Is it Eczema or Psoriasis? How do you tell?

By Sally Moe, Times Total Media Correspondent

Maybe you’ve been noticing these discolored, itchy inflamed patches on your skin. They’re really bothersome, you’re feeling self-conscious about them and they aren’t getting better. You’re wondering, could it be eczema … or psoriasis? What’s the difference? Aren’t they basically the same thing?

Short answer: Nope, they’re not. At first presentation, both conditions look similar, so they can be confused. Plus, certain topicals and UVB therapy can soothe both conditions. So it takes the experienced eye of a board-certified dermatologist, and perhaps a biopsy, to know which condition is causing your symptoms.

First, the comparison lowdown from psoriasis.org:

• Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disease associated with systemic inflammation that can lead to comorbidities like cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, anxiety and depression.

• Eczema, according to the National Eczema Association, “is the name for a group of conditions that cause the skin to become itchy, inflamed or have a rash-like appearance. There are seven types of eczema: atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, dyshidrotic eczema, nummular eczema, neurodermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis and stasis dermatitis.”

Some people mistakenly think of eczema as “psoriasis lite,” but eczema will not develop into psoriasis. (You can have both conditions, though that’s uncommon.) Both conditions are chronic — meaning they can’t be cured — but they can be managed. Both conditions have an immune-system link, although the links are very different. And neither condition is contagious.

Eczema tends to start earlier, often in infancy (60 percent of eczema cases present within a baby’s first year, according to a study published

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