Eczema Knowledge Hub

If you or your child has eczema, you may have faced some uncomfortable moments — a stranger pulling away at the sight of a rash, a child being excluded at nursery, or a well-meaning relative suggesting you "keep your distance." These situations can feel isolating and deeply unfair.

The answer is simple: eczema is not contagious. You cannot catch it from touching someone with eczema, sharing towels, swimming in the same pool, or being in the same room. There is no virus, bacteria, or pathogen involved.^[1,2]

Eczema develops from a combination of genetics, a weakened skin barrier, and an overactive immune system — factors that are internal, not infectious.^[1] In other words, it comes from within the body, not from contact with another person.

It is true that eczema runs in families. If one or both parents have eczema, asthma, or hay fever, there is a higher chance their child may develop one of these conditions too.^[2] But this is because of shared genes, not because eczema "spread" from parent to child. Inheritance is not the same as contagion.

There is one nuance worth knowing. Eczema skin is more vulnerable to secondary infections — particularly with Staphylococcus aureus bacteria or herpes simplex virus — because the skin barrier is weakened.^[3] A skin infection on top of eczema can sometimes be passed on. But the eczema itself is not.

If you notice sudden worsening, yellow crusting, oozing, or unusual blistering on eczema skin, it is worth seeing a doctor. But for everyday life — school, sports, playdates, swimming — eczema poses no risk to others.

No one should be excluded, avoided, or made to feel ashamed because of their skin.