Adults can get any type of eczema, including atopic dermatitis (AD), which many people consider a childhood disease.
When AD begins after your 18thbirthday, dermatologists call itadult-onset atopic dermatitis. You’d receive this diagnosis if you never had AD before. A peak time for developing adult-onset AD is in your 50s.
AD and the eyes
In adults, atopic dermatitis (AD) often develops on skin around the eyes.
Some adults who have AD had it as a child. It’s possible for AD to go away in childhood and return years later. When the AD returns, it’s often much milder.
For some children, the AD never goes away, so it’s a lifelong disease. This happened to Peter Moffat, the award-winning writer of the British TV seriesCriminal Justice. You can read about how AD affects his life by going to: Adults with eczema too often suffer in silence
Differences between AD in adults and children
Even if you had AD as a child, your skin can look and feel differently when you have AD as an adult. That’s actually one of the most striking differences between AD in adults and AD in children.
In adults, the skin tends to be extremely dry and scaly where the AD appears.
If you’ve had AD for years, patches of your skin may be thick, leathery, and darker (or lighter) than the surrounding skin. Years of scratching causes this. The thickened skin can itch all the time.
Adults also tend to get AD on different parts of their bodies than do children. When an adult has AD, it’s most likely to form in one or more of these areas:
Backs of the knees
Crooks of the elbows
Back of the neck
Face
Adults, unlike children, often have AD around their eyes. You’ll often see thickened, darker skin circling the eyes, as shown in the picture on this page. The skin around the eyes also tends to be very itchy.
Similarities between AD in adults and children
While AD tends to change how it looks and where it appears as we age, there are still many similarities between having AD as an adult and as a child.
The list of similarities often includes that AD can:
Appear anywhere on the skin
Be intensely itchy
Cause sleep loss due to the itch
Make you feel depressed, anxious, or both
Lead to skin infections
Increase your risk of developing asthma, hay fever, and other allergies
Decrease your quality of life if left untreated
More adults and children developing AD
The numbers show that more children and adults are developing AD than ever before.
Dermatologists aren’t sure why this is happening. What they have discovered is that AD can worsen without treatment.
An accurate diagnosis is essential
While AD causes some obvious signs and symptoms, other types of eczema can cause intensely itchy patches of skin. These include:
Each of these skin conditions requires different treatment, so it’s important to know which one you have.
Treatment can bring relief
By seeing a board-certified dermatologist, you’ll get the expertise you need for an accurate diagnosis. A dermatologist can also create a treatment plan tailored to your individual needs. And that can bring welcomed relief.
Related AAD resources
Image
Used with permission of theJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology.J Am Acad Dermatol2001;44:89-93.
References
Eichenfield LF, Tom WL,et al. “Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis. Section 1. Diagnosis and assessment of atopic dermatitis.”J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014; 70:338-51.
Ellis CN, Mancini AJ,et al. “Understanding and managing atopic dermatitis in adult patients.”Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2012; 31(3 Suppl):S18-22
Kanwar AJ. “Adult-onset atopic dermatitis.”Indian J Dermatol. 2016 Nov-Dec; 61(6): 662–3.
Kim JP, Chao LX,et al. “Persistence of atopic dermatitis (AD): A systematic review and meta-analysis.”J Am Acad Dermatol. 2016; 75:681-7.
Silverberg JI, Vakharia PP,et al. “Phenotypical differences of childhood- and adult-onset atopic dermatitis.”J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2017 Nov 10. pii: S2213-2198(17)30757-2.
FAQs
Adults can get any type of eczema, including atopic dermatitis (AD), which many people consider a childhood disease. When AD begins after your 18th birthday, dermatologists call it adult-onset atopic dermatitis. You'd receive this diagnosis if you never had AD before.
Does adult eczema ever go away? ›
Eczema typically develops in early childhood and in a small number of cases spontaneously resolves on its own. For everyone else, eczema is usually a lifelong skin condition. While scientists have yet to find a cure, there are treatments and ways to manage your eczema to minimize flare-ups.
What is mistaken for eczema? ›
There are other skin conditions that can resemble eczema or psoriasis, including ringworm, athlete's foot, scabies, herpes and contact dermatitis. Unlike psoriasis and eczema, some of these conditions are highly contagious.
Can you develop eczema from stress? ›
However, research highlights that stress is a significant contributor to eczema through its effects on immune response and skin barrier function, supporting the need for therapeutic strategies aimed at anxiety and stress reduction. References: 1. Eczema Symptoms & Causes | National Eczema Association.
Why did I develop eczema all of a sudden? ›
Eczema triggers
Common triggers include: irritants – such as soaps and detergents, including shampoo, washing-up liquid and bubble bath. environmental factors or allergens – such as cold and dry weather, dampness, and more specific things such as house dust mites, animals, pollen and moulds.
Can stress and anxiety cause eczema? ›
Outbreaks of eczema, as is the case with other skin conditions, can be triggered by stress. Stress causes a spike in the hormone cortisol (sometimes called the stress hormone). When your body produces high amounts of cortisol because of stress, your skin can become abnormally oily.
Why do adults get eczema later in life? ›
Skin becomes drier as we get older, which can lead to roughness, scaling and itchiness. In women at menopause, as oestrogen levels decline, changes in the skin are observed that make the skin more prone to eczema.
What are the 3 stages of eczema? ›
There are three stages of eczema:
- Acute eczema. This is the beginning phase of eczema, which doctors call atopic dermatitis, in which noticeable symptoms first appear.
- Subacute eczema. This phase occurs between acute and chronic eczema, during which skin can become flaky and cracked. ...
- Chronic or severe eczema.
The main symptom is itchy, dry skin. If a person scratches the affected areas, their skin can become chafed and thickened, and red to purple discoloration may occur. Half of all people with moderate to severe eczema also have hay fever, asthma, and food allergies.
Can eczema just appear? ›
Eczema triggers
Healthcare providers, including dermatologists, and people with eczema will refer to something that causes or aggravates their eczema as a “trigger.” When trying to identify potential triggers, keep in mind that an eczema flare up can appear some time after exposure to a topical irritant or allergen.
The symptoms vary. Dr. Davis: Atopic dermatitis tends to be red, weepy, crusty, itchy, flaky patches, like oval or circular-shaped areas on the skin. Our skin is like a brick wall. And over time as we age, or genetically if we are predisposed to sensitive skin, it can look like a wicker basket more than a brick wall.
How do I know if it's eczema or psoriasis? ›
Paller explained that eczema is usually “characterized by poorly demarcated red, dry areas with fine scale,” while psoriasis appears as “red, well-circ*mscribed lesions (called plaques) with heaped-up, white scaling.”
Does caffeine affect eczema? ›
Dehydration: Consuming high levels of caffeine may have a diuretic effect. This could lead to dehydration, which may then trigger eczema flare-ups. Sleep: The dry, itchy, and sometimes painful skin lesions of eczema could cause sleep disturbances.
What foods trigger eczema? ›
There is wide range of foods that might worsen eczema. The foods most commonly found in both immediate and delayed reactions are cow's milk, hen's egg, wheat and peanuts. To identify which foods may make eczema worse your doctor may try a diet which removes the suspected foods.
Is vaseline good for eczema? ›
When suffering with eczema, you'll want to use products that are compatible with your condition and won't aggravate it. The good news is that the National Eczema Association has affirmed that Vaseline® Jelly Original is suitable for eczema sufferers and people with sensitive skin conditions.
What is the hidden cause of eczema? ›
Stress and anxiety
When too much cortisol is released due to chronic or severe stress, it can dysregulate the immune system and cause an inflammatory response in the skin. Dyshidrotic eczema is a specific type of eczema that commonly manifests as small, intensely itchy blisters on the hands, as well as feet.
What is the difference between eczema and dermatitis? ›
Dermatitis means inflammation of the skin. Eczema is a term used to describe a group of skin conditions in which the skin is itchy, dry, and inflamed. The terms eczema and dermatitis are often used interchangeably. But “dermatitis” is a broader term that encompasses more than eczema rashes.
What does eczema look like? ›
Affected areas may be red (light skin) or darker brown, purple, or ash gray (brown skin). Dry, scaly areas. Warmth, possibly also with some swelling. Small, rough bumps.
