Learn About Contact Dermatitis

What is the definition of Contact Dermatitis?

Contact dermatitis is a condition in which the skin becomes red, sore, or inflamed after direct contact with a substance.

What are the alternative names for Contact Dermatitis?

Dermatitis - contact; Allergic dermatitis; Dermatitis - allergic; Irritant contact dermatitis; Skin rash - contact dermatitis

What are the causes of Contact Dermatitis?

There are 2 types of contact dermatitis.

Irritant dermatitis: This is the most common type. It is not caused by an allergy, but rather the skin's reaction to irritating substances or friction. Irritating substances may include acids, alkaline materials such as soaps and detergents, fabric softeners, solvents, or other chemicals. Very irritating chemicals may cause a reaction after just a short period of contact. Milder chemicals can also cause a reaction after repeated contact.

People who have atopic dermatitis are at increased risk of developing irritant contact dermatitis.

Common materials that may irritate your skin include:

  • Cement
  • Hair dyes
  • Long-term exposure to wet diapers
  • Pesticides or weed killers
  • Rubber gloves
  • Shampoos

Allergic contact dermatitis: This form of the condition occurs when your skin comes in contact with a substance that causes you to have an allergic reaction.

Common allergens include:

  • Adhesives, including those used for false eyelashes or toupees.
  • Antibiotics, such as neomycin rubbed on the surface of the skin.
  • Balsam of Peru (used in many personal products and cosmetics, as well as in many foods and drinks).
  • Fabrics and clothing, including both materials and dyes.
  • Fragrances in perfumes, cosmetics, soaps, and moisturizers.
  • Nail polish, hair dyes, and permanent wave solutions.
  • Nickel or other metals (found in jewelry, watch straps, metal zips, bra hooks, buttons, pocketknives, lipstick holders, and powder compacts).
  • Poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, and other plants.
  • Rubber or latex gloves or shoes.
  • Preservatives commonly used in prescription and over-the-counter topical medicines.
  • Formaldehyde, which is used in a broad number of manufactured items.

You will not have an allergic reaction to a substance when you are first exposed to the substance. However, you will form a reaction after future exposures. You may become more sensitive and develop a reaction if you use it regularly. It is possible to tolerate the substance for years or even decades before developing allergy. Once you develop an allergy you will be allergic for life.

The reaction most often occurs 24 to 48 hours after the exposure. The rash may persist for weeks after the exposure stops.

Some products cause a reaction only when the skin is also exposed to sunlight (photosensitivity). These include:

  • Shaving lotions
  • Sunscreens
  • Sulfa ointments
  • Some perfumes
  • Coal tar products
  • Oil from the skin of a lime

A few airborne allergens, such as ragweed, perfumes, vapor from nail lacquer, or insecticide spray, can also cause contact dermatitis.

What are the symptoms of Contact Dermatitis?

Symptoms vary, depending on the cause and whether the dermatitis is due to an allergic reaction or an irritant. The same person may also have different symptoms over time.

Allergic reactions may occur suddenly, or develop after months or years of exposure.

Contact dermatitis often occurs on the hands. Hair products, cosmetics, and perfumes can lead to skin reactions on the face, head, and neck. Jewelry can also cause skin problems in the area under it.

Itching is a common symptom. In the case of an allergic dermatitis, itching can be severe.

You may have red, streaky, or patchy rash where the substance touched the skin. The allergic reaction is often delayed so that the rash may not appear until 24 to 48 hours after exposure.

The rash may:

  • Have red bumps that may form moist, weeping blisters
  • Feel warm and tender
  • Ooze, drain, or crust
  • Become scaly, raw, or thickened

Dermatitis caused by an irritant may also cause burning or pain as well as itching. Irritant dermatitis often shows as dry, red, and rough skin. Cuts (fissures) may form on the hands. Skin may become inflamed with long-term exposure.

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What are the current treatments for Contact Dermatitis?

Your provider will recommend treatment based on what is causing the problem. In some cases, the best treatment is to do nothing to the area.

Often, treatment includes washing the area with a lot of water to get rid of any traces of the irritant that are still on the skin. You should avoid further exposure to the substance.

Emollients or moisturizers help keep the skin moist, and also help skin repair itself. They protect the skin from becoming inflamed again. They are a key part of preventing and treating irritant contact dermatitis.

Topical corticosteroid medicines are commonly used to treat contact dermatitis.

  • Topical means you place it on the skin. You will be prescribed a cream or ointment. Topical corticosteroids may also be called topical steroids or topical cortisones.
  • DO NOT use more medicine or use it more often than your provider advises you to use it.

Your provider may also prescribe other creams or ointments, such as tacrolimus or pimecrolimus, to use on the skin.

In severe cases, you may need to take corticosteroid pills. Your provider will start you on a high dose and your dose will be slowly reduced over about 12 days. You may also receive a corticosteroid shot.

Wet dressings and soothing anti-itch (antipruritic) lotions may be recommended to reduce other symptoms.

Topical corticosteroids should be used only for short periods. Long-term use increases the risk of developing more irritant contact dermatitis.

Who are the top Contact Dermatitis Local Doctors?
Erin B. Baker
Family Medicine
Family Medicine

Outer Banks Professional Services, LLC

604 Amanda St, 
Manteo, NC 
 7.9 mi
Accepting New Patients
Offers Telehealth

Erin Baker is a Family Medicine provider in Manteo, North Carolina. Dr. Baker and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Contact Dermatitis. Her top areas of expertise are Compartment Syndrome, Meningitis, Pompe Disease, and Danon Disease. Dr. Baker is currently accepting new patients.

Family Medicine
Family Medicine

Sentara Medical Group

5320 Providence Rd, Suite 301, 
Virginia Beach, VA 
 60.8 mi
Accepting New Patients

Betyshia Belardo is a Family Medicine provider in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Dr. Belardo and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Contact Dermatitis. Her top areas of expertise are Parkinson's Disease, Hypertension, Glucocorticoid-Remediable Aldosteronism, and Familial Hypertension. Dr. Belardo is currently accepting new patients.

 
 
 
 
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Family Medicine
Family Medicine

Sentara Medical Group

850 Kempsville Rd, 
Norfolk, VA 
 63.6 mi
Accepting New Patients
Offers Telehealth

Sarah Forsythe is a Family Medicine provider in Norfolk, Virginia. Dr. Forsythe and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Contact Dermatitis. Her top areas of expertise are Glucocorticoid-Remediable Aldosteronism, Hypertension, Familial Hypertension, and Vitamin D Deficiency. Dr. Forsythe is currently accepting new patients.

What is the outlook (prognosis) for Contact Dermatitis?

Contact dermatitis clears up without complications in 2 or 3 weeks in most cases. However, it may return if the substance that caused it cannot be determined and avoided.

You may need to change your job or job habits if the disorder is caused by exposure at work. For example, jobs requiring frequent hand washing may be bad choices for people with hand dermatitis.

Sometimes, the allergen causing the allergic contact dermatitis reaction is never identified.

What are the possible complications of Contact Dermatitis?

Bacterial skin infections may occur.

When should I contact a medical professional for Contact Dermatitis?

Contact your provider if:

  • You have symptoms of contact dermatitis.
  • The skin reaction is severe.
  • You do not get better after treatment.
  • Signs of infection such as tenderness, redness, warmth, or fever.
What are the latest Contact Dermatitis Clinical Trials?
Prospective Evaluation of Type IV Hypersensitivity Reactions After Aquacel Dressing Application in Partial and Total Joint Arthroplasty Patients

Summary: The aim of this multi-surgeon, single institution study is to prospectively evaluate the incidence of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) following application of AQUACEL Ag, a silver-containing hydrofiber dressing, in total hip and knee arthroplasty patients. Arthroplasty-naïve patients will be compared to prior total joint arthroplasty patients who received a Aquacel dressing postoperatively.

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Comparing Tissue Adhesives in Port Site Closure: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Summary: This is a multi-center randomized controlled trial to evaluate two different methods of reinforcing surgical port site closure: 2-Octylcyanoacrylate and n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate.

Who are the sources who wrote this article ?

Published Date: July 01, 2023
Published By: Ramin Fathi, MD, FAAD, Director, Phoenix Surgical Dermatology Group, Phoenix, AZ. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

What are the references for this article ?

Dinulos JGH. Contact dermatitis and patch testing. In: Dinulos JGH, ed. Habif's Clinical Dermatology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 4.

James WD, Elston DM, Treat JR, Rosenbach MA, Neuhaus IM. Contact dermatitis and drug eruptions. In: James WD, Elston DM, Treat JR, Rosenbach MA, Neuhaus IM, eds. Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 6.

Nixon RL, Allnutt KJ, Diepgen TL. Contact dermatitis. In: Burks AW, Holgate ST, O'Hehir RE, et al, eds. Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 34.

Nixon RL, Mowad CM, Marks JG. Allergic contact dermatitis. In: Bolognia JL, Schaffer JV, Cerroni L, eds. Dermatology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 14.