How Can I Tell if It's Psoriasis or Eczema?
Maybe you're in your easy chair settling down for a little Sunday siesta. Or you're heading out the door for a day of fun in the sun. Either way, you stop and pause, because you've got an itch that just won't leave you alone -- along with blotches of red on your skin. What gives?
Your doctor needs to make the final call, but psoriasis or eczema could be the problem. Both are skin conditions with similar symptoms, but there are ways to tell them apart.
Is Psoriasis Contagious?
Psoriasis causes red, scaly patches to appear on the skin. It can look like a rash, so you may worry that you could get it from someone else or pass it to others. But rest easy: It's not contagious. You cannot catch the disease by touching someone who has it.
Read the Is Psoriasis Contagious? article > >
Eczema causes an intense itch. It can get so bad that you scratch enough to make your skin bleed.
If you have psoriasis, you also could be itchy, but there's something extra going on. Your skin may sting or burn. Some people say it feels like you're getting bitten by fire ants.
Eczema makes your skin red and inflamed. It may be scaly, oozing, or crusty. You may see rough, leathery patches that are sometimes dark. It can also cause swelling.
There are some things that are similar in the way psoriasis appears. You may have red patches. They may be silvery and scaly -- and raised up high. But if you look closely, the skin is thicker and more inflamed than eczema.
Eczema often appears on parts of your body that bend, like your inner elbow or behind your knees. You can have it on your neck, wrists, and ankles. Babies sometimes get it on their chin, cheeks, scalp, chest, back, arms, and legs.
Psoriasis often shows up on places like your:
You may also have patches on other areas, such as:
Your doctor needs to make the final call, but psoriasis or eczema could be the problem. Both are skin conditions with similar symptoms, but there are ways to tell them apart.
Recommended Related to Psoriasis
Is Psoriasis Contagious?
Psoriasis causes red, scaly patches to appear on the skin. It can look like a rash, so you may worry that you could get it from someone else or pass it to others. But rest easy: It's not contagious. You cannot catch the disease by touching someone who has it.
Read the Is Psoriasis Contagious? article > >
How It Feels
Eczema causes an intense itch. It can get so bad that you scratch enough to make your skin bleed.
If you have psoriasis, you also could be itchy, but there's something extra going on. Your skin may sting or burn. Some people say it feels like you're getting bitten by fire ants.
What It Looks Like
Eczema makes your skin red and inflamed. It may be scaly, oozing, or crusty. You may see rough, leathery patches that are sometimes dark. It can also cause swelling.
There are some things that are similar in the way psoriasis appears. You may have red patches. They may be silvery and scaly -- and raised up high. But if you look closely, the skin is thicker and more inflamed than eczema.
Where It Shows Up
Eczema often appears on parts of your body that bend, like your inner elbow or behind your knees. You can have it on your neck, wrists, and ankles. Babies sometimes get it on their chin, cheeks, scalp, chest, back, arms, and legs.
Psoriasis often shows up on places like your:
- Elbows
- Knees
- Scalp and face
- Lower back
- Palms of your hands
- Soles of your feet
You may also have patches on other areas, such as:
- Fingernails and toenails
- Mouth and lips
- Eyelids
- Ears
- Skin folds