Most people are under the mistaken impression that there is only one type of eczema; however there are six common types of this skin condition. Here’s a look at them in alphabetical order:

Atopic Eczema

When a person has a family history of allergies, it’s not uncommon for a person to have atopic eczema. This form of eczema is considered inherited since most atopic eczema sufferers and/or their family members suffer with the problems of allergies, hay fever or asthma. It can appear in infancy, flaring up and subsiding throughout the person’s life.

Contact Dermatitis

Contact dermatitis occurs when a person comes into contact with irritants on their skin. The area becomes inflamed after an irritant (or irritants) of some sort touches the skin. The inflammation that occurs is because of toxic chemicals instead of allergens. Exposure can be repetitive or occur just one time; usually one time exposure is to an extremely toxic chemical. This is often seen as an acute case that causes scaly, red skin.

Cumulative Case

When a person has a cumulative case of eczema is because they are constantly being exposed to irritants (usually mild) including urine, saliva, clothes detergents, dish detergents, etc. However, repeat exposure just exacerbates the problem, causing the skin to become thick and cracked as well as red and dry. It’s not uncommon for papules to form with this eczema type.

Discoid Eczema

The type of eczema known by its round patches (resembling coins) that tend to appear on the lower legs, stomach and arms is called discoid eczema. Patches tend to be itchy and can seep fluids. This eczema has no known triggers but can strike without warning. It’s usually seen in older men.

Seborrheic Eczema

Doctors usually diagnose seborrheic eczema as dry skin, which it’s not. While it’s believed to be genetic, there’s no proven correlation between the two as of yet. Seborrheic eczema symptoms include skin that’s scaly, appearing on the top of the head, near the ears, eyebrows and nose. It’s also common to find on the chest.

Men are typically more affected than women with this eczema type but it doesn’t generally become an issue until puberty hits. Once this happens, however, seborrheic eczema will occur regularly. Many mental and neurological patients tend to suffer with this form of eczema.

The proper skin care method includes washing the hair every day with skin care products that contain salicylic acid, selenium, tar or sulfur. For the skin, people can use hydrocortisone cream. It’s not uncommon for systemic antibiotics to be used for this condition.

Infants are usually affected with seborrheic eczema in the form of cradle cap. Doctors can easily diagnose it by the appearance of yellow scales on the child’s head. It’s not uncommon to find seborrheic eczema in the face, ears or diaper region. Using skin care products like infant shampoo can help with this condition. Make sure to massage lightly and use a soft brush on the scalp. When the condition doesn’t look as if it’s improving, parents should call their child’s pediatrician for advice.

Varicose Eczema

This common form of eczema will occur because of several health conditions such as menopause, obesity and menopause. It’s usually seen in the lower leg and ankle areas. Most symptoms don’t appear until mid-life. Skin care is very important with this form of eczema since ignoring it can cause skin to break down leading to ulcers. Effective skin care products to deal with varicose eczema are steroid skin care creams and emollients.

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