Skin Allergies and Contact Dermatitis

What Are Skin Allergies?

An allergic skin condition (skin allergy) is when an allergen (a substance that causes an allergic reaction) triggers an immune system response, resulting in irritated skin. Many times, patients suffer from skin allergies for years before receiving a diagnosis.

Common products that cause skin allergies may include:

• Nickel and metal products
• Fragrances
• Preservatives
• Rubber products
• Hair dyes
• Plants
• Skin care products

What is contact dermatitis?

Contact dermatitis is when your skin comes in direct contact with another substance and results in an inflammation and rash at the area of contact.

Diagnosing a skin allergy

To confirm a diagnosis of contact dermatitis, we will first ask you about your medical history, occupation and symptoms. To help us during the diagnosis:

• Take note of when your symptoms appear, get worse or improve
• Take note where the symptoms occur on your body
• Describe your work in detail to your doctor, because workers in certain occupations are more likely to develop contact dermatitis
• If you handle chemicals, make a list of these or find their Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

Patch testing for diagnosing skin allergies

We use patch testing to determine what contactants (substances that cause a contact allergy) are causing your allergic reaction. To perform a patch test, we place a number of different allergens on the skin of your back and check for an allergic response. This is not the same as prick testing. Talk to our allergists to decide if patch testing is appropriate for you.

We determine which allergens to check for based on your:

• Hobbies
• Occupation
• Daily routine

Treating contact dermatitis

The goal of patch testing is to determine which allergens are causing your allergic reaction so you can avoid those items. The main treatment for these allergies is to avoid contact with the substances that cause the symptoms.