The classic symptoms of contact dermatitis are an itchy,redrash, often with bumps and blisters.
Other symptoms include dry skin, cracking, burning, and flaking.
Frequent Symptoms
There are two main types of contact dermatitis: irritant contact dermatitis andallergic contact dermatitis.
Verywell / Catherine Song
Irritant contact dermatitis develops when your skin is directly attacked by the offending substance.
With allergic contact dermatitis,the immune systemis involved.
Acute contact dermatitis comes on quickly with marked symptoms.Poison ivy rashis an example of acute contact dermatitis.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet New Zealandwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
Chronic contact dermatitis won’t necessarily cause very obvious symptoms.
Contact dermatitis is not contagious.
Reproduced with permission from DermNet New Zealandwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
But often it takes a bit of sleuthing to figure out what the offending substance is.
The rash often covers large areas of the body and can cause swelling.
Systemic contact dermatitis can develop after a bout of allergic contact dermatitis.
Complications
Most cases of contact dermatitis do not progress or cause serious health issues.
That said, there is a small risk of complications.
Infection
The most common complication of contact dermatitis is infection.
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Contact dermatitis can lead topost-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
This is darkening or discoloration of the skin due to an inflammatory response.
You’ll notice the discoloration after the contact dermatitis has healed.
Some cases of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation fade away on their own over time.
Others can be permanent.
If the rash is healing well and isn’t too uncomfortable, there’s no need for medical treatment.
Still, it can be a frustrating problem to have.
The itching, burning, and discomfort can impact your life, even if it’s short-term.
The good news is that contact dermatitis can, in most cases, be easily treated.
Home remedies like oatmeal baths and cool compresses may also help.
Oral steroids may also be prescribed if the rash does not respond to topical medication.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Contact Dermatitis: Signs and Symptoms.
American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Contact dermatitis.
doi:10.3928/19382359-20160720-06
Rashid RS, Shim TN.Contact Dermatitis.BMJ.2016 Jun 30;353:i3299.
