Difference Between Eczema And Psoriasis

[rachel_razzlemom]

Eczema and psoriasis share a few similarities and this is probably the reason why they are often confused with each other. Below are the similarities between eczema and psoriasis:

- They affect the skin
- They cause rashes on different parts of the body
- Both can affect the scalp
- They are both chronic: an outbreak can last for weeks to months and outbreaks can recur for years or throughout your lifetime
- Both are hereditary conditions, passed on genetically
- They are non-contagious

But eczema and psoriasis share more differences than similarities though. The main difference between eczema and psoriasis is that the rashes that they cause are completely different in nature. With eczema, the rashes that appear are the result of skin inflammation but with psoriasis, rashes result from the excessive proliferation of skin cells. Other differences between the two are as follows:

ECZEMA

- Rashes tend to appear areas other than the knees, elbows, and other flexors or joints
- Triggered by several causes like stress, food allergies, irritants, environmental allergens, poor health, unhealthy diet and lifestyle, lack of sleep, and overdosing on certain vitamins (just to name a few)

PSORIASIS
- Rashes tend to appear on knees, elbows, or any flexor or joint
- Triggered by the immune system