close window
Housecall Archives
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffPeeling skin may be caused by:
- Irritation or damage to the skin
- Exposure to sun or dry weather
- Excessive exposure to heat, particularly when skin isn't able to "breathe"
- Allergic reactions
- Infections
- Immune system disorders
- Certain types of cancer
Specific diseases and conditions that can cause peeling skin include:
- Athlete's foot
- Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
- Contact dermatitis
- Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
- Dry skin
- Jock itch
- Kawasaki disease
- Psoriasis
- Ringworm (body)
- Ringworm (scalp)
- Scarlet fever
- Seborrheic dermatitis
- Side effect of medications
- Staph infections
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome
- Sunburn
- Toxic shock syndrome
Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.
References
- Hand and foot dermatitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec10/ch114/ch114e.html. Accessed Jan. 25, 2010.
- Habif T. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010.
- Atopic dermatitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec10/ch114/ch114b.html. Accessed Jan. 25, 2010.
- Exfoliative dermatitis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec10/ch114/ch114d.html. Accessed Jan. 25, 2010.
- Tips to remember: Allergic skin conditions. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/allergicskinconditions.stm. Accessed Feb. 11, 2010.
- General information about mycosis fungoides and the Sézary syndrome. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/mycosisfungoides. Accessed Feb. 11, 2010.
- Karakayli G, et al. Exfoliative dermatitis. American Family Physician. 1999;59:625.
- Information from your family doctor: What can I do for dry, itchy skin? American Family Physician. 2003;68:1145.
- Dermatophytoses. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec10/ch120/ch120c.html. Accessed Jan. 28, 2010.
- Harnden A, et al. Kawasaki disease. British Medical Journal. 2009;338:b1514.
- Streptococcal and enterococcal infections. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec14/ch171/ch171d.html. Accessed Jan. 28, 2010.
- Schwartz RA. Seborrheic dermatitis: An overview. American Family Physician. 2006;74:125.
- Painter D, et al. Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome. Emergency Nurse. 2007;14:20.
- Parrillo SJ. Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports. 2007;7:243.
- Sunburn. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec10/ch115/ch115d.html. Accessed Jan. 25, 2010.
Share on:
Find Mayo Clinic on