LED Light Face Masks for Eczema
Dermatologists weigh in on the benefits of LED face masks for eczema.
Published On: Oct 7, 2022
Last Updated On: Mar 3, 2025
Eczema and psoriasis, while two distinct conditions, are often mistaken for each other. At first glance, the dry rashes of eczema and psoriasis can look similar. However, when you look closer, there are often telltale differences between the similar symptoms of these two conditions. It’s important to identify and diagnose each skin condition correctly to receive the proper treatment.
We asked two experts, Dr. Paul Yamauchi, a cosmetic, medical and surgical dermatologist in private practice at the Dermatology Institute and Skin Care Center in Santa Monica, California and Dr. Benjamin Ungar, director of the Alopecia Center of Excellence and director of the Rosacea & Seborrheic Dermatitis Clinic at Mount Sinai in New York, to outline the similarities and differences to help tell these two conditions apart.
Eczema is the name for a group of inflammatory skin conditions. There are seven different types of eczema. The most common type of eczema is atopic dermatitis. This is the type of eczema that is most often confused with psoriasis.
Atopic dermatitis, often referred to as just eczema, can vary in appearance depending on skin tone. For light to medium skin tones, atopic dermatitis may appear as pink or red rashes with bumps and crust. For medium to dark skin tones, it may look dark brown, gray or purple with dry, small bumps. Eczema can also change in appearance depending on how long you’ve had symptoms.
“Eczema tends to present with red patches of skin, often with ill-defined borders, that can be accompanied by oozing, crusting or mild scaling,” explained Dr. Ungar.
Unlike atopic dermatitis that presents without a distinct border around dry patches, psoriasis presents with well-defined patches on the skin. “Psoriasis tends to present with well-demarcated thick red plaques with silvery scales,” said Dr. Ungar.
Psoriasis looks like it has a layer of scaly patches on top of the redness. Scaling or “plaques” can be silvery, white or red. Skin tends to be thicker, raised and more inflamed than with eczema because psoriasis symptoms cause an excess buildup of skin cells that the body can’t shed quickly enough.
Yes, the location of rashes on the body is often a differentiator between these skin diseases.
“Although psoriasis and eczema can occur on any part of the body, certain body locations tend to be favored for each condition,” said Dr. Yamauchi. “Psoriasis tends to favor the elbows and knees while eczema is more frequent in front of the elbows and behind the knees. Eczema is [also] more common on the face and neck compared to psoriasis.”
Psoriasis, while potentially appearing anywhere on the body, is more likely on the outer edges of the elbows, knees, scalp, palms, lower back, soles of the feet, ears, mouth, eyelids, buttocks or nails.
With eczema, symptoms most often appear in the skin folds or “crooks” of the body, particularly along the creases of the elbows, knees, wrists, neck and ankles. Babies may also get eczema on the chin, cheeks, scalp, chest, arms and legs. Adults are more likely to have symptoms on patches of skin on their faces or hands.
“Both eczema and psoriasis can cause itchy skin, but eczema may cause an intense itch while psoriasis causes more of a burning or stinging sensation or mild itch,” said Dr. Yamauchi. Indeed while eczema is typically very itchy — especially at night, to the point of disrupting sleep — psoriasis may not cause itchiness at all.
Comparatively, in people with psoriasis, the immune system is overactive in a manner that leads to the growth of too many new skin cells, too fast. These cells pile up on the surface of the skin, causing thick scales or plaques that can be dry, flaky and painful. However, itch is not as common.
The exact causes of eczema and psoriasis are unknown. However, both conditions are believed to be influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, such as skin injury or weather. People with atopic dermatitis, the most common type of eczema, tend to have overly-reactive immune systems that, when triggered by a substance outside or inside the body, respond by causing inflammation. Researchers have also found that some people with atopic dermatitis have a mutation in the filaggrin gene, which plays an important role in the skin barrier — leaving the skin more vulnerable to dryness, irritants (like soaps, detergents, fragrances and certain fabrics) and allergens (like dust, pet dander and pollen). Stress can also play a significant role in worsening eczema and psoriasis symptoms.
Both of these conditions involve the immune system, just in different ways. “In both eczema and psoriasis, abnormal inflammation in the skin leads to the development of lesions,” said Dr. Ungar. However, he noted, the specific types of inflammation are different.
“The immune system in our bodies is very complex and consists of many roads and pathways that travel in various directions — just like a road map,” explained Dr. Yamauchi. There is a type of white blood cell called T-cells that travel through the immune system just like cars on the road. There are several types of T-cells, and when they become overactive, they create excessive amounts of proteins called cytokines, which lead to inflammation.
“Psoriasis is driven by certain types of T-cells called Th1 and Th17, while eczema is largely driven by Th2 T-cells which produce cytokines unique for each condition,” said Dr. Yamauchi. The central inflammatory process in eczema is generally associated with an allergic type of inflammation. The central inflammatory process in psoriasis is associated with a branch of the immune system involved in fighting fungal and bacterial skin infections.
“That is why it is important for a provider to accurately diagnose whether the skin condition is psoriasis or eczema when topical therapies are not sufficient and a biologic agent needs to be prescribed,” said Dr. Yamauchi.
Both conditions can develop for the first time at any age, but eczema is more likely to occur in childhood, explained Dr. Ungar. While eczema and psoriasis are both somewhat common, eczema is more common.1,2
“Eczema is much more prevalent, affecting over 30 million Americans, while psoriasis affects about 8 million Americans,” said Dr. Yamauchi. “Eczema is also much more common in children, frequently starting before the age of 5, while psoriasis tends to occur after the age of 18.”
Children with eczema may find that their symptoms go away or improve as they get older, while psoriasis tends to be more of a lifetime condition.
It is also possible to have both conditions, but that’s relatively uncommon. One study found that just 1.4% of children with eczema also had psoriasis.3
There are no cures for eczema or psoriasis, but various treatments can be used to provide symptom relief and to help to prevent flare-ups of either condition.
Whether you have eczema or psoriasis (or both), working with your dermatologist is the best way to find treatment options to manage your symptoms. This may involve a combination of over-the-counter skin products (like moisturizers and topical corticosteroids), prescription skin medications, avoiding triggers and having a good skincare regimen and healthy lifestyle.
“The treatment approaches to eczema and psoriasis are similar,” explained Dr. Ungar. Both involve anti-inflammatory topical or systemic treatments that help to target symptoms related to skin inflammation.” Since both conditions involve inflammation, some treatments, like topical steroids, can be helpful for both conditions.
However, both Dr. Yamauchi and Dr. Ungar also noted that there are many medications, such as biologics, that target the specific inflammation pathways in eczema and psoriasis, respectively. Since they target a specific inflammation pathway, these medications are effective on one condition and not the other. This means a particular biologic agent indicated for psoriasis will not work for eczema and vice-versa.
For both eczema and psoriasis treatment, phototherapy (light therapy with ultraviolet or UVB light) may also be recommended.
References:
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