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Eczema vs Psoriasis: What You Need to Know

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Is your child troubled by itchy or irritated skin that flares up with little warning? A weakened skin barrier may be to blame.

Skin health is something many people take for granted but if your child is troubled by skin that’s easily irritated, these scenarios might seem disturbingly familiar:

  • Your young daughter is happily playing with her toys when suddenly you notice her scratching furiously. Before you know it, her skin is red, weepy and inflamed.
  • Your son, who’s just about to sit for his exams, has lots to do, but the persistent distraction of his irritated, itching skin makes it impossible to concentrate. To make matters worse, he’s worried it will show on his graduation pictures.
  • The whole family is looking forward to the long-awaited beach holiday right around the corner, and you are fervently hoping that your kid’s skin won’t flare up and ruin the whole weekend.

While occasional redness or itching is nothing to worry about, frequent episodes might be a sign that your child has a weakened skin barrier. In healthy skin, the skin barrier helps to retain moisture and prevent bacteria, irritants or allergens from penetrating; when the skin barrier is weakened, this function is impaired, making skin more reactive to these substances.R1

Many people mistake eczema for psoriasis; at a glance, especially to the untrained eye, the symptoms may appear to be similar but they are in fact two different skin conditions, hence they need to be managed differently.

The intense itching that accompanies a flare-up of eczema can take a toll. Regardless of age, people suffering from eczema may feel frustrated and helpless, while the itchiness has a negative effect on concentration and quality of sleep. In addition, scratching can lead to inflammation and scarring, which can cause feelings of embarrassment.R4

As eczema is a chronic condition, it’s important to manage the condition well, avoiding triggers and flare-ups while strengthening the skin’s protective barrier. This will help to prevent the dryness and itching that is caused by moisture loss through the skin; in medical terms this is known as trans-epidermal water loss or TEWL.

Experts recommend the use of moisturisers and emollients as the first line of treatment.R5 This supports the skin barrier which contains ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol, making ceramide-dominant skincare an important tool in helping to repair the skin barrier function.R6

Designed specifically for this purpose, the Ceradan® range, which includes Ceradan® Cream, Ceradan® Wash, and Ceradan® Skin Barrier Repair Cream, contains the correct ratio of lipids to replenish the skin. Its steroid-free, ceramide-dominant and lipid-based formulation is proven and clinically tested to relieve the symptoms of eczema.

Speak to your doctor for a proper diagnosis and discuss a skincare regimen to manage your child’s skin health needs.

Results may vary.

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