Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance Linked to Skin Conditions

Your itchy, painful skin may indicate a gluten problem

Celiac disease and gluten intolerance (or non-celiac gluten sensitivity) not only affect your digestive system but also your skin—which can lead to bumps, rashes, or patches.

Around 15% to 25% of people with celiac have dermatitis herpetiformis, a rash considered to be the skin manifestation of celiac disease. But this is by no means the only skin problem people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity may have.

This article discusses skin conditions potentially linked to celiac disease and gluten intolerance, how they're diagnosed, and treatment that can help you manage skin symptoms.

How Gluten May Affect Your Skin

Besides dermatitis herpetiformis, people with celiac disease may have eczema, psoriasis, chronic dry skin, hives, and alopecia areata. For unknown reasons, they affect those with celiac disease more often than the general population.

Researchers haven't focused as much on skin conditions in people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, but anecdotal reports indicate some people without celiac (but who still seem to react to gluten-containing grains) nonetheless find relief from troublesome skin conditions once they go gluten-free.

Although there's currently little clear medical evidence that consuming gluten actually causes these skin conditions, in some cases people have found relief by following a gluten-free diet.

The skin conditions associated with celiac disease may cause symptoms ranging from itchy rashes to hair loss, but most seem to be at least in part autoimmune or genetic in nature. Here's a summary of the most common skin conditions currently associated with celiac disease, plus links to additional information.

Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Dermatitis herpetiformis, a skin rash caused by gluten consumption, often appears as tiny, reddish-purple bumps. As one outbreak heals, another might erupt. Purple marks could remain for weeks.

Other skin symptoms may include:

  • Red, raised patches
  • Blisters that burst with scratching
  • Severe itching
  • Burning or stinging

Lesions can appear anywhere but occur most often on the elbows, knees, buttocks, lower back, and the back of the neck and head.

Dermatitis herpetiformis on leg

Vershinin / Getty Images

Psoriasis

psoriasis near the scalp

DermNetCC BY-NC-ND

Several studies show that the skin condition psoriasis shares a strong link with gluten consumption.

With psoriasis, patches of skin may be:

  • Dry and covered with silver, flakey scales (plaques)
  • Raised and thick
  • Red or salmon-colored
  • Itchy

Plaques often appear on the elbows, knees, and torso. However, they can also occur on the scalp, palms, soles of the feet, and genitals.

People with psoriasis often have high levels of antibodies to gluten circulating in their bloodstreams, which indicates that they're reacting to gluten in their diets even if they haven't been diagnosed with celiac disease.

It's not clear whether the gluten is causing psoriasis, or if people with psoriasis also have higher rates of celiac disease. More research is needed to determine the cause and effect.

However, some anecdotal reports indicate that psoriasis patients can see their skin symptoms improve dramatically when they adopt a gluten-free diet, regardless of whether they've been diagnosed with celiac disease.

Eczema

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) on a person's skin

Reproduced with permission from © DermNet New Zealand www.dermnetnz.org 2023.

Eczema is another inflammatory skin condition linked to gluten intolerance.

Symptoms of eczema may include:

  • Dry, cracked skin
  • Itchiness
  • Rash
  • Scaly patches
  • Blisters

It often appears on the face, inside the elbows, behind the knees, and on the hands and feet.

Eczema occurs most often in children, but adults also can have the skin condition.

Although the primary treatment for eczema is topical corticosteroids, there's some evidence that for some people, eczema may be linked to celiac disease. For these people, a gluten-free diet may help to treat their skin condition, too.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata on head

 DermNetCC BY-NC-ND

Alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition in which your body attacks your hair follicles and causes your hair to fall out, also has been linked in research studies to celiac disease.

Symptoms of alopecia areata include:

  • Sudden hair loss (widespread or single or multiple patches)
  • Nail changes (tiny dents)
  • Itching, tingling, or a burning sensation (in the area of hair loss)

Again, the link between the two conditions isn't clear and could reflect a higher incidence of celiac disease in people with alopecia areata, as opposed to a cause-and-effect relationship for gluten in their diets.

Most of the research also reports that people with both celiac disease and alopecia areata found their hair grew back when they adopted a gluten-free diet. Still, some people with alopecia areata who do not have celiac disease also can experience seemingly random hair regrowth, as well.

Chronic Urticaria (Hives)

Urticaria on skin

DermNetCC BY-NC-ND 

Research has linked chronic urticaria (hives) and celiac disease. Adopting a gluten-free diet may help improve symptoms of chronic urticaria.

Hives can cause raised, itchy welts on the skin. Although they can develop anywhere on the skin, they commonly appear on the following places:

  • Abdomen
  • Back
  • Buttocks
  • Chest
  • Upper arms
  • Upper legs

Dry Skin

Dry skin

 DermNetCC BY-NC-ND

Many people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity suffer from very dry skin. In some cases, this clears up after they adopt a gluten-free diet.

Again, it's not clear whether the condition causes the dry skin, but some physicians have suggested that the malabsorption associated with the untreated celiac disease can rob your skin of needed nutrients.

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If you think your skin symptoms are related to gluten consumption, let your healthcare provider know. If you are experiencing additional symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation, your healthcare provider may want to test you for celiac disease or other potential underlying conditions.

Diagnosing Skin Conditions Caused by Gluten

To determine if your skin condition is linked to celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, your healthcare provider may take your medical history and perform a physical exam.

They may also screen you for celiac disease using a blood test. However, a biopsy is only way to confirm a diagnosis of celiac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis.

There is no test to check for gluten intolerance. It's usually diagnosed after excluding other medical conditions. You may, however, get tested for celiac disease or wheat allergy. If those tests are negative, your healthcare provider may want to see if your symptoms improve on a gluten elimination diet. If they do, you may have a gluten intolerance.

Treatment

A gluten-free diet is the treatment of choice for those experiencing gluten-related skin problems. This is especially true for dermatitis herpetiformis, which is linked to celiac disease. However, it can take up to six months to see any skin improvements.

Can Touching Gluten Cause a Rash?

Gluten cannot be absorbed through the skin and can only cause a reaction if it’s ingested. However, if you have dermatitis herpetiformis, you should avoid any skin or body products that contain gluten in case they irritate the open lesions.

If you have dermatitis herpetiformis, your healthcare provider may prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication called dapsone to temporarily relieve itch and rash.

Summary

Celiac disease and gluten intolerance may be linked to certain types of skin conditions. Dermatitis herpetiformis is a rash that people with celiac get when they eat gluten. It presents as tiny, reddish-purple bumps. However, other skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, chronic dry skin, hives, and alopecia areata may also be linked to gluten consumption.

Only a healthcare provider can help you determine if your skin condition is linked to celiac disease or a gluten intolerance. A gluten-free diet is the only effective treatment for either condition.

19 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Additional Reading

By Jane Anderson
Jane Anderson is a medical journalist and an expert in celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and the gluten-free diet.