Facial Eczema – Eczema on Face

Facial eczema is one of the most horrible places for an eczema sufferer because one can see the faces of other people. Although, managing the dryness, itchiness, redness and inflammation of eczema is difficult enough but having it front and center on your face often causes problems with a person’s self-esteem and level of self confidence which makes it an especially miserable skin disorder.

Difference between Facial Eczema and General Eczema

The symptoms of the affects of the eczema on other parts of the body and eczema in case of the facial eczema are similar in nature. There is often dryness of the skin, redness, and on occasion if the eczema is severe enough, cracking of the skin, scabbing, scaling and discharge (or weeping) of fluid. Some patients suffer with eczema just on their face which is called facial eczema, while others experience it on other parts of their bodies as well.

Atopic Eczema

The most prevalent type of eczema that commonly begins in early life and childhood is Atopic eczema. Generally, within the age of one to six months, many babies develop it. The forehead and cheeks are affected first frequently, but then sometimes it can spread to other parts of the face and to the body too. While some children have a localized form of eczema (i.e. just on their face) others have a more widespread type that affects them all over.

Symptoms of Facial Eczema

There are three main symptoms of facial eczema and they are redness, dryness and constant itchiness. The affected skin will become thicker when you couldn’t able to resist the urge to scratch and in some people, particularly those with a darker skin tone, to the skin actually becoming darker because of the skin disorder.

The normal marking of the skin frequently become more visible due to the thicker nature of the facial skin and this leads to the skin’s appearance being described as “lichenification.” When things like this happen, the eyelids of the sufferer are often a target for problems. Thickening of the eyelids (or blepharitis) can be a constant recurring problem for those afflicted by facial eczema.

Causes of Facial Eczema: Seborrhoeic Eczema

Seborrhoeic eczema is often another common reason for facial eczema to plague both many adults as well as many children. When adults develop it the areas affected are the scalp, the inner eyebrows and the creases beside the nose. Sometimes the eyelids (blepharitis) are affected as well.

At this particular juncture, the dandruff in the scalp will shed away and the facial skin is red and shows yellowish types of flakes. Seborrhoeic eczema is believed to be connected to an allergy of yeast that is naturally found in the seborrhoeic or greasy areas of both the scalp in addition to the face. This appears to be very frustrating type of eczema along with facial eczema and commonly recurs time and time again.

Affect of Seborrhoeic Eczema in Babies

When comparing with adults, the affect of Seborrhoeic eczema is slightly different in babies. Generally, when an infant is ready to turn three months old, he or she used to develop this kind of eczema. Referred as “cradle cap”, this type often causes flakes behind the ears plus thick yellowish flakes on the baby’s scalp but infrequently affects any other part of the face which is called as facial eczema.

During the first year of child’s life, it generally goes away and is not itchy; this is good news about this form of facial eczema. However about one quarter of children who develop seborrhoeic eczema will be at a higher risk of developing atopic eczema at the time they grow up.