Regarding Women-Winter 2001 List of Articles Upcoming Events Precautions, such as wearing gloves when using strong detergents, can help prevent contact dermatitis. For some women, even common everyday substances can cause skin to break into an itchy, red, blistery rash. When this happens, contact dermatitis is a likely cause. Hair dye is a common cause of contact dermatitis. Patch testing is an effective way to discover which allergens are causing a rash.
Contact dermatitis develops right after touching the offending substance.
But women with allergies are not the only ones who can get contact dermatitis. A second type of contact dermatitis is caused by repeat exposure to harsh irritants. Problem substances include acids, solvents, and strong soaps and detergents. The first line of treatment for contact dermatitis is to avoid contact with the offending source. It may take some sleuthing to discover the problem substance.