Day 287: The difference between Eczema And Red Skin Syndrome

Eczema is a complicated issue and may involve many factors.

Sometimes the word "eczema" is used interchangeably with "Red Skin Syndrome", which can be misleading.

I had eczema as a child and as a teenager. What I have now is not eczema.

I believe I have grown out of my eczema (although I will have to wait until the end of withdrawals to see if this is true). The red rash that has plagued my body for the last 15 years is steroid-induced eczema, which is a very different beast.

Yes, it looks the same as eczema, but unlike eczema, red skin syndrome affects the whole body and is characterised by a red burning rash, which gets worse when you stop applying steroid creams, due to dependence on the steroids. True eczema itches, but should not burn and is usually confined to certain areas of the body such as behind the legs, on the hands or elbow crooks. it may also appear on the face as an adverse reaction to cosmetics, which is what happened to me in my early 20's.

To treat eczema you need to identify and remove the triggers. With many people, the trigger is detergent, which unfortunately is found in most items, including toothpaste, bubble bath, shampoo and washing powder. By removing detergents completely, many have found that their eczema clears up. With others, the trigger can be certain foods, or a reaction to allergens like pet hair or dust mites. If the triggers are there, the eczema will remain.

A good moisturiser can help protect the skin barrier against allergens. "Shielding lotions" are especially useful. They are easy to apply and form a barrier on the skin.

Treating Red Skin Syndrome is different. Long term use and overuse of steroid creams are the cause so RSS will continue with application of increasingly potent steroid creams. Stopping creams will cause a terrible rebound, burning and oozing for several months. Sleep will be disrupted and normal life can become very difficult. Withdrawal can take several years depending on the length of time that the steroid creams were used as well as the potency.

Eczema and RSS should not be confused with one another. You cannot "cure" regular eczema by stopping steroids. You have to remove triggers. RSS can be cured by stopping steroids, but again, any triggers that caused the initial eczema that required the steroid treatment should be investigated and removed.

itsan.org has a good FAQ section to help a person determine whether their rash is RSS or regular eczema.