During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in his assesment of the symptom: Peeling skin. These may include a physical examination or other medical tests. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor may help them with their diagnosis.
Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:
Why: to determine if acute or chronic.
Why: Any extensive acute red rash commonly shows a stage of shedding large flakes of skin (desquamation) as it resolves.
Why: may assist in helping determine the cause e.g. peeling between the toes may suggest tinea pedis; dry scaly peeling skin on legs of elderly especially in winter suggest asteatotic eczema; on heels suggest keratoderma climactericum; hands and wrists may suggest scabies; in flexures such as front of elbow and behind knee suggest dermatitis; on scalp may suggest psoriasis vulgaris; on fingertips may suggest Kawasaki disease.
Why: may suggest scabies, tinea.
Why: e.g. cosmetics, soaps, clothes detergent, foods.
Why: may suggest atopic dermatitis (eczema).
Why: e.g. asthma, hay fever - may suggest atopic dermatitis (eczema) or ichthyosis.
Why: may suggest burn to skin from heat or sunburn as cause of skin peeling.
Why: e.g. physical trauma, emotional stress, sunburn, puberty, menopause, skin infection and some medications.
Why: e.g. atopic dermatitis (eczema); psoriasis; Erythroderma may be associated with eczema (atopic dermatitis), allergic contact dermatitis, psoriasis, lymphoma, leukemia or adverse skin drug reaction; Systemic lupus erythematosus and HIV disease are associated with toxic epidermal necrolysis and Steven's Johnson syndrome.
Why: e.g. diuretics may predispose to asteatotic eczema; Retin-A and isotretinoin for severe acne may cause dry and peeling skin; Toxic epidermal necrolysis and Steven's Johnson syndrome may be cause by many medications including sulfa drugs, allopurinol, hydantoins, carbamazepine, piroxicam and phenylbutazone; psoriasis may be precipitated by some medications including chloroquine, beta-blocker blood pressure medication, lithium, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications and oral contraceptives.
Why: e.g. atopic dermatitis (eczema), ichthyosis, psoriasis.
Why: e.g. acute toxicity from a single massive dose of Vitamin A may cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness followed within a few days by generalized peeling of the skin.
Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. These may include:
Why: may suggest asteatotic eczema, tinea, scabies, dyshidrotic eczematous dermatitis (pompholyx), atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, lichen sclerosis, ichthyosis.
Why: may suggest Scarlet fever, Kawasaki's disease, erythroderma, toxic epidermal necrolysis.
Why: e.g. malaise, sore throat, fever, vomiting. On second day of illness a red rash appears on neck and then becomes widespread. Rash is usually absent from face, palms and soles. Rash lasts for about 5 days before the skin peels and scales.
Why: e.g. The characteristics of the rash depends on the site affected. The commonest form has thickening of the skin, red skin patches that enlarge and then develop a silvery scale. The commonest sites are the back of the elbows and knees and then the scalp, lower back, genitals and nails. May be associated with painful joints.
Why: e.g. disorder occurring usually in children less than 5 years of age characterized by a fever of 5 days or more; irritability; lethargy; red eyes; red rash over body, especially the trunk and around the anus; swollen neck lymph nodes; redness, dryness and cracking of the lips; redness of the oral cavity and tongue; redness and swelling of the palms and soles; peeling of the skin on the palms, soles and fingertips; pain in the large joints.
Why: e.g. usually develops around the age of 3-12 months with scaling, dryness and itchiness most pronounced on the lower legs, arms and back.
Why: e.g. generalized redness, scaling and peeling involving almost the entire skin and associated with generalized lymph node enlargement, fever, fatigue, weakness and loss of appetite. Half of cases have a history of eczema (atopic dermatitis), allergic contact dermatitis, psoriasis, lymphoma, leukemia or adverse skin drug reaction.
Why: e.g. painful localized skin redness that rapidly spreads. Blisters then develop and then the skin peels off in large sheets. Associated with malaise, fevers, chills and muscle aches.
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