Find and avoid the trigger - nothing else works while exposure continues. Then repair the barrier with generous fragrance-free emollient, and calm flares with a short course of topical steroid cream as directed.
Suspects: new soaps, detergents, nickel jewellery, fragrances, hair dye, rubber gloves, plants, workplace materials. Cold compresses ease itch; gloves for wet work; lukewarm water. Cannot find the culprit, or it keeps returning? Ask about patch testing, which identifies specific allergic triggers. See a doctor for weeping, crusted, or spreading patches (possible infection), face or genital involvement, or no improvement after a couple of weeks of avoidance and emollients. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you narrow down the trigger.
What to do
Common questions
How do you treat contact dermatitis?
Contact dermatitis is skin reacting to something it touched - either an irritant (soaps, detergents, solvents, constant hand-washing) or a true allergy (nickel in jewellery, fragrances, hair dye, rubber gloves, plants). The treatment hierarchy: first, find and avoid the trigger, because nothing else works while the exposure continues - think what changed: new soap, cream, watch strap, gloves, shampoo, workplace material. Second, repair the barrier: generous fragrance-free emollient moisturizer, several times a day and after every hand wash. Third, calm the flare: a short course of topical steroid cream (hydrocortisone from a pharmacy, stronger by prescription), used as directed - not on broken skin, not for weeks on end. Cold compresses ease the itch; antihistamines help some people sleep through it. While it heals: gloves for wet work and cleaning, lukewarm not hot water, pat dry. If you cannot find the trigger, or it keeps returning, ask about patch testing - the dermatology procedure that identifies specific allergic culprits. See a doctor for weeping, crusted, or spreading patches (possible infection), face or genital involvement, or no improvement after a couple of weeks of avoidance and emollients. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you narrow down the trigger.