DERMATITUS

DERMATITIS MEANS INFLAMMATION of the skin. Any number of things can cause a skin irritation and sometimes the precise diagnosis is of less interest to the suffering party than the remedy, so I’ve tried to list ailments where you could most easily find them. Poison ivy is a type of contact dermatitis, but most people just think of it as poison ivy. Eczema is a type of dermatitis; if you have a rash not described in this section, it might be eczema. Sometimes simple dry skin can be mistaken for something else. If you have a rash and it doesn’t fall into any other category, then it might be dry skin.

Contact dermatitis is an allergy to something that touches the skin. Most cases involve a rash that can include itchy, red blisters, which can ooze and then develop a crust. In most cases, the rash will disappear when the allergen is removed, though sometimes if the allergen has been in contact with the skin for a while, the rash may continue for days or weeks after the allergen is removed.

The only way to cure a case of contact dermatitis is to remove the source of the allergen. In many cases, the patient knows exactly what caused the problem. I’ve had countless patients tell me that when they tried a new cosmetic or a new deodorant, they developed a reaction. When they stopped using the substance, their reaction disappeared.

The challenge is to help people discover the source of their reactions when they don’t have a clue as to what caused them. Here is a list of body parts and common allergenic substances that can affect them. Remember, a rash will usually appear on or near the site where an allergenic substance was used.

SCALP: Often the rash will appear on the eyelids, neck, face, and ears and sometimes, especially when a substance was applied to the hair, on the hands. Sources are most commonly shampoos, hair dyes and rinses, permanent-wave treatments, dandruff treatments, soaps, bathing caps, Wigs, combs and brushes made of materials that are irritating, curlers, and pins used in hair styling.

FOREHEAD: Most commonly seen as a rash spreading across the forehead. Sources are a hat band or hat linings, visors, helmets, cosmetics, suntan lotion, or anything worn on the forehead, like a sweatband.

EYES: Sources are cosmetics such as mascara or eyebrow pencil or eye-shadows, as well as pollens , soaps, hand lotions, insect sprays, and nasal sprays.

FACE: Usually cosmetics hut could be from any substance used on the face including soap, suntan lotion, shaving cream, aftershave, or something that’s on your hands and transferred to the face.

EARS: Usually from earrings. It can also be from perfume, hair dye, shampoo, eyeglasses or sunglasses, telephone receivers, or ear plugs.

NOSE: Nasal sprays, perfumes, paper tissues, eyeglass frames.

LIPS AND MOUTH: Cosmetics such as lipsticks, toothpastes and mouthwashes, cigarettes and cigars, denture adhesives, and candies.

NECK: Substances used on the scalp, for example, cosmetics, collars, scarves, certain dress or shirt labels, and fur or wool near the neck.

UNDERARMS: Soaps, deodorants, depilatories, antiperspirants, shaving creams, perfumes.

HANDS AND WRISTS: Dishpan hands are a common form of contact dermatitis caused by hands’ being immersed repeatedly in soapy water. Regular use of vinyl gloves (not rubber, which can cause a reaction) is helpful, as is removing rings when wetting hands and wearing gloves when the weather is cold and windy. Soaps and cleansers used in showering or bathing, gloves, rings, bracelets, topical medications or creams, and most any substance that touches the hands can also irritate the skin. Wrists can develop a rash from the metal backing of a watch. Coating the back of the watch with clear nail polish can sometimes remedy this.

TRUNK: Clothing, bathing soaps or oils, and underwear.

FEET: Shoes, socks, shoe polishes, fur linings particularly in boots, ankle bracelets, medications, or detergents used on socks.

A few other common allergens that can cause symptoms in sensitive people include nickel, found in jewelry, which is often the cause of a red patch of skin that just won’t go away. It can occur on the ears from earrings or the wrist from a watch or bracelet or on the neck from a necklace. Some people who have their ears pierced develop an allergy to nickel and must avoid it for the rest of their lives.

Perfume in any form can cause reactions in sensitive people. It’s very difficult to identify exactly which chemical in a perfume is causing the problem as there are so many components to a fragrance. I suggest that if you have a problem with reactions to fragrances, or any allergic reactions to foods or instances of contact dermatitis, be especially careful when you use new products, including perfumes, shampoos, soaps, detergents, and the like. Try to introduce only one new product at a time and wait a week or so before introducing another; if you do have a reaction, it’s easier to identify the cause and eliminate it.

What can you do if you develop a case of contact dermatitis? If you identify and remove the allergen, tire rash should disappear in a few weeks. To relieve any itching in the meantime, you can use an over-the-counter cream containing 0.5 percent hydrocortisone. I tell my patients to use these creams sparingly; although they are quite mild, it’s not a good idea to use them every day for more than a month as overuse can cause discoloration or thinning of the skin.

I also recommend taking nutrients that help maintain tile health of the skin like MaxEPA, vitamin C, and vitamin A.

If your contact dermatitis doesn’t clear up in a month, you should consult a doctor.

NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR CONTACT DERMATITIS

• Identify the cause of the reaction and eliminate the allergen.
• If you have contact dermatitis on your hands, use vinyl gloves in place of rubber gloves when using cleansers and chemicals and when washing dishes.
• To retrieve symptoms while waiting for the rash to clear, use an over-the-counter cream containing .5 percent hydrocortisone, use sparingly.

IN ADDITION TO YOUR DAILY SUPPLEMENTS, TAKE:

• MaxEPA: 1,000 mg. three times a day.
• Vitamin C: 1,000 mg. daily
• Vitamin A: 1,000 I.U. daily.