People of all skin colors, races, and ethnicities are affected by eczema, and the features of eczema can differ depending on your skin tone and where signs and symptoms appear on your body. This tool captures a range of skin tones and body locations to help you understand how eczema may appear on different skin types.
This tool should not be used for self-diagnosis, but it can help inform your conversation with a skin specialist.
These images feature real moderate-to-severe eczema patients who are not taking DUPIXENT and did not participate in DUPIXENT clinical trials. Eczema may look different on your skin and may appear on other areas of the body.
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How could eczema look different on my skin?
In lighter skin tones, eczema tends to appear pink or red in color.
In darker skin tones, eczema tends to appear darker brown, purple, or ashen gray in color.
Some people with eczema may develop bumps around hair follicles that resemble goosebumps (folliculitis). These bumps can appear with or without scaly patches on the skin.
People with darker skin often experience thickening of the skin (lichenification) after flare-ups. Areas of thickened skin, or plaque, may feel rough or leathery.
Every patient is unique, so your signs and symptoms may differ from the photos above. If you suspect you may have eczema, speak to a skin specialist, who can provide a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan that works for you.
All images displayed on this page are the property of their respective copyright holders. Unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, or
modification of these images without the express written permission of the copyright holder is strictly prohibited.
LEARN HOW A
SPECIALIST CAN HELP
Skin specialists are trained to diagnose and treat patients of all skin tones and can help create a personalized care plan for you or your loved one. Learn more about partnering with a skin specialist and find one near you.
Diversity in the
Eczema Landscape
Hear from eczema patients with varying skin types and find helpful information and advice for your
own treatment journey.
Transcript
VO:
DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 6 months of age and older with moderate-to-severe eczema (atopic dermatitis or AD) that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin (topical), or who cannot use topical therapies. DUPIXENT can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with atopic dermatitis under 6 months of age.
Important Safety Information
Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®.
Please see additional Important Safety Information throughout this video and adjacent links for full Prescribing Information.
Individual results with DUPIXENT may vary.
Sponsored by Regeneron and Sanofi.
MOSETTA:
It was difficult growing up with uncontrolled severe eczema. I had flaky scalp. I had rashes from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. Well, as a black girl growing up where I came from, having severe eczema made me feel very uncomfortable about my appearance. No one else looked like that.
ADANTE:
Eczema looks different on darker skin versus lighter skin. On my skin, uncontrolled severe eczema will show up around my eyes in a darkened patch, and it would be very dry. People would ask if I had a black eye. I would explain to my friends that my doctor says it's severe eczema, but they're like, nah, that's got to be something else.
MASAYO:
When I went online to research moderate eczema, I wanted to find an example of what discoloration would look like on my son's skin, but I wasn't able to find any. Most of the pictures I found showed eczema on Caucasian skin tones, so I changed my approach.
I started searching for a doctor who had experience treating different skin tones like my son's, and I eventually found one.
MOSETTA:
When I began to take ownership of my uncontrolled severe eczema, I was looking for what to do for my skin type, and I really wasn't finding much information out there.
ADANTE:
I'm looking at videos, and I cannot find people who look similar to me, and when I do find people that look similar to me, I would find home remedies, but these home remedies did not work. I was looking for a medicine that could work for me.
MASAYO:
I spent a long time looking for different treatment options for my son's skin. Then, one day, his doctor mentioned DUPIXENT. He said it might be able to help his uncontrolled moderate eczema.
DUPIXENT is a treatment for adults and children 6 months of age and older with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe eczema.
ADANTE:
Before I started DUPIXENT, I told my doctor about all the medical conditions I had and medications I was taking.
MOSETTA:
My doctor and I talked about the potential benefits and risks of treatment, including the most common side effects such as injection site reactions and some serious side effects, including allergic reactions that can sometimes be severe, eye problems, and joint aches and pain.
MASAYO:
My son was having a hard time at school because he was always itchy, and his skin obviously looked very different, so the kids around him would ask him a lot of questions about it, and he would come home from school and ask me why his skin is so different from others, and I didn't have an answer for him.
After he started using DUPIXENT, he wasn't itchy all the time. He felt like he didn't have to hide his skin. Seeing him be able to focus more on just being a kid made us feel so happy.
ADANTE:
Over time, my skin became clearer. Of course, this is just my experience. Everyone's experience with DUPIXENT may be different.
MOSETTA:
With DUPIXENT my skin is clearer, and I don't itch as much. As someone who grew up feeling ashamed of her appearance, I love getting compliments on how much clearer my skin looks.
I never felt comfortable taking pictures when my eczema was front and center. Now I'm a selfie queen!
Transcript
VO:
DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 6 months of age and older with moderate-to-severe eczema (atopic dermatitis or AD) that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin (topical), or who cannot use topical therapies. DUPIXENT can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with atopic dermatitis under 6 months of age.
Important Safety Information
Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®.
Please see additional Important Safety Information throughout this video and adjacent links for full Prescribing Information.
Individual results with DUPIXENT may vary.
Sponsored by Regeneron and Sanofi.
SANDRI JOHNSON: Hi. I’m Sandri Johnson. I’m a dermatology nurse practitioner. In my practice, I regularly see patients of varying ethnicities and so many different skin types. And when it comes to uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (or eczema), my patients all have different experiences.
Generally, if a patient has lighter skin, eczema causes inflamed pink or even deep red lesions.
On darker skin, the lesions usually appear as dark brown or purple or even ashy patches. Darker skin can get thick in areas that the patient scratches a lot.
People with different skin tones tend to see eczema show up on different parts of their bodies.
In lighter skin tones, we tend to see it in the folds of the skin, like the bends of the elbows or the knees.
Whereas in darker skin, we often see thick dry patches in the lower extremities.
Of course, how and where it presents can change over time in any skin type.
Also, the impact of eczema on the skin can vary especially when it comes to itching and scratching.
Scratching can lead to scarring and discoloration, which can be more noticeable in darker skin.
The discoloration in lighter skin might not be as noticeable.
So, eczema can be different for everyone. If yours doesn’t look quite like someone else’s, it’s okay.
The important thing is that you understand your eczema and advocate for yourself.
Ask questions and find a provider who can work with you to find an appropriate treatment option that will fit your individual needs.
Thanks for watching!
Transcript
VO:
DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 6 months of age and older with moderate-to-severe eczema (atopic dermatitis or AD) that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin (topical), or who cannot use topical therapies. DUPIXENT can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with atopic dermatitis under 6 months of age.
Important Safety Information
Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®.
Please see additional Important Safety Information throughout this video and adjacent links for full Prescribing Information.
Individual results with DUPIXENT may vary.
Sponsored by Regeneron and Sanofi.
MOSETTA:
Growing up, finding a care provider to treat my uncontrolled severe eczema was very difficult. When my parents found someone who was willing to treat me, there were some things that she was not familiar with as it pertains to treating a person of color.
She didn't always know what was best for my skin tone or how my eczema was received in my community.
MASAYO:
It was harder for my son's doctor to spot his moderate eczema because of his skin tone.
The patches where my son's skin was broken, oozing or bleeding were obvious, but the pink or red patches were harder to identify even though they were causing my son a lot of discomfort.
ADANTE:
When I moved to a new city, I wanted to find a doctor who was familiar with the darker patches I was experiencing and the discoloration of my skin.
My uncontrolled severe eczema was impacting not only how my skin felt but also how I looked.
MOSETTA:
Throughout my life, it was very difficult trying to find a care provider who would be willing to care about what I was going through.
So, finding the current provider that I have now was a challenge.
Today, I work with an African-American dermatologist who understands how my eczema presents on my darker skin tone. I'm grateful to be working with a doctor who really understands how eczema impacts my skin.
ADANTE:
I feel it is very important to have a great relationship with your doctor so they can understand where you're at in your journey.
You know, don't just poke around online or try this or that home remedy. Make sure you're getting your information from reliable sources. I have a good relationship with my current dermatologist. They are also the doctor who suggested I start treatment with DUPIXENT.
MASAYO:
DUPIXENT is a treatment for adults and children 6 months of age and older with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe eczema.
MOSETTA:
Before I started DUPIXENT, I told my doctor about all the medical conditions I had and medications I was taking.
My doctor and I talked about the potential benefits and risks of treatment, including the most common side effects such as injection site reactions and some serious side effects, including allergic reactions that can sometimes be severe, eye problems, and joint aches and pain.
MASAYO:
I feel it is important to work with a doctor who is supportive of the caregiver as well as the patient because we need to feel comfortable.
ADANTE:
Individuals should find a doctor who understands how eczema can look different in all skin tones—a dermatologist who understands that everybody's journey can be different and looks different.
MOSETTA:
I've had eczema my whole life and I've had a lot of different doctors over the years.
For me, trust is the most important thing. When I had that trust, I knew I found the right doctor.
Transcript
VO:
DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 6 months of age and older with moderate-to-severe eczema (atopic dermatitis or AD) that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin (topical), or who cannot use topical therapies. DUPIXENT can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with atopic dermatitis under 6 months of age.
Important Safety Information
Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®.
Please see additional Important Safety Information throughout this video and adjacent links for full Prescribing Information.
Individual results with DUPIXENT may vary.
Sponsored by Regeneron and Sanofi.
SANDRI JOHNSON:
Hi. My name is Sandri Johnson. I'm a dermatology nurse practitioner.
In my practice, I treat patients of varying ethnicities who have uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, or eczema. I see light skin, dark skin, and just about everything in between.
I will say that some of my patients have struggled to learn about their eczema and what they can do about it.
I know some search for answers online, but they have trouble finding them because what's online doesn't always reflect their skin type and experience.
My patients' experiences with eczema may vary widely and may not always represent "textbook" examples from my training.
Healthcare providers are not always trained on how to recognize and treat eczema across the full spectrum of skin tones.
That's why I want to encourage you—no matter what your skin tone is—to work with a healthcare team who understands your eczema and how to treat it.
Unfortunately, many patients in my town with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis have gone to the ER when they have a flare instead of seeing a dermatology specialist.
They are given topical prescriptions, and their eczema keeps coming back without having a long-term treatment plan.
DUPIXENT is a treatment that works by targeting an underlying source of inflammation that could be a root cause of your uncontrolled moderate-to-severe eczema regardless of your skin tone.
Many of my patients have seen noticeably clearer skin and less itch with DUPIXENT.
So, talk to your healthcare provider to see if DUPIXENT could be a treatment option for you.
Most importantly, I encourage you to find a healthcare provider who will really work with you and listen to your unique needs.
Look for a healthcare provider that has a good reputation within your community.
Ask around about the healthcare provider's experience with treating atopic dermatitis across a spectrum of skin tones. There might be an online support group that could be a good resource as well.
Remember, you don't have to be alone in your eczema journey.