Red bumps turn into dry, scaly patches

[ryannah05]

I have been getting very small, reddish bumps on my arms.  The bumps are slightly itchy.  After a few days, the bumps go away and leave a peeling/scaly patch that grows into kind of an oval shape.  Sometimes these scaly patches are pink or red, then they fade to white, and then they clear up.  This started out on both of my upper arms, and now I'm starting to see it on my lower arms as well.  Any idea what this could be?

[rines]

I have experienced the same symptoms as you

I wonder if it could be dermatitis herpetiformis. Do you have any other symptoms of Coeliac Disease?

Feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss this further.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

I cannot confirm anything without examination,but it can be due to eczema. Eczema is a form of chronic dermatitis (rash).Allergic reaction is one of the important causes of eczema. Allergic reaction can occur to strong soaps, Solvents, chemicals, certain foods, food additives, plants, metals, cosmetics, even urine and faeces of some animals (dust mites).

Wash the areas several times with fresh water. Do not use any cosmetic products at the sites. You can apply some calamine lotion at the rash as it will help in soothing the skin. You can take some OTC oral antihistamine medications like Benadryl or Claritin and see if it helps.

For mild-moderate eczema a weak steroid may be used (e.g. hydrocortisone as dermacort), whilst more severe cases require a higher-potency steroid (e.g. clobetasol propionate, fluocinonide).

Eczema can be exacerbated by dryness of the skin. Use good quality moisturizers to prevent moisture loss from the skin.

If still the symptoms do not improve then pls get a clinical examination done by a dermatologist.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing.

[deboone]

Could this be  psoriasis