If you are continuously experiencing intense itching, dryness, and irritation on your skin, you might be wondering, “Could this be eczema?”

But wait, isn’t eczema something only kids usually get? Or can you develop eczema as an adult?

Don’t worry, we are here to clear up the confusion. In this blog, you will find all the answers about sudden eczema in adults, why it appears, and how to manage it effectively.

Can You Get Eczema as an Adult?

One of the most common questions that often comes to mind when you are experiencing persistent itching and dryness is, “Can I develop eczema as an adult?” The simple answer to this question is yes.

Even though eczema is believed to be a skin condition that usually affects children under the age of 5, it can affect anyone at any age. When eczema appears in adults, it is known as adult eczema.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, when people experience eczema after their 18th birthday, it is considered adult-onset eczema, and it is more common in people around the age of 50.

Symptoms of Adult-Onset Eczema

Adult eczema usually causes the same iconic symptoms that it does in children, such as:

• Itchy skin
• Irritation
• Skin inflammation
• Redness
• Flaky, cracked patches of skin

However, the dryness and scaling of the affected is are more severe in adults than it is in children, and the areas affected by eczema are also different. Adult eczema usually affects the

• Face
• Back of neck
• Back of knees
• Crooks of the elbows

According to the National Eczema Society, certain types of eczema are more common among adults, including atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, and varicose eczema, and asteotic eczema, particularly in later life.

Eczema Pictures on Adults

Here are a few pictures to help you understand what eczema looks like on adults. The redness may appear as purple, gray, or brown on darker skin tones and pink or red on lighter skin tones.

Can you Randomly Get Eczema?

If you are thinking, “Can eczema randomly appear in your adulthood when you never had it as a child?” The answer is yes. According to the national eczema association, 1 in 4 adults have said that they never had eczema until now, and their symptoms first appeared in adulthood.

Another common question asked about eczema is, “Can eczema come back in adulthood? “ Yes, when you had eczema as a child, you may have thought you had outgrown it. However, in some cases, it can return in adulthood in the form of a flare-up.

So if your symptoms disappeared for years and you are suddenly experiencing them again, then don’t worry, it’s pretty normal.

What Causes Sudden Onset Eczema in Adults?

After discovering that eczema can affect adults as well, you might be wondering, “Why do I have eczema all of a sudden?” There is no exact cause for eczema; however, it is believed to be caused by a combination of factors.

According to the researchers, the most common causes of eczema in adults are

Genetics

Eczema often runs in families. People who have a family history of asthma, atopic dermatitis, hay fever, and allergies are more likely to experience eczema. Even if you never had it in your childhood, there are chances you still had it in your genetics and experienced it for the first time as an adult. 

Skin Barrier Dysfunction

As we know, genetics plays an important role in developing eczema, which is usually caused by a mutation in the filaggrin gene. This gene is responsible for keeping your skin’s natural barrier healthy and strong.

However, due to the mutation, the skin’s natural barrier becomes weak, making it difficult for the skin to retain moisture and easier for the outside irritants to penetrate it, which as a result, triggers eczema.

Apart from the filaggrin gene, some other genes that can affect the skin protective barrier are ceramide synthase and ABCA12.

Overactive Immune System

Some researchers also believe that eczema can be triggered due to an overactive immune system, which is usually more common in adults experiencing contact dermatitis. Genes like IL-4, IL-13, IL-31, STAT3, and FCER1G control how your body and immune system will react towards certain irritants or allergens.

Sometimes your immune system becomes overactive towards a certain allergen that may not be harmful to your body and triggers inflammation, which makes one more prone to developing eczema.

Environmental Factors

People with eczema usually have a weak skin barrier, due to which their skin is more reactive towards environmental factors such as extreme weather conditions, dust, and pollution, and triggers irritation, itching, and redness.

What Triggers Eczema in Adults?

Now we know that a combination of factors causes eczema. But while searching the internet, you may have noticed people asking questions like Can stress cause eczema? Can lead dust give you eczema?

These factors or environmental triggers can not cause eczema; however, they can trigger an eczema flare-up. You must be wondering what a flare-up is. A flare-up is the duration when your eczema symptoms become intense, and when they soothe, it is known as a remission period.

So, what causes eczema flare-ups in adults? Well, the list of triggers is very long, and it may vary from person to person. However, some of the most common ones are:

• Dust mites
• Pollution
• Cigarette smoke
• Extreme weather conditions
• Pet dander
• Harsh chemicals in skin and household products
• Stress
• Skin infections
• Pollen
• Poison ivy
• Metals

Knowing these triggers and avoiding them can help you prevent an eczema flare-up. However, figuring out the trigger on your own can often be difficult. This is why you can consult a doctor or dermatologist; they will be able to help you pinpoint it.

Treatment for Sudden Eczema in Adults

The itching, irritation, and redness caused by eczema can be so intense in adults that it often affects the quality of life by disturbing sleep and one’s self-confidence. This is why managing eczema and soothing its symptoms becomes the number one priority.

But how can you do this? Even though there is no permanent cure for eczema, managing it is quite easy. The best eczema treatment for adults​ includes:

Keep your Skin Clean

Cleanse your skin using an eczema body wash for adults at least once daily. It will help remove all the bacteria, viruses, and irritants from the skin that may make your eczema symptoms worse.

However, while washing, you have to keep a few things in mind, such as

• Always use lukewarm or cool water instead of hot water to wash your skin.
• Wash your skin after coming in from outside.
• Avoid using any shampoo, body wash, or soap that contains fragrance or any other harsh chemicals.
• Avoid using a loofah, scrub, or anything that may irritate the skin to wash your body; instead, use your hands.
• After washing, always pat your skin dry with a soft towel instead of rubbing it.

Moisturize Regularly

We know that skin dryness is a common symptom in people with eczema. And it can become even worse and lead to intense itching, irritation, cracking, and sometimes bleeding if the skin is not moisturized properly.

• This is why it is essential that you moisturize your skin with the help of an eczema cream or emollient at least twice daily, once in the morning and once at night.
• Make sure to moisturize your skin within 3 minutes after washing it, while it’s still a little damp.
• If you notice that your skin is becoming dry more often, then you can moisturize your skin more than twice, doing so throughout the day.
• However, make sure to use a moisturizer that is specially formulated for sensitive, eczema-prone skin. The best eczema cream for adults is the one that is fragrance-free, fast-absorbing, non-greasy, and hypoallergenic.

Avoid the Triggers

If you know what triggers your eczema flare-up or makes your symptoms worse, then try avoiding them. For example, if you know that harsh chemicals in skin care products are the culprit for your flare-up, then always use or buy the products that are free from these skin-irritating chemicals and are specially formulated for eczema-prone, sensitive skin, like the Dermal Defense Eczema Skincare Bundle.

Eczema Medications

If your eczema symptoms are not getting better or becoming severe even after taking proper care of your skin and following an eczema skin care routine, then it is best to consult a dermatologist. 

They may prescribe the use of certain medications along with cleansing and moisturizing, such as

• • Topical corticosteroids: These are anti-inflammatory creams prescribed to soothe itching and irritation. 
  • Antihistamines: Oral medications that help reduce the itching and irritation associated with eczema. 
  • JAK inhibitors: These medications help reduce the inflammation in the body. They can be applied to the skin or taken orally. 
  • Calcineurin inhibitors: These are non-steroidal medications that can be applied to the skin. 

• Biologics: These medications are injected into the body to soothe itching and irritation. 

• Phototherapy: This is a clinical procedure in which ultraviolet light is exposed to the skin, which helps reduce eczema symptoms. 

Dermal Defense and Adult Onset Eczema

If you are an adult dealing with sudden eczema for the first time, you would want to soothe the symptoms as fast as you can. We know that itching can make it hard for you to sleep at night. 

However, it can often be difficult to decide which products are best for your eczema-prone skin. But Dr. Eddie, an expert pediatrician with over a decade of experience treating patients with eczema, has solved your problem. 

He has developed skincare products that are specially formulated for dry, itchy, sensitive skin. That hydrates your skin without further irritating it. 

Dermal Defense’s fragrance-free body wash for sensitive skin is the best eczema body wash for adults. Why? It is paraben-free, dye-free, sulfate-free, phthalate-free, and free from any harsh chemicals that may irritate your skin.

Instead, it contains ingredients like licorice root extract, apple fruit extract, aloe vera extract, oat extract, and provitamin B5 that help soothe the itching, irritation, and redness on the skin in people with eczema. 

Dermal Defense also offers an Eczema Cream for Adults that is hypoallergenic, fast-absorbing, and non-greasy, making it great to use multiple times throughout the day. Plus, it is infused with licorice root extract, snow white petrolatum, and glycerin that not only help in hydrating the skin but also strengthen its skin barrier. 

Conclusion

The simple answer to the question Can eczema suddenly appear in adulthood is yes. Even if you never had it in your childhood, there are chances you may experience it for the first time in later life.

Eczema is believed to be caused by a combination of factors such as genetics, skin barrier dysfunction, an overactive immune system, and environmental factors. Some of the most common factors that trigger eczema in adults are stress, pollution, harsh weather, chemicals in products, and dust.

No matter whether you are experiencing eczema for the first time or it’s a flare-up of one that you experienced in childhood, managing it is quite easy. All you have to do is take proper care of your skin by regularly cleaning it with an eczema body wash and keeping it moisturized as much as possible with an eczema moisturizer.

For severe cases of eczema, it is best to consult a doctor, who may prescribe certain medication to make your condition better.

FAQs

• Can you develop eczema in your 30s?

Yes, even if you never had eczema in your childhood, you can still develop it for the first time in your 30s, 40s, or even 50s.

• What causes adult-onset eczema?

The exact cause of eczema is still not known; however, it is believed to be caused by a combination of factors such as 

• Genetics
• Impaired skin barrier
• Overactive immune system
• Environmental factors

• How to calm an eczema flare-up?

The best way to calm an eczema flare-up is to avoid the trigger that might be causing your flare-up and keep your skin clean with the help of an eczema shampoo and body wash, and moisturize it at least twice daily with an eczema cream.

• When does eczema start?

Eczema can start at any age; it knows no boundaries. Even though it is more common among children below the age of 5, it can appear at any time. You may even experience it for the first time in your adulthood.

• What is the best body wash for eczema in adults?

The best eczema body wash for adults is the one that is free from any skin-irritating chemicals such as fragrances, parabens, dyes, sulfates, and phthalates. A cleanse like Dermal Defense Body Wash for Sensitive Skin is a great option.

Because it is free from harsh chemicals and instead contains skin-soothing and hydrating ingredients like apple fruit extract, licorice root extract, oat extract, aloe vera extract, provitamin B5, and glycerin that help soothe itching and irritation on sensitive, eczema-prone skin.