Causes

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Your skin is regularly exposed to environmental elements that can irritate and damage it. These include sun, wind, heat, dryness and high humidity. Repeated irritation can lead to skin peeling. In babies born past their due date, it's not unusual for them to experience some painless skin peeling.

Skin peeling can also result from a disease or condition, which may start someplace other than your skin. This type of skin peeling is often accompanied by itching. Conditions that may cause skin peeling include:

  1. Allergic reactions
  2. Infections, including some types of staph and fungal infections
  3. Immune system disorders
  4. Cancer and cancer treatment
  5. Genetic disease, including a rare skin disorder called acral peeling skin syndrome that causes painless peeling of the top layer of skin

Specific diseases and conditions that can cause peeling skin include:

  • Athlete's foot
  • Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
  • Contact dermatitis
  • Dry skin
  • Jock itch
  • Kawasaki disease
  • Medication side effects
  • Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
  • Pemphigus
  • Psoriasis
  • Ringworm (body)
  • Ringworm (scalp)
  • Seborrheic dermatitis
  • Stevens-Johnson syndrome
  • Sunburn
  • Toxic shock syndrome
    1. Athlete's foot
    2. Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
    3. Contact dermatitis
    4. Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
    5. Dry skin
    6. Hyperhidrosis
    7. Jock itch
    8. Kawasaki disease
    9. Medication side effects
    10. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
    11. Pemphigus
    12. Psoriasis
    13. Ringworm (body)
    14. Ringworm (scalp)
    15. Scarlet fever
    16. Seborrheic dermatitis
    17. Staph infections
    18. Stevens-Johnson syndrome
    19. Sunburn
    20. 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.

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    June 21, 2022

    See also

    1. Allergies
    2. Allergy medications: Know your options
    3. Allergy-proof your home
    4. Are you a step ahead of athlete's foot?
    5. Athlete's foot
    6. Avoid rebound nasal congestion
    7. Base tan? Bad idea
    8. Dry skin
    9. How to heal cracked heels
    10. How to heal cracked skin at thumb tip
    11. Kawasaki disease
    12. Mayo Clinic Minute: Moisturizer tips from a dermatologist
    13. Nasal Cleaning
    14. Skip flavored lip balm
    15. Sunburn
    16. Take your sandals to the gym, pool
    17. TEN
    18. Time your lotions right
    19. Ward off dry skin