Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsIs Skin Healing?CausesSkin CareSevere PeelingTreatments
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Is Skin Healing?
Causes
Skin Care
Severe Peeling
Treatments
Peeling skin, also known asdesquamation, can occur for a number of reasons, includingsun damage,medical conditions, and reactions to irritants or medications. It can happen in a localized area, or be widespread over the body. Peeling skin can have varying levels of severity, from mild and painless, to serious or life threatening.
This article will discuss causes of skin peeling, skin care with skin peeling, when skin peeling is severe, and medical treatment for skin peeling.
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Does Skin Peeling Mean Your Skin’s Healing?
Peeling skin is often an indication that yourskin is trying to healfrom some form of damage. For instance, peeling after a sunburn is your body’s way of trying to get rid of damaged cells.
What Does Peeling Skin Look and Feel Like?The look and feel of peeling skin depends on what is causing it. In general, peeling skin may be:ScalyFlakyCrustyDryRedItchyPainful (or painless)
What Does Peeling Skin Look and Feel Like?
The look and feel of peeling skin depends on what is causing it. In general, peeling skin may be:ScalyFlakyCrustyDryRedItchyPainful (or painless)
The look and feel of peeling skin depends on what is causing it. In general, peeling skin may be:
Skin Peeling Causes: Burns, Conditions, and Infections
Peeling skin can happen for a number of reasons, including burns, certain medical conditions and infections, and reactions to irritants or medications.
Sunburn
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can overwhelm the body’s defenses, causing it to react with a sunburn. First-degree sunburns affect only the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin). Second-degree sunburns go deeper to the dermis, and damage nerve endings.
Both degrees of burn can be painful and cause the skin to redden. Second-degree sunburns can also make the skin swell andblister.
Both types of burns can lead to peeling skin, usually about three days after the sunburn occurs.
Peeling Skin Syndrome (PSS)
Peeling skin syndrome is a group of rare, inherited skin disorders. With this condition, the shedding of the outermost layers of skin, that typically happens gradually, is hastened and/or aggravated. This causes painless, continual skin peeling.
Other symptoms may include:
PSS can be divided into categories:
Skin peeling is usually present from birth, but may develop in early childhood or later in life.
Hand Eczema
Hand eczema, also called hand dermatitis, is a skin condition with symptoms including:
Are the Benefits of Microneedling Worth It?
Other Health Conditions
Other health conditions associated with skin peeling include:
Infection
Certain infections or infectious diseases can lead to skin peeling, including:
Skin Care With Skin Peeling
Caring for peeling skinstarts with addressing the cause of the peeling.
For a sunburn, as soon as you notice the burn:
For peeling skin syndrome:Apply emollient (skin-softening) ointments, such as Vaseline (petroleum jelly), particularly after a bath.
Forhand eczema:
For keratolysis exfoliativa:
For jock itch:
Chemical Peel
Achemical peel(chemoexfoliation) is a procedure used to improve the appearance of the skin on the face, neck or hands.
It may be used for:
With a chemical peel, different acidic solutions (salicylicacid,lacticacid,glycolicacid) are used on the skin to stimulate:
There are three levels of chemical peel: superficial, medium, and deep peels.
Superficial/lunchtime peel:
Medium peel:
Deep peel:
Laser Resurfacing
Laser skin resurfacingis a cosmetic procedure that uses short, pulsating, concentrated beams of light to address skin issues such as wrinkles, blemishes, scars, sun-damaged skin, and warts.
The procedure removes the outer layer of skin, and heats the underlying skin, which stimulates the growth of new collagen fibers, resulting in smoother and firmer skin as the treated area heals. It is usually done as an outpatient procedure and generally takes between half an hour to two hours.
After the treatment, you may experience:
Some people experience symptoms similar to a severe sunburn, with raw, possibly blistering skin that may ooze a yellow liquid and crust over. Scratching or picking these crusts could cause scarring.
Typically, about five days after treatment, the skin becomes dry and peels. The new skin underneath will gradually lighten, usually in two to three months, but possibly up to a year.
Severe Skin Peeling: What’s Dangerous?
Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)is a severe, life-threatening skin disorder, which causes blistering and peeling of the skin. The skin peels in sheets, leaving large, raw areas exposed, and allowing fluid and salts to seep from the damaged areas. These areas are vulnerable to infection.
Symptoms can vary from person to person, but some other common symptoms may include:
Symptoms of TEN may resemble other skin conditions. Because of the severity of the condition, talk to a healthcare provider if you have symptoms that are consistent with TEN.
The condition progresses quickly, typically within three days, and usually requires hospitalization. Treatment may include:
Medical Treatment for Skin Peeling
Treatment for keratolysis exfoliativa may include:
Mild jock itch may be treated with over-the-counter (OTC)antifungal creams, sprays, or powders. Oral or topical prescription medication may be needed for more serious infections.
Handeczema treatmentmay include medications such as:
Summary
Peeling skin can occur for a number of reasons, including sunburn, peeling skin syndrome, hand eczema, jock itch,scarlet fever, and other medical conditions.
Care for peeling skin depends on the reason it is peeling, but typically involves treating the underlying cause, andkeeping skin moisturized. Occasionally, medications may be needed. A chemical peel is a procedure that uses acidic solutions to improve the appearance of skin on the face, neck, chest, and/or hands.
Toxic epidermal necrolysis is a severe, life-threatening skin disorder, which causes the skin to blister and peel in sheets. It usually requires hospitalization.
17 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Skin Cancer Foundation.Why does my skin peel when I get sunburned, and what should I do about it?National Organization for Rare Disorders.Peeling skin syndrome.MedlinePlus.Acral peeling skin syndrome.National Eczema Association.Hand eczema.DermNet.Keratolysis exfoliativa.Primary Care Dermatology Society.Peeling skin conditions.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About Kawasaki disease.Chang LS, Weng KP, Yan JH, et al.Desquamation in kawasaki disease. Children. 2021;8(5):317. doi:10.3390/children8050317Nemours TeensHealth.Jock itch.Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of scarlet fever.American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.Chemical peels.Soleymani T, Lanoue J, Rahman Z.A practical approach to chemical peels. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2018;11(8):21-28. PMID: 30214663GrajqevciKotori M, Kocinaj A.Exfoliative skin-peeling, benefits from this procedure and our experience. Med Arh. 2015;69(6):414. doi:10.5455/medarh.2015.69.414-416Harvard Health.Shedding your skin.American Society of Plastic Surgeons.Laser skin resurfacing.Johns Hopkins.Toxic epidermal necrolysis.Boston Children’s Hospital.Toxic epidermal necrolysis.
17 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Skin Cancer Foundation.Why does my skin peel when I get sunburned, and what should I do about it?National Organization for Rare Disorders.Peeling skin syndrome.MedlinePlus.Acral peeling skin syndrome.National Eczema Association.Hand eczema.DermNet.Keratolysis exfoliativa.Primary Care Dermatology Society.Peeling skin conditions.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About Kawasaki disease.Chang LS, Weng KP, Yan JH, et al.Desquamation in kawasaki disease. Children. 2021;8(5):317. doi:10.3390/children8050317Nemours TeensHealth.Jock itch.Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of scarlet fever.American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.Chemical peels.Soleymani T, Lanoue J, Rahman Z.A practical approach to chemical peels. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2018;11(8):21-28. PMID: 30214663GrajqevciKotori M, Kocinaj A.Exfoliative skin-peeling, benefits from this procedure and our experience. Med Arh. 2015;69(6):414. doi:10.5455/medarh.2015.69.414-416Harvard Health.Shedding your skin.American Society of Plastic Surgeons.Laser skin resurfacing.Johns Hopkins.Toxic epidermal necrolysis.Boston Children’s Hospital.Toxic epidermal necrolysis.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Skin Cancer Foundation.Why does my skin peel when I get sunburned, and what should I do about it?National Organization for Rare Disorders.Peeling skin syndrome.MedlinePlus.Acral peeling skin syndrome.National Eczema Association.Hand eczema.DermNet.Keratolysis exfoliativa.Primary Care Dermatology Society.Peeling skin conditions.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About Kawasaki disease.Chang LS, Weng KP, Yan JH, et al.Desquamation in kawasaki disease. Children. 2021;8(5):317. doi:10.3390/children8050317Nemours TeensHealth.Jock itch.Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of scarlet fever.American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.Chemical peels.Soleymani T, Lanoue J, Rahman Z.A practical approach to chemical peels. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2018;11(8):21-28. PMID: 30214663GrajqevciKotori M, Kocinaj A.Exfoliative skin-peeling, benefits from this procedure and our experience. Med Arh. 2015;69(6):414. doi:10.5455/medarh.2015.69.414-416Harvard Health.Shedding your skin.American Society of Plastic Surgeons.Laser skin resurfacing.Johns Hopkins.Toxic epidermal necrolysis.Boston Children’s Hospital.Toxic epidermal necrolysis.
Skin Cancer Foundation.Why does my skin peel when I get sunburned, and what should I do about it?
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Peeling skin syndrome.
MedlinePlus.Acral peeling skin syndrome.
National Eczema Association.Hand eczema.
DermNet.Keratolysis exfoliativa.
Primary Care Dermatology Society.Peeling skin conditions.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About Kawasaki disease.
Chang LS, Weng KP, Yan JH, et al.Desquamation in kawasaki disease. Children. 2021;8(5):317. doi:10.3390/children8050317
Nemours TeensHealth.Jock itch.
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of scarlet fever.
American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.Chemical peels.
Soleymani T, Lanoue J, Rahman Z.A practical approach to chemical peels. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2018;11(8):21-28. PMID: 30214663
GrajqevciKotori M, Kocinaj A.Exfoliative skin-peeling, benefits from this procedure and our experience. Med Arh. 2015;69(6):414. doi:10.5455/medarh.2015.69.414-416
Harvard Health.Shedding your skin.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons.Laser skin resurfacing.
Johns Hopkins.Toxic epidermal necrolysis.
Boston Children’s Hospital.Toxic epidermal necrolysis.
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