Usually, eczema doesn’t leave scars.
Understanding how to handle eczema flare-ups can help you to manage or prevent eczema scars.
Eczema does not directly cause scars.
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Wounds heal in overlapping stages: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling.
Scars from Pigment Changes
Healed wounds generallyleave scarsthat eventually blend in with the color of your skin.
However, this doesn’t always happen.
Abnormal pigmentation (coloring) of an eczema scar can occur.
People with darker skin tend to be affected more, while light-skinned people tend to be affected less.
Skin color is determined mainly by cells that producemelanin, which is made up of brown and black pigment.
The more melanin you produce, the darker your skin.
The color of your eczema scars is also influenced by melanin.
This post-flare-up response can cause the skin to become dark and leathery (called lichenification).
The dark patches that remain may last weeks or months.
These pigment changes can occur with inflammation or scratchingeven if it doesn’t break the skin.
Treatment
Unfortunately, there’s no magic wand for getting rid of eczema scars.
Although many eczema scars fade slowly over a few years, some may persist.
You should always wait until your eczema flare-up is fully resolved before attempting to treat the scars.
There are home treatments available to treat eczema scars as well as in-office procedures to consider.
Your healthcare provider can help you decide which treatments are best for you.
Avoid getting a tattoo during aflare-up, and check that your skin is well-hydrated prior to your appointment.
Consult with your dermatologist prior to getting a tattoo to determine if it’s an appropriate treatment for you.
Clinical Treatments
Prevention
The best way to prevent eczema scars is to avoid scratching.
This can be extremely difficult if you have thisintensely itchy condition.
The itch-scratch cycle happens when the desire to itch causes you to scratch your eczema rash.
Scratching causes the rash to get worse and leads to more itchiness and an increased need to scratch.
The cycle continues until you are able to stop scratching so that the inflammation and itchiness can calm down.
However, there are many ways to prevent scarring and improve the appearance of existing scars.
Talk to your doctor about possible interventions to improve your quality of life.
National Eczema Society.Skin pigmentation and eczema.
National Eczema Association.Ask the Ecz-perts: What Can Be Done About Dark Spots Left by Eczema?
2019;85(07):563-569. doi:10.1055/a-0725-8456
Eczema Foundation:Eczema: what are the risks of tattoos?
2017;28(6):523-538. doi:10.1080/09546634.2016.1278071
