Allergic Contact Rashes

A reaction to allergenic substances which come in contact with your skin, trigger Allergic contact dermatitis. In people who are prone to contracting the infection, these contact allergens can lead to redness, irritation & blisters that is referred to as allergic contact dermatitis.

In initial severe cases such as poison ivy, the skin gets red colored, inflamed, itchy, and develops tiny blisters, which may break and leave crusts and scales. The skin becomes red, thick, and scaly with long-term exposure to an allergen. Thereafter, the skin may darken and become leathery and cracked.

In order to identify the allergen, the Skin Specialist will examine the materials that your skin comes in contact with at work and at play. Most cases of contact dermatitis are diagnosed based upon the distribution of the rash. Sometimes if the cause cannot be found out your dermatologist may want to carry out patch tests.

Patch Test: In this test, small amounts of the possible common allergens are applied over the skin on strips of tape and then removed after two days. A positive allergy test shows up as a small red spot at the site of the patch.

Common allergens comprise of rubber, nickel, preservatives dyes, fragrances, medications, poison oak, poison ivy, and related plants.

Jewellery workers, ceramic workers and dentists get affected because of coming in contact with nickel every day. Orthopedic surgeons and printers are required to work with acrylics, may also get infected with allergic contact dermatitis. Such individuals should abstain themselves first from getting exposed to these allergens before getting any other treatment.

Using harsh chemical soaps and detergents can also lead to contact allergic dermatitis. This condition can be both chronic and acute. It is difficult to treat these reactions since using any common household item may also cause dermatitis.

Always remember to never delay the treatment for allergic contact dermatitis since the symptoms may get aggravated if not treated for long and it may so happen that you may have to consume anti histaminics. This may lead to scratching that particular part of the body which can be very dangerous. Contact dermatitis caused by nickel
Pigmentation post contact dermatitis with sandalwood paste

Mild rashes that have occurred from allergic contact dermatitis usually respond well to topical steroid creams and/or oral antihistamines.

Severe rashes may require to be treated using systemic methods such as antibiotics, oral and injectable corticosterioids, or other anti-inflammatory and immunologic agents.
People with allergic contact dermatitis should:

• Avoid the allergen that causes the reaction and chemicals that counteract with it. Your dermatologist can help you identify items to avoid.

In general, a consultation with Dr. Rinky Kapoor would cost about INR 1000/- . However, the price of treatment will vary depending upon the mode of treatment chosen.