Eczema Awareness Month begins October 1, and we are starting with a simple question: how is your eczema today?
It is a simple question, and one that people with eczema and the people who love them do not always get asked. Maybe your skin is calm this week. Maybe you are in the middle of a flare, or you are the parent who was up in the night with a child who could not stop scratching. Maybe you have a good day to share and want someone to hear about it.
This October, the National Eczema Association (NEA) is asking that question on purpose. Eczema Awareness Month (EAM) begins Oct. 1 and is built around the people who live with eczema: adults, teens, children and the caregivers beside them. Everything is gathered at EczemaMonth.org, and there is a place for you, however you choose to take part.
What is Eczema Awareness Month?
Eczema Awareness Month is a national campaign, held every October and led by NEA, to help more people understand eczema, a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects more than 31 million people in the United States. It is a month to be seen, to find others who understand and to connect with trusted information.
EAM builds on #UnhideEczema, NEA’s ongoing campaign to show what eczema really looks like and to push back on the myths that keep it minimized. Eczema is often misunderstood, and too many people go without the answers or care they need. This month is about changing that together.
What is the theme of Eczema Awareness Month 2026?
Every person’s eczema is different, and every story adds to a bigger picture. This year’s theme, The State of Eczema, holds both: what life with eczema is like right now, and what the broader landscape of care, treatment, research and access looks like today.
How is your eczema?
The month begins with the people at its center. Throughout October, we are inviting the eczema community to reflect on a few questions:
- Where are you flaring right now?
- How are you, not just your skin? How are sleep, mood and everyday life?
- Where are you navigating eczema from, and how does where you live shape your care?
There are no wrong answers. You do not need a dramatic story for it to matter.
A bigger picture, for the first time
EAM begins alongside the release of the State of AD Indicator Report, NEA’s first national and state-by-state look at atopic dermatitis (AD), the most common type of eczema. Developed with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the report helps show how eczema affects people across the country and how access to care can differ by where a person lives. You can explore it at StateofAD.org and join the State of AD Virtual Symposium on Oct. 1 or watch the replay.
What will you find on EczemaMonth.org?
Think of EczemaMonth.org as a gathering place for the month. When you visit, you can:
- Read stories from people who understand. Real experiences from adults with eczema and from caregivers.
- Get the social media toolkit. Everything you need to help spread the word with your own network.
- Find trusted resources. Educational information on symptoms, treatment and care.
- Join a webinar. Hear from eczema experts and bring your questions.
New content will be added throughout October, moving from personal experiences to treatment, access to care and research.
Why do individual eczema stories matter?
Eczema looks and feels different from one person to the next. Stories help people recognize their own experience in someone else’s words, and they help family, friends, coworkers and healthcare providers understand what living with eczema can involve.
Read the stories
Eczema is different for everyone. It can look different on different skin tones, show up in different places and shape a day in ways that are hard to see from the outside. The stories on EczemaMonth.org come from adults with eczema, parents, caregivers and others across the eczema community, each told in their own words.
Reading them matters. Seeing your own experience in someone else’s words can make a hard day feel a little less lonely, and stories help family, friends, coworkers and providers understand what living with eczema can involve.
Share yours
Your experience belongs here, too. This October, tell the community how your eczema is doing today, whether it is calm, flaring or somewhere in between. Share a photo, a short video or a few words about your day on social media.
Add #UnhideEczema and tag us at @nationaleczema on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and TikTok so we can find your post and help the community see it.
Share as much or as little as feels right. There is no expectation to post photos or details about your skin, and sharing your words is enough.
If you are caring for someone with eczema
Caregivers are part of the eczema community, too. Whether you are a parent, a grandparent, a partner or a friend, this month has a place for you. Read what other caregivers have shared, pass along the resources that help and add your own voice when you are ready.
How can you take part in Eczema Awareness Month?
Come as you are. Take part in whatever way feels right, and skip whatever does not.
- Read a story. Start at EczemaMonth.org and see who you find there.
- Share yours. Tell your community how your eczema is today.
- Use the toolkit. Post awareness content on your own channels with #UnhideEczema.
- Join a webinar. Learn from eczema experts and ask your questions.
- Pass it on. Send EczemaMonth.org to someone who wants to understand eczema better, such as a family member, teacher or coworker.
What is in the eczema social media toolkit?
The EAM social media toolkit is there to make sharing easy, whether you have eczema, care for someone who does or simply want to support the community. It includes shareable graphics, sample captions and suggested hashtags.
When you post, add #UnhideEczema so the community can find each other.
Where can you find trusted eczema information?
All month, NEA will point people to its trusted tools. For everyday questions about symptoms, flares and treatment options, NationalEczema.org is a good place to start. Questions about your own eczema or your child’s are best answered by a healthcare provider.
Join us at EczemaMonth.org
Eczema Awareness Month runs from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31. Visit EczemaMonth.org to read a story, download the toolkit and see what is happening this month. However your eczema is doing today, you are welcome here.
FAQs
When is Eczema Awareness Month?
Eczema Awareness Month is held every October. In 2026, it runs from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31.
What is the difference between eczema and atopic dermatitis?
Eczema is a term for a group of conditions that cause dry, itchy, inflamed skin. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common type of eczema. NEA’s State of AD Indicator Report focuses on AD.
What does #UnhideEczema mean?
#UnhideEczema is NEA’s ongoing campaign to bring the real experience of eczema into view and to challenge misconceptions about the condition. Sharing is always your choice.
How can I support a child or family member with eczema during Eczema Awareness Month?
Ask how their eczema is today and listen. Read a story from EczemaMonth.org together, and share NEA’s resources with others who care for them. Questions about treatment are best directed to their healthcare provider.
Where can I find the State of AD Indicator Report?
The report is available at StateofAD.org.
