Identify the difference between eczema and psoriasis. Both are skin conditions that cause inflammation. Read on to learn how to deal with both.
Commonly, people don’t know the technical differences between Psoriasis and eczema. You need to recognize patch of skin that’s inflamed, red, or peeling to dictate how you treat it. This article will help show you the difference between psoriasis and eczema on different areas of the body.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is characterized by a thick patch of white scales. Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune condition that caused due to the overproduction of skin cells. The dead cells build up into silvery-white scales. As a result, the skin will become inflamed and red, and itchy.
Actually, there’s no cure for psoriasis; however, there are some topical, light-based, and systemic pharmaceutical treatments that can control the condition and put it into remission. Psoriasis isn’t contagious.
Eczema
Eczema, it is also called atopic dermatitis, can be a long-term condition affecting your skin. Eczema develops due to a hypersensitivity reaction which lead the skin to overreact to certain triggers, such as fabrics, soaps, or animals.
Eczema is common disease in infants. Your Skin may appear red, inflamed, peeling, cracked, blistered, or pus-filled. Generally, eczema is not covered with scaly dead skin. Like psoriasis, dermatitis may occur anywhere on your body causing intense itching. Eczema can be treated with topical treatment.
Psoriasis on Face
Psoriasis most commonly occurs on the knees and elbows; however, it may occur anywhere of your body including the face, scalp, and neck. Certainty, visible psoriasis would be a source of embarrassment and social anxiety for you. The good news for you that psoriasis on the face and scalp often resolves with treatments, but it may recur.
In many cases, scalp psoriasis may extend onto the forehead, ears, or neck. It may be difficult to treat, especially when hair gets in the way.
Eczema on Face
As with psoriasis, eczema on the face will also cause social discomfort for you. Eczema’s patches can be very itchy causing further skin deterioration. The Itching may cause breaks in your skin that allow infection or bleeding. Eczema can be associated with dryness which can cause cracked skin from general movement.
Eczema commonly includes pus-filled blisters, so scratching will make the skin ooze pus and create crusty and scabbed patches on the skin. Eczema on the face can be treated with systemic medications.
Psoriasis on Hands
You may have attacks of psoriasis on the backs of hands and knuckles, you may also have outbreaks on the palms. Dry skin and intense peeling on your hands may lead to simple actions, such as washing hands, very painful and uncomfortable. Psoriasis on hands can also include nail psoriasis. It causes overactive skin cells to produce too many new cells under the nails. This will look like a fungal infection that discolors the nails and fall them off.
Eczema on Hands
Commonly, eczema can appear on your hands because the hands often come in contact with allergens or irritants such as soaps, lotions, fabric, or animals. To dry out the skin of people with eczema, you should Frequently wash your hands. Eczema on the hands is difficult to treat because of the constant contact with water and other irritants.
Psoriasis on Legs
Psoriasis commonly develops on the legs and knees. Some psoriasis can cover significant portions of your legs, while other types can appear in isolated patches. Every type of psoriasis has its own appearance. For example, guttate psoriasis on the legs appears in many separate small red psoriasis patches, while plaque psoriasis on legs usually appears in large, shapeless patches with thick red skin or white scales.
Eczema on Legs
Eczema on legs can occur in body creases such as the back of the knee or the front of the ankle. Such areas can trap sweat or irritants from clothing and the air. Close contact of irritants with your skin will create a perfect environment for atopic dermatitis to thrive.
If eczema on the backs of the knees isn’t effectively treated, it will become very irritating and painful. Moreover, constant contact from clothing can cause significant bleeding, oozing, and infection.
Psoriasis and Dry Skin
Not all psoriasis patches are dry or scaly. In some cases, large red patches can have no visible scales. However, the patches of psoriasis can build up from dead skin cells to the point of peeling and scaling.
Never force the removal of large scales as gentle removal can prevent breaking your skin and causing bleeding. Some psoriasis patches can build up a very thick, white layer of dead cells before shedding scales.
Eczema and Dry Skin
Eczema commonly develops very dry patches of skin which can make your skin fragile that it cracks easily. The peeling of eczema can resemble that of sunburn or a peeling blister or callus. In some cases, your skin can peel without causing raw skin or open wounds. In other cases, peeling skin reveals broken skin or open blisters. You should treat these to avoid getting a bacterial or viral infection.
Serve Psoriasis
Like other skin conditions, psoriasis may become very irritating. For instance, plaque psoriasis can cover almost the entire surface of the body. In some cases, inflammation may become very severe which it feels like burns. Extensive, burn-like, highly painful, psoriasis can be life-threatening that requires immediate attention from your doctor.
Serve Eczema
Eczema can become very serious covering much of the skin’s surface. The amount of skin that affected by eczema depends on:
- The sensitivity of your skin
- Your skin’s exposure to irritants
- The type of treatments
In cases of severe eczema, severe cracking, oozing, and bleeding can become dangerous. Widespread eczema can also make infection because of the increased chance of broken skin.
How to Treat Psoriasis?
Dermatologists usually start to treat psoriasis by prescribing topical corticosteroid creams. If these are not effective, doctors may prescribe a light therapy treatment. If both steps don’t improve the psoriasis patches, dermatologists may prescribe an oral medication, which is considered as the final steps in most treatment plans.
How to Treat Eczema?
Eczema can also be treated with a topical corticosteroid cream. In some cases, your doctor will suggest over-the-counter creams. In other cases, eczema requires antibiotic creams or prescription oral medications. You can use some barrier creams to protect your skin from irritants and infections.
How to live with psoriasis?
Psoriasis comes and goes over time; however, it’s a life-long condition. A lack of public awareness about psoriasis will lead many people with this condition to feel isolated and ostracized. However, most who have psoriasis have fulfilling, active lives. You can help those who have psoriasis feel better understood and more welcome in society by spreading the word that “psoriasis isn’t contagious “and that it’s a chronic autoimmune condition.
How to live with Eczema?
Like psoriasis, people with eczema usually experience off and on symptoms for many years. Sometimes, Eczema can be so serious that it restricts activity. At times, people with eczema hardly notice their condition. Therefore, understanding the difference between psoriasis and eczema will help you to recognize and treat your condition.
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