I've seen several posts about this topic and I've read about it in class and have known people who experience it and I often experience this condition. I'm talking about Contact Dermatitis.
First of all, what is dermatitis? It sounds strange and possibly scary to some people but essentially its just medical lingo that means a rash. Contact dermatitis describes a rash that was formed from skin that has been inflamed and irritated by coming in contact with a substance that may or may not be allergenic (if you get a rash from consuming something you're allergic to, it is not contact dermatitis. Contact, meaning touching and not ingesting, dermatitis starts and ends with the skin, the biochemistry of how your body realizes the problem and creates a rash is a whole other blog post). Now, you may be thinking, what on earth does that mean? It means that not all contact dermatitis reactions are allergic reactions, some cases the skin comes in contact with a substances that are naturally irritating and can cause a rash.
Causes of contact dermatitis:
- pet dander - allergen
- rough textures in clothing or furniture, such as wool
- reaction from certain skin care products, usually with sensitive skin types
- pollen, grass, plants - allergens
- household cleaning products
- laundry detergents
- products that contain sulfates - sulfates are a natural irritant but also are allergens to some people
This is only a sample list, almost anything can cause contact dermatitis. In order to know what could cause a rash for you, you would have to know your skin and its sensitivities and your allergic triggers. These things can damage your skin and cause this dermatitis and your body's way of telling you something is wrong and you need to fix it.
My skin will flare up with this rash when I come in contact with both allergenic an non allergenic substances. Pets are often my trigger and my rash will develop wherever the contact occurs, but mostly on my cheeks and jawline.
How do I know its happening? like a typical rash it will begin to itch and sometimes feel like the area is on fire. It turns red and bumpy like hives and can appear minutes after the contact or hours.
Now that you've got the information you probably want the solution. How do you get rid of your contact dermatitis? I've used several different products and it all depends on what works for you and how sensitive your skin is. Here is a list of things that have worked for me in the past, each product chosen specifically due to the severity of the rash:
- Calamine lotion - severely red, itchy and bumpy rashes.
- Benadryl cream - severe cases, also. great to have in your purse.
- Avene Thermal Spring Water - there are many brands on the market that have a product like this, this is great for sensitive skin and reactive skin. I will do a more in depth review on this product.
- Avene Tolerance Extreme cream - I use this sometimes under my makeup or as a night cream, it helps reduce the inflammation and helps protect the skin if wearing makeup. It also is a great moisturizer when you do have dermatitis and other products irritate the flare ups. Again, I will do a more in depth review on this product at a later time.
- Allergy medication - If the rash doesn't subside or you realize that it is from something you're allergic to, its always a good idea to have some allergy medication on hand. A great pairing with the Benadryl cream.
Contact dermatitis can be painful at the time depending on how severe the reaction is. Like I said it can be triggered by almost anything that comes in contact with the skin and can be a non-allergic or an allergic reaction. If conditions become severe or do not subside, the person affected should contact a physician.
Disclaimer: I am only an esthetician, working towards a career in the skincare/beauty industry, I am not a doctor. For extra information I like to refer to webmd, this site is a great tool to have when cross referencing information. Also talk to your skin care specialist, dermatologist or family doctor if you have any concerns with your own skin. Thank you for reading!
