Is eczema contagious?

What the science says now

Is eczema contagious?

No. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) says atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, is not contagious. It cannot be spread from person to person. (NIAMS)
In people; official health information.

So what causes it?

NIAMS says no one knows exactly. Genes, the immune system and the environment all play a role. Environmental factors may include tobacco smoke, certain air pollutants, fragrances and other compounds in skin products and soaps, and excessively dry skin. (NIAMS)
In people; official health information.

Can something that touches my skin cause a flare?

Sometimes. A review of 10 studies of coin-shaped (nummular) eczema found that a typical 47.8% of people reacted to at least one contact allergen on a patch test. Nickel was one of the most common. Others included fragrance mix and potassium dichromate, which is found in leather and cement. A typical 33.5% also had allergic contact dermatitis, a rash caused by touching something you are allergic to. (Coin-shaped eczema: nearly half of patients reacted to an allergen like nickel · Journal of Drugs in Dermatology)
In people; review of observational studies.

Is eczema the same as psoriasis?

No. Psoriasis is a different skin disease. It tends to show up as thick, scaly, sharply edged plaques, which can look different from usual eczema patches. The two can look alike, though, so a diagnosis can change as a rash develops. In a large health-records study, the eczema drug dupilumab was not linked to more psoriasis diagnoses than steroid creams, other biologic drugs or JAK inhibitor pills. (Eczema drug dupilumab showed no extra psoriasis risk in a large study · Experimental Dermatology)
In people; observational.

What we don’t know yet

The official page we used covers atopic dermatitis. Our notes do not say whether other types of eczema, such as the coin-shaped kind, can spread between people. They also do not say whether psoriasis can.

Researchers still do not know exactly what causes atopic dermatitis. The patch test studies used different methods, so future research needs to sort out how allergies fit into coin-shaped eczema. The psoriasis study used health records, which show diagnoses rather than skin exams.

When to talk to your doctor

Talk to your doctor if a rash is severe, keeps coming back or does not improve with treatment. For coin-shaped eczema, the review supports patch testing in those cases. NIAMS notes that bacterial skin infections from scratching are common and can make eczema harder to control, so let your doctor know if a rash gets worse. If a new patch looks thick, scaly and sharply edged, take a dated photo and show it at your next visit. Do not change any prescribed medicine on your own.

Talk about it at dinner

Ask everyone: “What things touch our skin every day?” Think of soap, clothes, a watch or a belt buckle. Then pass around a bottle of soap and find the word “fragrance” on the label together. You can also remind kids that eczema is not catching, so there is no reason to keep away from a friend who has it.