Why Eczema Can Get Worse With Age and What to Do About It

Eczema is more than just a childhood ailment — it can happen in adults, too. In fact, about 30 percent of the U.S. population is affected by eczema, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

There are several reasons why eczema can appear all of a sudden in adults, or worsen in cases that began in childhood.

Fortunately, there are some natural and prescription remedies to alleviate eczema in adults. Here, learn why adult eczema occurs and how to reduce that dry itchiness.

Eczema, also called dermatitis, is a catch-all term for several different kinds of skin issues that are both chronic and non-contagious, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Most of the time, eczema looks and feels like dry, itchy skin rashes on certain areas of the body like the face, hands, feet, behind the knees and inside the elbows.

While it's most common in children, sometimes sudden eczema can appear in adults. It can also worsen over time if you've had it since adolescence.

Turns out, there are seven different types of eczema. These include, per the National Eczema Association:

• Atopic dermatitis
• Contact dermatitis
• Neurodermatitis
• Dyshidrotic eczema
• Nummular eczema
• Seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff)
• Stasis dermatitis
  

Each type of eczema can have a different cause and may look different depending on the person. For example, eczema can look red in people with lighter skin and purple/grey in people with darker skin. Some types may also cause blisters.

Sometimes, if you scratch eczema, it can also cause bleeding, per the Cleveland Clinic.

It's normal for skin to change as you get older, and those changes can affect how susceptible you are to eczema. Common causes include:

"Aging skin loses its ability to hold onto water, the collagen diminishes and skin tends to be dryer," says Leah Ansell, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York.

Collagen is a protein in bones, hair, muscles and yes, skin. When you age and lose collagen, your bones and hair can become brittle and your skin may sag, per Cedars Sinai. Sagging skin can become dry skin, which can bring on dermatitis.

Certain medications more commonly prescribed in older adults (like statins to lower cholesterol) can also contribute to dry skin. And because dry skin is one of the major contributors to eczema, you may find a flare or two of those itchy patches while on a certain med, Dr. Ansell says.

Other medications that can cause dry skin and eczema flares include the following, per Harvard Health Publishing:

• ‌Blood thinners like warfarin:‌ These can cause dry, thin skin
• ‌Acne medications like accutane:‌ These can cause dry skin and dry mouth

The hormonal changes you experience during menopause can also have an effect on your skin.

Menopause is associated with a decrease in estrogen, a hormone that typically regulates the menstrual cycle and keeps bones, hair and skin healthy, per Johns Hopkins Medicine. The drop in estrogen causes a change in your skin's microbiome and causes skin to produce less oil, per the National Eczema Society.

This leads to dryer skin and a change in the type of bacteria on the skin, both of which weaken the skin barrier and increase the risk of developing eczema, according to the National Eczema Society.

Another common cause of eczema in adults is stress.

A 2020 patient survey by the National Eczema Society looked at what causes eczema flare-ups in adults. It found that stress was the greatest trigger, especially among women. (Note: The surveyors identified participants as women and men, which is why we've included this type of gendered language. LIVESTRONG.com otherwise tries to avoid using gendered language.)

The survey also warned that stress can contribute to inflammation throughout the body and limit the skin's ability to repair itself.

"Stress can weaken the immune system and trigger eczema flare-ups," says Brian Moore, MD, dermatologist and dermatology advisor for Illuminate Labs.

Now that we know the causes of eczema in adults, we can determine the type of eczema adults can get. Each type comes with its own set of triggers, symptoms and appearance. The most common types include:

This type of eczema affects the lower legs and typically appears along with varicose veins, leg swelling and high blood pressure in adults over the age of 50, according to the National Eczema Association.

Other symptoms can include a heavy or achy feeling in the legs after sitting or standing for long periods, and dry, scaling skin.

If left untreated, venous eczema can break down the skin and cause ulcers to form.

This is a common type of eczema in older adults, however, some people in their 20s can get this skin condition, per the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD).

Asteatotic eczema, also called xerotic eczema often appears on the shins and lower legs, and looks dry and flakey. People tend to develop this eczema in winter months, from lack of humidity and wearing wool or other fabrics that can be irritating, per the AOCD.

This type of eczema looks like coin-shaped lesions (or red spots), usually on the arms and legs. While it's chronic, nummular eczema can come and go, with flares lasting weeks to months, per the Cleveland Clinic.

Doctors are unsure exactly why nummular eczema occurs, but it could be triggered by allergies, a bacterial infection or irritants like rough fabrics or hygiene products, per the Cleveland Clinic.

One of the most common types of eczema is hand eczema. It mainly affects the palms but can occur anywhere on the hand.

With hand eczema, the skin is dry, itchy and can bleed or develop blisters, Dr. Ansell says. "This is typically due to over-washing your hands. It results in excessively dry skin with roughness and painful cracks," she adds.

This is another very common type of eczema in adults, due to the delicate nature of the skin around the eyes. Because the skin in that area naturally folds (especially as you age), it is common for allergens to come into and stay in contact with the skin, causing the symptoms of eczema, per the National Eczema Society.

Common allergens and irritants that lead to eyelid eczema include makeup, skin-care products, nail polish, towels or clothing and even certain eyedrops containing neomycin, per the National Eczema Society.

Managing eczema as an adult means focusing on moisturizing skin properly, managing triggers and being gentle with your skin, per the American Academy of Dermatology.

While eczema cannot be cured, it can often be managed through the following steps:

It is common for people with eczema to also have seasonal and food allergies, Dr. Ansell says. Treating seasonal allergies with antihistamines can help control symptoms. Your doctor can suggest the right antihistamine for you, which can also improve the outcomes for your eczema.

"Ceramides are a fat that is commonly lost in eczema-prone skin," Dr. Ansell says. Creams containing ceramides help to replenish the skin's barrier, she adds.

Dr. Moore recommends products by CeraVe because they are filled with ceramides to help soothe and moisturize the skin.

Be mindful of triggers — i.e., anything that causes your eczema to flare up, per the American Academy of Dermatology. Everyone has different triggers, so learning what yours are and avoiding them is key to improving your eczema symptoms.

Triggers can include hot or cold weather, laundry detergents, certain foods, perfume, skin-care products, stress and more. You may even want to eat a diet to help eczema symptoms, to narrow down your triggers.

"Stress can especially make any inflammatory disorder worse," says Harry Dao, MD, chair of dermatology at Loma Linda University.

Stress-reduction techniques may not cure eczema, but they should be able to calm down symptoms to a degree and help patients manage their eczema in a more productive way, he adds.

Dr. Moore suggests adding bath oils like Aveeno Shower and Bath Oil ($14.27, Walmart) or Eucerin Skin Calming Body Wash ($7.97, Amazon) to bathwater.

"Adding bath oils to bathwater can help soothe dry, itchy skin," he says.

Whether you got eczema all of a sudden, or you've had it since childhood, eczema can worsen as you age.

If you've tried home remedies and are still experiencing discomfort associated with your eczema, it may be time to see a doctor. Persistent symptoms that don't improve with the use of over-the-counter products should be seen by a medical provider.

"Oftentimes in dermatology, we say that itch is much worse than pain," Dr. Dao says. That's why it's important to diagnose eczema and help treat it to improve your quality of life.