Severe facial eczema: act fast.
You wake up and your face is on fire. The eczema you've been managing has suddenly gotten way worse. Your cheeks are red, swollen and weeping. Every time you move your face, it cracks and stings.
You know you should see your dermatologist, but the next appointment isn't for three weeks. And right now, you can barely leave the house.
This is when a bad eczema flare needs urgent care right away. Mild eczema can wait for your regular doctor, but severe facial eczema needs same-day help. Especially if it's infected, spreading fast, or affecting your eyes.
Here's how to know when your facial eczema rash needs urgent care and what treatments are available.
What does an eczema rash on the face look like?
Facial eczema usually shows up as red, dry patches.
You'll see them on your cheeks, forehead, around your eyes, or near your mouth. The skin feels rough and tight. It might leak clear fluid or get small bumps. But the worst part is the intense itching.
Eczema affects about 31.6 million Americans. Most people with eczema experience daily itching and about 60% report severe or unbearable itch during flares.
Eczema on your face often looks different than eczema on your body. Facial skin is thinner and more sensitive, so flares can be more dramatic and painful.
Eczema vs other facial rashes.
Rosacea vs. eczema.
Rosacea makes your face red, but you can usually see tiny blood vessels. Sometimes you get bumps that look like acne.
Contact dermatitis vs. eczema.
Contact dermatitis occurs when something touches your skin and irritates it, like new face products or perfumes. The rash shows up where they touched your skin.
Seborrheic dermatitis vs. eczema.
Seborrheic dermatitis affects oily spots around your nose and eyebrows. It makes greasy-looking flakes.
Signs of infected eczema on your face.
This is super important to watch for. Infection signs include yellow or honey-colored crusts, bumps filled with pus, more pain and warmth, red lines spreading from the rash, or fever.
If you see any infection signs, don't wait. Get help the same day at CityMD.
How to treat a severe eczema rash on your face at home.
For mild flares, focus on gentle care. Keep your skin moist.
Use products without perfume. Apply moisturizer while your skin is still wet after washing. Don't use hot water. Use warm water instead.
Hydrocortisone cream from the store can help with mild itching. Cool cloths on your face help too.
The key is knowing when home care isn't enough. If you're not better in 2-3 days, don't wait weeks for a skin doctor. Get medical care.
When to visit urgent care for an eczema rash on your face.
Usually, you can handle mild eczema at home. Use moisturizers and creams you can buy at the store.
But facial eczema is different. It's more visible, it's more sensitive and it can lead to bigger problems.
Research shows that people with eczema around the eyes get eye infections more often. About 25-40% of people with facial eczema can get swelling inside their eyelids.
Doctors at CityMD can evaluate these severe eczema flares and they can prescribe the right treatments to get your symptoms under control.
Get urgent care if you have:
- Signs of infection. Yellow crusts, leaking pus, or red lines mean bacteria got in. Face infections need antibiotics right away.
- Eczema affecting your eyes. Rash on your eyelids or around your eyes needs help now. Eye problems can get serious fast if not treated.
- Bad facial swelling. Especially around your eyes or lips.
- Fast spreading. The rash is spreading across your face in hours or days.
- Really bad pain or itching. So bad you can't sleep or work normally. Research shows 86% of people with eczema itch daily. But bad flares are much worse.
- Your usual treatments stopped working. After 2-3 days, something changed.
- Fever with your rash. This means infection.
What urgent care can do for facial eczema.
At CityMD, we can:
- Give you stronger steroid creams for bad swelling
- Prescribe pills for big flares
- Give antibiotics if your eczema is infected
- Give medicine to help with itching and sleep
Most infected eczema gets better fast with treatment, so the sooner you start, the faster you heal.
Treat severe facial eczema at CityMD.
Dealing with a bad eczema flare on your face? You don't have to wait weeks while you suffer.
Experts at your local CityMD can check your facial eczema. We can give you medicine to control the flare and help you feel better.
No appointment needed. We're here when your face needs urgent care.
We’re ready to care for you.
Visit any CityMD urgent care location in your community today for an evaluation with one of our expert providers.