Eczema is something we all dread having, am I right? I mean I’ve had it since I was born and luckily it’s gotten “better” in my adult years – this isn’t the case for everyone though. It has been said that nearly 35 million Americans alone are affected by eczema with seventy percent of cases being children under the age of five.

When I was a child I thought there was only one type of eczema: I was absolutely wrong! I not only realized when I was older that there was more than one type, but also that there was eczema worse than the kind I had. I could never have imagined as a young child that so many people were dealing with this same exact issue.

So is there more than one type of eczema? At this point, you’ve probably already guessed it. The simple answer to this question is YES. The problem is you didn’t land on this page for a simple answer so I’ll go more into depth to clear everything up for you.

What Are All the Different Types of Eczema?

There are definitively seven types of eczema that doctors have treated or prescribed medicines for. All seven are unique in their own way but when it comes to the overall picture they all are very unpleasant to have to deal with on a day to day basis. The seven types of eczema are as listed

• Atopic Dermatitis
• Contact Dermatitis
• Dyshidrotic Dermatitis
• Nummular Dermatitis
• Neurodermatitis
• Seborrheic Dermatitis
• Stasis Dermatitis

Lately, some info has been going around saying that there are up to eleven types of eczema possibly. These seven have been confirmed, while other forms are merely speculation and could just fall under the regular rash and dry skin problems many people deal with as well.

What is Atopic Dermatitis?

Atopic Dermatitis is the type of eczema that I personally have and it’s actually the most common amongst us eczema sufferers. In all honesty, this is probably the easiest one to deal with but definitely isn’t a slouch. It affects peoples face, hands, inner elbows and more. Many people who fall under that seventy percent as a child, still deal with Atopic Dermatitis well into their adulthood – I’m one of those people.

It has been said that people with this type of eczema also usually have either asthma or hay fever. It all makes sense now for me as an adult, growing up with asthma and eczema were my two main health-related problems. I’m fortunate to have sort of “outgrown” both but these things just don’t leave you alone that easy. If you have this type of eczema it’s very important that you avoid certain soaps, mostly soaps that have strong fragrances within them. If you haven’t had a chance yet, make sure you check out the worst soaps to expose yourself to when you are suffering from any of these seven types of eczema.

The best ways to treat Atopic Dermatitis is usually with some sort of cream like hydrocortisone or antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. It’s very important to always keep your skin moisturized and to be drinking tons of water throughout your day. I try to consistently drink around 6-10 cups of water daily; this seems to be a sweet spot recommended by many experts.

What is Contact Dermatitis?

Contact Dermatitis is the second well-known type of eczema that people can get. This type of eczema normally develops when someone is irritant or allergic to something around them or on them. Many people will notice contact dermatitis when some sort of chemical touches their skin and leaves a rash. The most common way people can actually get this type of eczema is washing their hands, yes that is correct, just by washing your hands with a soap that your skin cannot tolerate will end in minor or severe cases of contact dermatitis. Always stay far away from scented soaps and lotions; they can be the number one cause for a bad breakout.

If you are allergic to things such as seafood, peanuts, tree oils, or even cosmetics you can get contact dermatitis very easily. If you are lucky you can sometimes get rid of these sporadic rashes caused by the above in just a few weeks time. The hands are the most susceptible to this type and can appear even without having Atopic Dermatitis.

Treatments are easy to obtain and usually consist of steroid creams, Moisturizers, and prescribed antibiotics. Make sure to stay far from anything your skin may be irritable to; your pets can even be the trigger to contact dermatitis. One good way to keep your hands protected is gloves specially made for eczema triggering irritants.

What is Dyshidrotic Dermatitis?

Dyshidrotic Dermatitis may be the most uncomfortable type of eczema out there. This eczema consists of very small fluid-filled blisters that spread across your hands and in between the webs of your fingers. This type of eczema can also be on one’s feet and I have also seen some pictures of people with the blisters on their scalp. When the blisters pop it becomes a very scaly area on the persons head. The scalp is very uncommon, but it can happen and will happen to some.

I have heard Dyshidrotic dermatitis can be very painful for some people. This will definitely come once you see deep cracks on your hands or feet. One great tip I can give you is that you should try moisturizing your hands and feet before you go to bed. It is then essential to put thick socks on both your hands and feet to help the healing process even when you’re asleep. I remember when my mother made me do this once or twice per week if she noticed my hands or feet were getting extremely bad, and IT REALLY HELPED!

Make sure to ask your doctor to prescribe you with a good steroid cream or lotion. If you don’t want to deal with steroid cream, there are also pills you can take for Dyshidrotic Dermatitis or non-steroidal cream as another alternate option. The cream and lotions will do wonders if you do start to get really bad cracked hands and feet.

What is Nummular Dermatitis?

Nummular Dermatitis is the fourth type of eczema on this list and thankfully for the women, it doesn’t affect them as much as us men. Men tend to get this type of eczema around their early to mid-50s and women usually can see this in their teen years. It has been said by doctors that this type of eczema is easier to deal with when you are younger in age because the red marks that occur heal faster in a shorter time period.

Nummular is eczema that leaves red marks on your legs, back, hands, and sometimes even your hips. These red marks are usually in the shape of coins, no not Bitcoins just the regular fiat coins we have in our piggy banks or under the cushions in our couches. The causes are unknown but if you’re in a cold climate that’s one of the easiest ways to come in contact with this eczema. People have gotten Nummular from exposure to metals, dirty plastic, or different chemicals commonly used in household cleaning products.

For this eczema, just like the ones above you can treat it with steroid creams and antibiotics. Make sure to keep your skin protected at all times and take plenty of mild baths before using any creams or moisturizers for Nummular Dermatitis. Many people say they love to take lukewarm oatmeal baths and that this really helps soothe their skin from the days’ discomforts.

What is Neurodermatitis?

There’s more? Neurodermatitis is a rare type of eczema and I’m glad I don’t have it and I hope no one who’s reading this has it either. This eczema can be anywhere on your body it seems. There are no safe places on your body and many find this eczema on their back, ankles, inside ears, or their scalp. Many with this type of eczema usually scratch very random places on their body and sometimes don’t even think anything of it.

Bleeding in your ears is not uncommon with this eczema and one of the best things to do is STOP SCRATCHING! If you ever get Neurodermatitis on your scalp make sure to ask a doctor if prednisone is okay for you to take by mouth. Prednisone is considered a steroid that treats inflammations of the skin and should be prescribed by a doctor if your scalp is getting really bad. I cannot stress enough that this is a very inflammatory type of eczema and only gets worse when scratched constantly.

What is Seborrheic Dermatitis?

This name is just a fancy medical term for what we all know as dandruff. Seborrheic Dermatitis is something you can easily get if you have any of the other types of eczema but isn’t just limited to people that already have one of these types. Many infants are affected on their scalp and adults can be affected anywhere from the eyebrows to behind the ears. Adults may also start realizing a dramatic loss in hearing if this type of eczema gets to extreme.

Overgrowth of yeast is what predominately causes Seborrheic Dermatitis. Yeast can live in your skin and when there is a lot in certain areas you start to see massive shedding and very flaky skin appear. People with AIDS that have very weak immune systems can struggle with this eczema severely and it is nearly impossible to treat according to some studies.

The only two treatments I recommend for this type to really attack it head on, NO PUN INTENDED, is to use shampoos that contain salicylic acid or selenium sulfide. If this is mainly on your skin and not your scalp try using a very good steroid cream or lotion. Please consult your doctor before trying any product that you aren’t completely knowledgeable about.

What is Statis Dermatitis?

I know you probably thought the list would never end but we are here – finally. Statis Dermatitis isn’t common amongst younger folks but of course, as we all know with eczema, it shows no favoritism. The majority of people getting this eczema are elderly people in the sixty-year-old range and up. Statis is eczema that occurs when the veins in your legs aren’t properly returning an efficient amount of blood back to the heart. You can find that people who suffer from Statis Dermatitis usually have dark brown stains on their skin and crusting within the inner leg region.

Skin discoloration or ulcers on any part of your body is a major indication that you may have Statis Dermatitis. Around 200,000 people deal with this on a yearly basis but are able to maintain it via different treatments.

I would suggest wearing compression stockings, taking antibiotics, and certainly have your fair share with ointments. These are the most common and useful ways to treat this type of eczema. I would steer clear of any fragrance based creams or lotions and that’s pretty much for any type of eczema you may have.

Conclusion

Well as we’ve seen, there are seven different types of eczema. The most common symptoms are itching, scaling, and lots of redness. Even though each eczema type has its own unique way of affecting you, it is a fact that all have many similarities and if you sense any of these things happening you can at least have an idea of which type of eczema you may have. Eczema has no definite “cure” but knowing what type you’re dealing with will surely help prepare the best treatment possible. With some of these types, you’re able to see them come and go. In some cases, people outgrow eczema as they get older.

Please comment below if you found this article useful. I would LOVE to hear any feedback or input you may have.