If you have painful skin symptoms that just won’t quit—you know, dryness that leads to obvious cracks, inflammation that just feels awful, or intense itchiness—and you’ve traveled down a rabbit hole via Dr. Google, then you’ve probably come across information on either eczema or psoriasis.
These skin conditions are different and complex in unique ways, but their respective lists of symptoms can overlap quite a bit, making them difficult for the average person (read: anyone who’s not a trained dermatologist) to tell apart.
If you think that suspicious rash could be a sign of eczema, psoriasis, or maybe even both, here’s some information to help you navigate what you’re experiencing, straight from dermatologists.
First, a little bit about how psoriasis is defined…
At its core, psoriasis is an autoimmune condition, meaning it’s caused by a glitch in the immune system that causes the body to mistakenly attack healthy skin cells. Because of this immune malfunction, the body overproduces skin cells, which then accumulate and pile up on the skin’s surface, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
Plaque psoriasis, the most common form of the condition, causes raised lesions—often with a scaly appearance with a silver-to-gray plaque, depending on your skin tone—that can manifest anywhere on the body and feel itchy, tender, or even painful.
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There are various forms of psoriasis, so the symptoms can vary widely. But plaque psoriasis often appears on areas like the elbows, knees, trunk, and scalp, Esther Kim, MD, an assistant professor of dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center, tells SELF. You may even start to feel pain in your joints: When inflammatory arthritis occurs alongside psoriasis, it’s called psoriatic arthritis, Dr. Kim says.
Many people with psoriasis experience flare-ups, or periods of time when symptoms become more active. These flares can last anywhere from weeks to months, and there is a range of triggers that can set them off, from infections and illnesses to skin stressors (like cuts and scratches) to changes in weather and stress levels, per the AAD.
Like other autoimmune conditions, the root causes of psoriasis aren’t well understood, but researchers believe that both environmental and genetic factors are at play, Dr. Kim says.
…and here’s a little eczema 101.
Eczema is an umbrella term for a group of skin conditions in which the skin barrier (the outermost protective layer) is damaged, leading to itchy, dry, and inflamed skin, per the AAD. Eczema is broadly referred to as atopic dermatitis, the most common form of the condition, but there are various types of eczema that have different triggers. An eczema rash can look and feel different from person to person, but it may include small raised bumps, dry or cracked skin, itchiness, and oozing or crusting, among other symptoms that generally signal irritation.
“Intense itch is a hallmark of eczema,” Dr. Kim notes. “Because of the itch, patients often suffer from a persistent itch-scratch cycle that can lead to thickening of skin and scratches that render the skin prone to superficial skin infections.”
Source: SELF
