The key difference between acne and eczema is that acne is a skin condition that causes pimples to erupt, while eczema is a skin condition that causes a red or discoloured bumpy rash that looks like pimples.
Acne and eczema are two unrelated skin conditions. Both conditions can cause inflamed skin. When people are suffering from acne, eczema, or both, they need to pick skincare that will suit their sensitive skin gently. People with sensitive skin should avoid heavy, pore-clogging oils that can exacerbate acne and are full of the low-comedogenic oils that nourish eczema-prone skin.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Acne
3. What is Eczema
4. Similarities – Acne and Eczema
5. Acne vs Eczema in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Acne vs Eczema
What is Acne?
Acne is a skin condition that occurs when hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. This causes whiteheads, blackheads, or pimples. It is one of the most common problems among teenagers though it affects people of all ages. The sign and symptoms of acne vary depending on the severity of the condition. The sign and symptoms may include white heads (closed plugged pores), blackheads (open plugged pores), small red render bumps (papules), pimples or pustules that are papules with pus at their tips, large, solid, painful lumps under the skin called nodules, and painful, pus-filled lumps under the skin called cystic lesions. Moreover, the four main factors that cause acne include excess oil production, clogging of hair follicles by oil and dead skin cells, bacteria, and inflammation.
Figure 01: Acne
Acnes can be diagnosed by examining the face, chest, or back for the different types of spots such as blackheads, sores, or red nodules. It can be treated through topical medications like retinoids and retinoid-like drugs, antibiotics, azelaic acid and salicylic acid and dapsone, oral medications like antibiotics, combined oral contraceptives, anti-androgen agents (spironolactone), isotretinoin, light therapy, chemical peel, drainage and extraction, and steroid injection.
What is Eczema?
Eczema is a group of skin conditions that make the skin inflamed and irritated. The most common type is atopic dermatitis, which is due to allergic conditions. Eczema affects approximately about 10% to 20% of infants and about 3% of adults and children in the United States.
Symptoms of Eczema
The general eczema symptoms include dry, scaly skin, skin flushing, itching and open, crusted or weeping sore.
- Infant eczema symptoms – rashes on the scalp and cheeks, rashes that bubble up before leaking fluid, and rashes that can cause extreme itchiness, which may interfere with sleeping.
- Childhood eczema symptoms – rashes behind the creases of elbows or knees, rashes on the neck, wrists, ankles, and the crease between the buttocks and legs, rashes that can become lighter or darker, bumpy rashes, and skin thickening that can develop into a permanent itch.
- Adult eczema symptoms – rashes that are scalier than those in children, rashes that cover much of the body, rashes that commonly appear in the creases of the elbows, knees, or the nape of the neck, very dry skin on the affected areas, rashes that are permanently itchy, and skin infections.
Eczema can be caused by an immune system response to something irritating, problems in the skin’s barrier that let moisture out and germs in, and a family history of other allergies or asthma. Eczema can be diagnosed by examining the skin, reviewing the medical history, and allergy test. Furthermore, treatments for eczema include moisturizers, hydrocortisone creams and antihistamines, colloidal oatmeal, wet wraps, coal tar, calamine lotion, relaxation therapy, phototherapy, tar treatments, and medications (corticosteroids, antibiotics, cyclosporine, immunomodulators (TIM), duplilumab, azathioprine, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, ruxolitinib, and upadacitinib).
What are the Similarities Between Acne and Eczema?
- Acne and eczema are two unrelated skin conditions.
- Both skin conditions can cause inflamed skin.
- These skin conditions may have similar symptoms.
- Both skin conditions are treated by dermatologists.
- They can be treated with topical creams and medications.
What is the Difference Between Acne and Eczema?
Acne is a skin condition that causes pimples to erupt, while eczema is a skin condition that causes a red or discoloured bumpy rash that may look like pimples. This is the key difference between acne and eczema. Furthermore, the causes of acne include excess oil production, hair follicles clogged by oil and dead skin cells, bacteria, and inflammation, while the causes of eczema include an immune system response to something irritating, problems in the skin’s barrier that let moisture out and germs in and a family history of other allergies or asthma.
The following table summarizes the difference between acne and eczema.
Summary – Acne vs Eczema
Acne and eczema are two unrelated skin conditions. Acne is a skin condition that causes pimples to erupt, while eczema is a skin condition that causes a red or discoloured bumpy rash that may look like pimples. This summarizes the difference between acne and eczema.
Reference:
1. “Acne.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
2. “Eczema: Types, Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment.” WebMD.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Acne vulgaris on a very oily skin” By Roshu Bangal – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Eczema Treatment- How to Apply Steroid Ointment (17240269223)” By NIAID – (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia