Symptoms of eczema on the face

What are the symptoms of eczema?

Facial eczema can cause:

• Itching, sometimes severe enough to interrupt sleep.
• Dry, rough or scaly patches.
• Small, itchy bumps or a raised rash.
• Cracked skin, scratch marks or raw areas.
• Fluid leaking from bumps or blisters.
• Bleeding after scratching.
• Thickened, leathery skin after repeated rubbing or scratching.

Itching can begin before a visible rash. Atopic eczema usually comes in flares, when symptoms worsen, followed by periods when skin improves or clears. Patches can return to the same place or develop elsewhere. Repeated scratching can increase swelling and itching, and damaged skin is more vulnerable to infection.135

Is redness a symptom of eczema?

Yes, but eczema does not have to look red. Redness is often more visible on lighter skin. On darker skin, inflamed patches can appear dark brown, purple or grey, and small rough bumps can be more noticeable. Look at itching and texture changes as well as colour. After a patch heals, the skin can remain lighter or darker.1

Where does facial eczema appear?

Babies and young children often develop atopic eczema on the cheeks, forehead or scalp. Babies sometimes rub their face against blankets or other objects to relieve itching. Adults are more likely than children to develop eczema around the eyes, where skin can become thickened and darker. Eczema can begin in adulthood even without a childhood history.1

Could a skincare product be causing the rash?

Contact dermatitis can cause itchy, dry, cracked or blistered facial skin within hours or days of exposure. Soaps and detergents can irritate skin directly; substances in cosmetics can trigger an allergic reaction. Avoiding the cause can allow contact dermatitis to clear. Timing is useful to tell your doctor, but a skin examination and medical history are needed to distinguish possible causes.46

What can you do now?

Moisturizing treatments come as creams, lotions, ointments and gels, giving the skincare aisle several ways to say moisturizer.2

• Apply an emollient, a moisturizing treatment, at least twice daily and continue when skin improves.
• Wash with an emollient instead of soap, and avoid products that make symptoms worse.
• Keep cool and keep nails short to reduce damage from scratching.
• Ask a pharmacist about small areas that are dry and slightly itchy. Arrange a medical appointment for new, persistent, recurring or severe symptoms, or when treatment is not helping.

Treatment can control atopic eczema, although there is no cure. If you already have prescribed pimecrolimus for facial eczema, keep it out of your eyes and mouth and apply moisturizer after the medicine has fully absorbed. Contact your doctor if symptoms have not improved after six weeks.67

When does facial eczema need urgent care?

Get urgent medical help if eczema becomes blistered, crusty, leaks fluid, develops pus, feels painful, swollen or warm, suddenly worsens or spreads, or comes with fever or feeling unwell. These can signal infection. Yellow or golden crusts can indicate a bacterial infection. Blisters with fever, fatigue or swollen glands can signal eczema herpeticum, a serious herpes virus infection requiring immediate medical care.12

What should you tell the doctor?

Note when symptoms started, where they appear, what improves or worsens them, and any family history of eczema, asthma or hay fever. Mention your skincare and cosmetics, even if their packaging would rather discuss radiance. Describe sleep disruption and previous treatments too. Your skin does not need to be at its worst on appointment day for an assessment.56