Skin rashes are often recognized by symptoms of reddening, itching, swelling, dryness, blistering, crusting, or scabbing of the skin. Dermatitis is the medical term used to describe skin conditions having one or all of these symptoms. Some of the causes of dermatitis include infection, some medications, and an inherited potential to develop skin irritation. One of the most common forms of dermatitis that often occurs in the home or workplace is called contact dermatitis. Dermatitis caused by substances that come in contact with the skin is called contact dermatitis .
Contact dermatitis affects millions of people.
Among the common substances known to cause contact dermatitis are soaps, rubber, jewelry, plants, household and industrial chemicals, cosmetics, and perfumes. The difference in these two types of contact dermatitis is the mechanism through which the dermatitis develops. Allergic contact dermatitis is a skin rash or dermatitis that occurs following reexposure to certain substances, called allergens, with which you previously had contact. Allergic contact dermatitis occurs as a reaction by the body's immune system to expel the allergen from your skin. More than 3,000 substances are known to produce allergic contact dermatitis.