Contact Dermatitis

An itchy, swollen rash that appears after coming into direct contact with a particular substance.

What is it?

Contact dermatitis falls into two main categories. The most common form is irritant dermatitis, where an irritating substance comes in contact with the skin and causes a rash. Clarkston Dermatology finds that many irritant dermatitis cases are caused by common household substances like soaps, detergents, fabric softeners, hand sanitizers, disinfectants or cleaning chemicals. You can reduce the risk of irritant dermatitis by using mild soaps and cleaners and wearing protective attire.

When your skin comes into contact with something that causes an allergic reaction, the result is the second type of reaction, called allergic contact dermatitis. Patients present with allergic contact dermatitis after skin exposure to substances like adhesives, dyes from clothing, washcloths or hair dye, nail polish, towels, plants such as poison ivy, poison oak and sumac, topical antibiotics and rubber or latex gloves. Since reactions do not always appear immediately, sometimes it can take time and testing to identify the specific cause of your allergic contact dermatitis.

While anyone can develop contact dermatitis some people have a higher risk. Patients with a pre-existing skin condition, like eczema, tend to be more susceptible. Often, symptoms subside upon removing exposure to the irritant or allergen. Pinpointing the cause of your contact dermatitis can be difficult since we are all exposed to many substances every day.

How is it treated?

Our team of board-certified providers at Clarkston Dermatology are here to help diagnose and pinpoint the cause of your condition. From there, we can develop a custom care plan, including ways to minimize your exposure to the irritant or allergen. Until symptoms subside, your provider may recommend a cold, damp cloth on the irritated area. If necessary, we can use treatment options like topical corticosteroid cream or corticosteroid oral medication.

If you have a concerning rash that lasts more than a month, make an appointment to see one of our board-certified providers in Clarkston or Oxford, Michigan.

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