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Even if you don't know the diagnosis
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Depending on the situation, such as a sudden rash, similar-looking skin conditions, or itching that worsened after treatment, the details to check first will differ. Simply choose the question closest to your current concern.
Total of 32 guides
When symptoms begin
Which symptoms should be checked first?
First, check the timing of itching or rashes and any urgent accompanying symptoms.What to check when nighttime itching prevents sleep
First, check if the swollen areas generally fade within a day, or if rough and cracked skin remains for several days. If wheals have subsided but you continue to wake up, record both the changes in wheals and the number of times you woke up. If rough skin and scratch marks remain, both dermatitis and the itch-scratch cycle must be examined. Even if skin changes are minimal, seek medical evaluation if generalized itching is accompanied by jaundice, weight changes, or fever.
View Guide →I don't know if the discharge is from scratching or if it is festering.When discharge, pus, pain, or fever are present
If you experience rapidly spreading redness, pain that makes it difficult to touch, pus or yellow crusts, fever, or severe swelling around the eyes and mouth, we will first connect you to infection treatment or an emergency evaluation. If you have difficulty breathing or if your lips or tongue swell, seek emergency help immediately. Once urgent issues are resolved, remaining itchiness and recurring symptoms will be managed through Korean medicine treatment.
View Guide →When causes and conditions are confusing
How do we distinguish between similar-looking symptoms?
This explains what to check first among skin conditions that look similar.How should I view food and allergy tests when my skin is in poor condition?
If you felt your skin worsened on a day you ate certain foods, please note what and how much you ate, and what symptoms appeared after how many minutes or hours. Do not forget to include whether this repeated with the same food, or if you experienced shortness of breath, swollen lips, or vomiting. Rather than cutting out every food listed on a test report, please verify your actual reactions during your medical evaluation.
View Guide →It disappears by the time I try to take a photo.Distinguishing between rashes that disappear within a few hours and dermatitis that lasts for several days
First, observe whether a swelling in the same spot generally fades without a trace within a day, or whether it stays for several days leaving dead skin, discharge, or crusts. Wheals that disappear and reappear in different locations suggest hives, while long-lasting surface changes suggest other types of dermatitis, but a diagnosis requires looking at the overall progression.
View Guide →My face stings after changing cosmetics.When skin changes after using new cosmetics, shampoo, or detergent
Rather than viewing a single new cosmetic as the only cause, please note the affected area, the date you started using it, whether it was washed off or left on the skin, and any substances you encountered through your job or hobbies. Sensitive areas like the eyes and face can be touched indirectly via hands or airborne substances.
View Guide →Find a differential guide by area and shape
If you do not know the name of the condition, start by selecting the location and appearance.
Hands, feet, nails
Blisters, cracking, scaling, nail changes
Differential diagnosis for dyshidrotic eczema, tinea manuum, and contact dermatitis: How to distinguish blisters and scaling on the hands
Deep small blisters on the sides of fingers, extensive scaling on one palm, and redness following the area of contact are different clues. Please also note the timing of water-related work, glove use, athlete's foot, or the use of new products or cosmetics.
Check differences →Differential Diagnosis GuideDistinguishing psoriasis, dyshidrotic eczema, and athlete's foot when hands and feet crack and nails change
Psoriasis of the palms and soles is characterized by thick, well-defined plaques and deep cracks, while nail psoriasis is indicated by pitting, oil-drop discoloration, and lifting. Small deep blisters suggest dyshidrotic eczema, and fine scaling dominant on one side along with athlete's foot may suggest a fungal infection.
Check differences →Face, around the mouth, eyes
Flushing, papules, scaling, eye stinging
Differential diagnosis for rosacea, acne, and seborrheic dermatitis: Differences in facial redness
Persistent flushing and burning in the center of the face, comedones, and greasy scaling beside the nose and eyebrows are prominent features of different conditions. Two conditions may coexist.
Check the difference →Differential Diagnosis GuideFacial flushing, rosacea, and emotional flushing: The timing of redness and the time it takes to subside differ
Flushing that flares up briefly and then subsides, rosacea-related redness that remains on the cheeks and nose even after pausing treatment, and emotional flushing that spreads to the ears and neck the moment one is the center of attention are difficult to distinguish with a single photo. Compare when the redness occurred and how much remained after pausing treatment.
Check the difference →Differential Diagnosis GuideRosacea, acne, seborrheic dermatitis, and demodicosis: What should be looked at first on a red face?
Persistent erythema in the center of the face, comedones, keratinization in sebaceous areas, and follicular rough skin texture can overlap. Rather than attributing it to a single diagnosis, look closely at surface clues and expand the distribution check to the scalp and eyelids.
Check the difference →Differential Diagnosis GuidePerioral dermatitis, rosacea, acne, and contact dermatitis: How to distinguish small papules around the mouth
Small red papules around the mouth and sides of the nose may look like acne, but the absence of comedones or a distribution where the skin immediately next to the lips is clear serves as a clue. Please also note when you started using new cosmetics, toothpaste, or facial ointments.
Check the difference →Differential Diagnosis GuideWhen the face becomes redder after facial ointment: Distinguishing rosacea-like dermatitis, perioral dermatitis, tinea, and contact irritation
A face that subsides while applying ointment but becomes redder and feels burning after pausing ointment use could be due to several possibilities, such as a recurrence of the original disease, steroid-induced rosacea-like dermatitis, perioral dermatitis, or tinea with blurred margins.
Check the difference →Differential Diagnosis GuideWhen the face is red and the eyes sting: How to distinguish ocular rosacea, blepharitis, and dry eye
When facial flushing occurs alongside eye redness and a foreign body sensation, ocular rosacea may be considered, but demodex-related blepharitis, other types of blepharitis, and dry eye can look similar. Eye symptoms cannot be explained by skin photos alone.
Check the difference →Scalp, Skin Folds, and Torso
Dandruff, Ring-shaped or Spreading Spots
Differences between Pityriasis Rosea, Tinea, Nummular Eczema, Psoriasis, and Circular Scaly Rashes
Round or oval rashes spreading across the torso are analyzed by the order in which the first large spot appeared, the difference between the edges and the center, oozing across the plaque, and the presence of overlapping scales at the borders.
Check differences →Differential Diagnosis GuideHow to distinguish between Scalp Psoriasis, Seborrheic Dermatitis, and Tinea Capitis when they look like dandruff
Scalp psoriasis may feature thick, well-defined plaques that extend beyond the hairline; seborrheic dermatitis presents as fine or greasy scales in sebum-rich areas; and tinea capitis is indicated by localized hair loss and broken hairs.
Check differences →Differential Diagnosis GuideHow do Guttate Psoriasis, Pityriasis Rosea, and Tinea differ when rashes suddenly spread across the torso?
Guttate psoriasis involves small, thin scaly rashes spreading all at once; pityriasis rosea features a large primary plaque followed by lesions extending along the skin lines; and tinea is characterized by active edges that expand outward. They differ in the first lesion and the order of spread.
Check differences →Differential Diagnosis GuideDistinguishing between Psoriasis, Tinea, Candida, and Contact Dermatitis when the armpits or groin are red
Psoriasis in skin folds may appear smooth and red with fewer scales due to moisture. If ring-shaped edges, small surrounding pustules, or borders where a product touched the skin are visible, check for tinea, candida, and contact dermatitis.
Check differences →Blisters, Papules, and Wheals
Lesions that are slightly raised or swollen
For hives and eczema, the duration of the lesion is the priority
Wheals from hives usually do not stay in one place for long and tend to migrate, whereas eczema lesions persist for several days and may leave scales, oozing, or cracking.
Check differences →Differential Diagnosis GuideDifferences between Warts, Flat Warts, and Molluscum Contagiosum in small raised lesions
Rough and hard protrusions, flat skin-colored papules, and pearly papules with a central indentation must be distinguished even if they look similar. The location, such as the hands, feet, face, or a child's torso, is also an important clue.
Check differences →Differential Diagnosis GuideCholinergic, Cold, and Dermatographism: What Triggered the Wheals?
Small wheals appearing after exercise or when the body warms up, skin swelling after contact with cold, and wheals rising along scratched or pressed lines all have different onset patterns. Rather than size, we look at what activity preceded the reaction, how many minutes it took to appear, and when it disappeared.
Check differences →Scaling, Rings, and Thick Plaques
Lesions with noticeable borders and scaling
Psoriasis and Chronic Eczema: What Lies Beneath the Scale?
Thick plaques with distinct borders and silvery-white scales, along with nail changes or joint symptoms, suggest psoriasis. It is difficult to distinguish from eczema that has thickened due to prolonged scratching based on photos alone.
Check differences →Differential Diagnosis GuideHow to distinguish between psoriasis, urticaria, and eczema when red and itchy?
Psoriasis often leaves distinct scaly plaques in the same location for a long time, urticaria wheals usually fade within a day, and eczema may involve dryness, oozing, or cracking for several days.
Check differences →Itching · Duration
Speed of disappearance and changes after scratching
Atopic Dermatitis, Contact Dermatitis, and Eczema: Clues That Separate Similar Itching
Eczema is a collective term for various inflammatory skin diseases rather than a single disease name. Age of onset, borders of the affected area, recurring locations, and family history must be examined together for diagnosis.
Check differences →Differential Diagnosis GuideDistinguishing between chronic pruritus, urticaria, and eczema when itching occurs without visible lesions
Chronic pruritus may not have distinct rashes from the start, leaving only dryness or scratch marks. For hives, the clue is short-lived wheals (swelling), while for eczema, it is surface changes that persist for several days or more.
Check the difference →Differential Diagnosis GuideDistinguishing localized pruritus, lichen simplex chronicus, and neurogenic itching when only one area like the back, neck, or shin is itchy for a long time
It is possible to have itching on one side of the back or arm without noticeable rashes, and lichen simplex chronicus, where the skin texture thickens, may develop secondarily after prolonged scratching. If accompanied by burning, tingling, or decreased sensation, neurogenic causes are also checked.
Check the difference →When symptoms recur after treatment
What has improved and what discomfort remains?
We look at the timeline of response and recurrence without erasing previous treatments.What should I record when symptoms improve with ointment but then return?
Rather than just noting that it has returned, record which area became itchy again after how many days, the name and frequency of the ointment used, and any new changes such as oozing, pain, or heat. It is important to consult the prescribing medical staff first rather than suddenly stopping or changing the prescribed ointment on your own.
View guide →It is fine during treatment, but it keeps recurring.What does Korean medicine look for when skin issues recur after dermatology treatment?
Please record what has decreased and what still remains from dermatology treatment separately. If redness, oozing, or wheals have decreased or infection is controlled, record which treatment led to the improvement. If dryness, cracking, itching in the same spot, or waking up at night remain, specific goals for Korean medicine treatment can be set. If there is new pain, pus, or rapid spreading, do not consider it part of the remaining recovery but seek a prompt medical evaluation first, and do not change prescriptions arbitrarily.
View guide →When preparing for a medical evaluation
What records would be helpful to bring?
Briefly and accurately organize photos, medications, tests, and the impact on daily life.Prepare for your visit with skin photos, symptoms, and medications used
Rather than a single photo, please prepare a chronological record of the date of onset, the timing of recurrence, itching and pain, and the medications used and their reactions. It is helpful for the medical evaluation to take photos of the same area from the same distance during both normal and peak symptom periods.
View Guide →Did I feed them something wrong?Guardian's Guide to Preparing for a Child's Skin Condition Evaluation
Rather than monitoring your child's skin all day, simply record the number of times they wake up, days they bled from scratching, medications and moisturizers used, and the impact on school or play. Guardians should not arbitrarily decide on restrictive diets during growth periods or changes in prescriptions.
View Guide →I'm enduring it because I'm worried I shouldn't use any medication during pregnancy.Itching and Skin Changes During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: What to Check First?
Please provide information regarding your weeks of pregnancy or breastfeeding status, the itchy areas, presence of rashes, whether symptoms worsen at night, and accompanying changes such as urine color or jaundice. Severe generalized itching that develops during pregnancy should not be viewed solely as a skin issue and may require an obstetric evaluation.
View Guide →The same spots flare up whenever the season changes.Recurring Skin Symptoms: When to Start Combined Korean Medicine Treatment?
If the same area recurs after necessary treatment, or if sleep, work, or school life continues to be disrupted by itching, Korean herbal medicine treatment can be used to manage the interval between recurrences and the burden on daily life. For infections, sudden worsening, or skin changes of unclear origin, we will first connect you to the necessary tests before proceeding with the treatment sequence.
View Guide →When observing changes during treatment