case because eczema is related to deficiencies in the skin barrier which allows extreme loss of water from the skin, making it prone to infection, inflammation and drying out.

Like bartenders, hairdressers, dental workers and surgeons who need to wash and dry their hands all the time.

Dos and Don’ts

There are some dos and don’ts you can adopt of you’re prone to hand eczema or hand dermatisis, which will minimize both the frequency and severity of outbreaks.

Do not heat or cool the skin abruptly. Use cotton gloves, not rubber, when working as rubber makes the hand sweat and perspiration worsens the symptoms.

Use equipment that will minimize hand contact with irritants like detergents. This could be a dishwasher instead of washing the dishes with your hands. Use a mop with a long handle to clean the floor.

Avoiding Triggers

When you’re cooking, avoid touching citrus fruit and foods like lime, onion and garlic and raw meat.

Alternatively, do no over wash your hands if you have hand eczema or hand dermatitis. This will dry out the skin further and worsen your symptoms. Also gently pat your hands with a towel after washing. Do not rub or scrub them.

All about Hand Eczema – Hand Dermatitis is a post from: Skincare

Hand eczema is a very debilitating skin disease to have as it impairs and compromises your ability to perform even simple, everyday tasks. Worse, it is not a unidimensional disease as there are many subtypes of hand eczema.

Irritant and Allergic Hand Dermatitis

Hand eczemas fall into two categories though these can also overlap. One is irritant contact dermatitis or allergic contact dermatitis.

The clinical appearances sometimes overlap and some individuals with allergic dermatitis may also have the super-imposed irritant.

It is difficult to distinguish between the two types as the clinical symptoms also overlap and they look very similar. Though there are two subtypes of hand dermatitis, the differences are only subtle.

Types of Irritants

The irritant type is triggered by repeated exposure or contact with irritants such as soaps, detergents, wet vegetables and raw meat.

It begins with the appearance of small itchy patches. Blisters are uncommon. The patch growls larger and more and more scaly before deep fissures begin to develop.

The skin turns scaly when the outermost layer – that is, the outer layer of the epidermis – shows excessive growth. Since this layer is composed f hared and dead keratinous cells, the skin itself looks like scales.

Allergic hand dermatitis looks similar to irritant hand dermatitis but it shows a preference for the webbed portions between the fingers, backs of the fingers and the wrists. Inflammation is also more pronounced than in irritant dermatitis.

The irritant variety seems to occur more frequently on the palms of the hands.

Scales versus Blisters

Another difference is that in the allergic subtype of hand dermatitis, blisters or vesicles erupt, leading to swelling of the affected portions.

In severe cases, the hand may get much disfigured and may even begin to look liked a webbed claw.

When examining triggers, special mention must be made of an allergy to the metal nickel. This metal is present in everyday objects such as jewellery, coin money, and cosmetics. Care must be taken to minimize skin contact with these objects.

Nickel is present in a large variety of foods and vegetables. Food like shellfish, tea, chocolate, beans, mushrooms, onions, corn, spinach, tomatoes, peas, pears, and baking powder also contain varying amounts of nickel.

This severely restricts the diet of individuals prone to allergic hand dermatitis.

Other Subtypes

There are a couple of other subtypes of hand dermatitis. One of these is dyshidrotic eczema or pompholyx. Blisters usually occur on the palms and sides of the fingers.

People suffering from this condition are often found to be smokers, pointing to an allergic reaction to nicotine and tar in the cigarettes.

Among the subtypes of hand dermatitis is hyperkeratotic dermatitis. Patients usually exhibit thick, scaly patches of skin that are not terribly itchy. Men are more prone to hyperkeratotic dermatitis than women.

Subtypes of Hand Dermatitis is a post from: Skincare

Lichen simplex chronicus is a subtype of dermatitis. Some doctors think of it more as a symptom rather than a separate disease.

Thickening Skin

It is marked by an awfully itching sensation that is much localised. This itching causes the individual to scratch the area, which in turn leads to the formation of papules and blisters that burst and causes the skin to thicken.

Some do not break out in papules and repeated scratching leads to thickened scaly skin. This is called lichenification of the skin. The skin also gets discoloured over a period of time and blackens.

Scales and Nodules

In very chronic cases, nodules may form, complicating the situation.

Lichen simplex chronicus commonly occurs in certain regions of the body such as the ankles, shins, the back or side of the neck, forearms, and the back. Sometimes, the genital areas are also affected.

Complications Can Occur

Due to the constant scratching, the skin is bound to break and invite secondary infections.

Lichen simplex chronicus has a well-established and definite itch-scratch-itch cycle that is established as the nerve endings in these areas become hyper-irritable. This invariably leads to uncontrollable scratching, which in turn makes the nerves more and more irritable.

Topical Treatment

As is the case with all kinds of eczema, treatment is mainly palliative and is aimed at easing the symptoms. In the case of lichen simplex chronicus, it is aimed at stopping the itchy sensation and preventing the patient from scratching the affected area.

Sometimes, the area may need to be covered to help the patient avoid the temptation of scratching it. Water and soap contact must be minimized or stopped.

There are various topical applications that can be used to treat lichen simplex chronicus, such as emollients, corticosteroids and hydrocortisone creams.

All about Lichen Simplex Chronicus is a post from: Skincare

Contact dermatitis is a skin disease classified as eczema. The term eczema is itself as basket term for various kinds of skin rashes characterized mainly by scaling and thickening of the skin.

This is one of the features that distinguish it from other kinds of skin conditions. Eczema and all its related conditions are caused by a disturbance or imbalance in the body’s immune system that make parts of the skin sensitive to certain kinds of triggers.

Two Kinds of Contact Dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is a common form of eczema and is itself divided into two categories – irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis.

The classification depends of the kinds of triggers. But under both conditions, the symptoms are similar. The patient exhibits red, itchy skin that burns and is prone to blistering.

Scaling and thickening of the skin is another major feature. The outermost layer of the epidermis is called the stratum corneum, which is largely made up of hard keratin cells.

How Scales Form

These are dead protein cells that form a barrier between the environment and the sensitive inner layer of the skin. In eczema patients, excess cells are produced by the stratum corneum, which is very, very dry.

Scales and plaques are then formed. These are large patches of extremely dry skin.

Contact dermatitis, as the name suggests, develops when the skin reacts to certain substances like soaps, detergents and solvents, metals like copper, cobalt and zinc in jewellery, certain fabrics, sweat, raw meat and a number of vegetables and other foods, etc.

Stress and anxiety is another common trigger and may require the patient to make lifestyle changes if the condition is severe.

Occupational Hazard

People who work in certain professions and are in contact with certain chemicals like road construction workers also develop contact dermatitis due to the nature of their work.

The condition also develops due to excessive and repeated washing of the hands with strong chemicals.

There is another kind of contact dermatitis – photocontact dermatitis. This condition develops when the ultraviolet rays of the sun react with certain substances on the skin (not the skin itself) and produce an irritant or allergic reaction. The product it is then toxic for the individual.

This can take place, for instance, when the UV light reacts to certain topical applications that contain psoralens used in the treatment of skin diseases.

Contact dermatitis is therefore less vague in its causes than many other forms of dermatitis, and identifying the trigger is crucial in treating it.

All about Contact Dermatitis is a post from: Skincare

Eczema can loosely be categorised as allergic dermatitis and non-allergic dermatitis.

As the terms suggest, eczema that is an allergic reaction to something is considered allergic dermatitis. Let’s understand a little more about this skin disease before we look at allergens and triggers for allergic dermatitis.

What is Eczema?

Eczema is a skin disease where red, inflamed itchy patches appear on the skin in different parts of the body. These usually blister and sometimes bleed before the skin forms a crust and hard, scaly patches are left on the surface.

Eczema is a defect of the immune system but science hasn’t yet been able to pinpoint its cause. It is also known that defects in the skin barrier – or the outermost layer of the skin epidermis – precipitates the itchy patches so typical of this skin condition.

A large percentage of eczema cases are allergic. This means that something triggers an allergic reaction. The substance that causes the reaction is called an allergen.

What is Allergic Dermatitis?

Allergic dermatitis is usually triggered either food, accounting for a large slice of eczema patients. The remaining patients are allergic to external allergens like nickel, natural chemicals in plants, certain fabrics, etc.

Apart from allergic dermatitis, there is another class of triggers that cause irritant dermatitis. The symptoms are identical but the trigger sets of a different reaction.

How do you know if you have allergic dermatitis? The answer to this is to study the distribution and configuration of the eczema patches on the skin.

Do they appear in straight lines, irregular shapes, do they have sharp edges and are they angular? If the answer is “yes”, you most likely have allergic dermatitis.

Patients of skin diseases in general, and eczema in particular, need to give their dermatologist a detailed history. This might include family as well as personal history.

Identifying the Allergen

You doctor needs details regarding personal habits, occupational routine, what you eat possible medicines you take and even what clothes you wear.

Allergens by their very nature are vague or subtle and it takes great skill and often a lot of time to identify them.

Once possible allergens are identified, your dermatologist will probably conduct a patch test on you. This means the suspected allergen – let’s say latex or rubber – is applied to a disc and then taped to your back.

The patch is removed after two days. If there is any redness, swelling or an itchy sensation, it suggests that you’re allergic to the substance.

Occupational Allergens

Contact dermatitis is a common form of allergic dermatitis and is often associated with certain types of professionals. These are people who are in constant physical contact with certain specific substances.

This kind of contact dermatitis is called occupational dermatitis and typically includes dentists, florists and gardeners, chefs, construction workers, and hospital workers.

Some patients are also allergic to topical steroids while other allergic dermatitis patients react to topical corticosteroids. This unfortunately restricts the course of treatment for them.

Eczema – Allergic Dermatitis is a post from: Skincare

Did you know that the people who work in certain professions are more prone to contracting eczema than others? This is called occupational contact dermatitis and is a part of the eczema family of diseases.

Warning Signs

But how and why does this happen? And how can one tell if one has contracted occupational contact dermatitis? The disease is actually called contact dermatitis but due to the fact that it afflicts people in certain professions, it has earned the name “occupational contact dermatitis”.

The skin condition arises when the individual develops an allergy to a chemical present in the material one habitually works with. Alternatively, instead of an allergy, the material makes the skin hypersensitive, converting the material into an irritant.

These two types of contact or occupational contact dermatitis are classified as irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis.

Chefs & Food Allergies

For instance, a chef could develop occupational contact dermatitis if his or her hands become allergic to diallyl disulfide, a compound found in garlic.

There in fact a wide range of foods that causes eczema in chefs and, apart from fussy patrons, is another hazard of the job!

Consider the following statistic. Around 20% of individuals who are hairdressers, dentists, florists or construction workers develop occupational contact dermatitis.

Chemical Triggers

What is the material that causes dermatitis in these professions? For hairdressers, its PPD dyes, glycerol, monothioglycerol, and nickel.

These substances are present in the substances a hairdresser worked with every day. Dentists, for instance, can develop a reaction to acrylic cements as well as the anesthetics they habitually use for dental surgery.

For gardeners and florists, it’s usually sesquiterpene lactone.

What are the signs and symptoms of occupational contact dermatitis? Dry skin is usually the first sign? Has your skin suddenly become chapped and dry?

Has it turned raw and angry and red? Is there sudden anitnse itching on the hands?

If the condition is more severe or advanced, blisters may form, the skin will be inflamed and fingers and palms may swell. Then the skin becomes scaly and thick.

This happens because the outer keratinous layer produces excess cells as a reaction. These cells accumulate and begin to flake off. The skin is excessively dry and crusty in the affected area.

Chronic Disease

Occupational contact dermatitis, like most other forms of eczema, is a chronic condition and is little understood in terms of its origins. All doctors know that is eczema is linked to the immune system and disturbances in the skin barrier.

Hence all one cal do is minimize contact with the substances that trigger bouts by wearing protective gear and avoiding them as much as possible.

On occasion, if occupational contact dermatitis becomes very severe, one may have to change one’s profession.

Occupational Contact Dermatitis is a post from: Skincare

The sun is known to have healing properties. But not for everyone. It could turn deadly for individuals prone to eczema that could develop sunscreen allergies.

What is Contact Dermatitis?

This is a form of contact dermatitis which in turn is a form of eczema. But before we proceed, let’s understand what contact dermatitis really is and why sunscreen allergies are a part of this skin condition.

Contact dermatitis is a skin condition that develops when a patients develops an allergic to certain products or chemicals. This is called allergic contact dermatitis.

The other kind id called irritant contact dermatitis and erupts when repeated exposure to certain chemicals and other substances makes the skin hypersensitive to them. These chemicals and substances then serve as irritants.

Signs and symptoms include redness and itchiness of the skin in patches. Blisters may form and in extreme cases, skin lesions as well. The skin eventually turns dry and hard and scaly, giving it the typical appearance of eczema.

Why Sunscreens?

To understand why sunscreens make people allergic and cause sunscreen allergy, one needs to first understand how sunscreens work.

Sunscreen lotions use either chemical blockers or physical blockers to tone down the amount and effect of ultraviolet light those impacts on the skin.

Chemical absorbers absorb ultraviolet radiation and convert it into another kind of radiation that is not as harmful to the skin.

Physical blockers, on the other hand, reflect the sun’s radiation so that it is not absorbed by the skin. They usually contain zinc oxide.

Fragrances and Preservatives

When an individual develops an allergy to the active ingredient, fragrance or preservatives in these sunscreens, they are said to have sunscreen allergies.

These allergies manifest themselves on parts of the body where the sunscreen lotion has been applied. It is also called photo-contact dermatitis”.

Let’s look at some of active ingredients commonly used in sunscreens. One of them is para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) is among the earliest ingredients used in sunscreens but has since been replaced.

It was in fact rejected due to its tendency to make users prone to sunscreen allergies and because it easily stained clothes. If you’re allergic to PABA, you are most likely to be allergic to other similar ingredients such as para-phenylenediamine in hair dye and sulfa drugs.

Active Ingredients

Benzophenones are routinely used in sunscreen lotion and are also high on the list of substances that can cause sunscreen allergies.

But the salicylates family of chemicals used in sunscreens rarely cause allergic problems.

Cinnamates are often used to flavour toothpaste and as a fragrance in perfumes are popular candidates for the sunscreen allergies.

All about Sunscreen Allergies is a post from: Skincare

Eczema is a skin condition that is linked to the immune system and a barrier defect in the skin. It flares up under certain circumstances. This is why it is important to study Eczema, its triggers and symptoms.

Classic Symptoms

Eczema is characterized by some typical symptoms such as excessively dry and scaly skin, inflammation, flare-ups and itchiness.

Dry skin is the most obvious and most common feature of eczema, its triggers and symptoms. Areas that are commonly affected are the face, hands, scalp, lips, legs, shins and back.

The dryness and scaly skin results from inadequate waterproofing of the outermost layer of the skin. This layer allows too much moisture to evaporate, causing the skin to dry up, crack, blister and form scales and plaques.

This occurs in fairly large patches and sometimes, it is so pronounced that the natural lines of the skin develop into deep fissures.

How Widespread Is It?

When trying to understand eczema, its triggers and symptoms, remember that this disease affects 10 to 20 per cent of people across the world.

Sometimes, the skin is so sensitive that it turns dry and scaly as soon as the seasons change and the humidity drops. This acts as a trigger and the condition is called xerotic eczema.

Another classic symptom of eczema is inflammation of the skin. This involves the white cells in the blood that are a part of the immune system.

Inflamed skin turns red and itchy. This usually appears in patches as the upper layer of the dermis and the epidermis swell.

As a result, red bumps begin to erupt with fluid in them. After they burst, the skin dries up, flakes and joins up to form thick, scaly patches.

Bacterial Infection

Secondary infection must be understood while studying eczema, its triggers and symptoms. Dry, cracked, peeling and itchy skin is an open invitation to bacteria, usually the staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

These bacteria embed themselves in the skin and begin to multiply, causing the skin to flare up with infection. This is called secondary infection as it is an indirect result of eczema.

Types of Triggers

The skin of an eczema patient is very susceptible to chemicals and other substances, both natural and synthetic. These act as triggers and cause the skin to erupt and itch uncontrollably.

The triggers are many and unfortunately include a wide range of substances like airborne allergens, several foods, stress, sweat, fabric and jewellery. Abrupt weather changes too act as triggers.

When understanding eczema, its triggers and symptoms, it is important to understand its content. This skin disease is one of a triad of diseases which also includes asthma and hay fever. All these conditions are linked to the immune system.

Eczema Triggers and Symptoms is a post from: Skincare