Treatment
Persons who develop the rash and the other symptoms from a certain trigger are most likely to have it for the rest of their lives and detecting and avoiding the allergen is mandatory in treating the condition and resolving its symptoms.
The first step in treating the condition is applying a damp cloth shortly after the skin problem first shows to make sure that all of the irritant has been removed from the area. In some cases, the best treatment is to do nothing to the area.
In mild to moderate cases, patients may use skin creams containing corticosteroids to reduce the inflammation. These creams should be used carefully and according to the instructions they come with because when overused over longer periods of time they can cause serious skin conditions. Also, calamine lotion and cool oatmeal baths may relieve itching. Over the counter diphenhydramine by mouth is helpful for night time itching.
Usually, severe cases are treated with systemic corticosteroids which may be tapered gradually, with various dosing schedules ranging from a total of 12 – 20 days to prevent the recurrence of the rash as well as a topical corticosteroid. Tacrolimus ointment or pimecrolimus cream can also be used additionally to the corticosteroid creams or instead of these. Oral antihistamines such as diphenhydramine or hydroxyzine may also be used in more severe cases to relieve the intense itching. Topical antihistamines are not advised as there might be a second skin reactions from the lotion itself.
The other symptoms caused by allergic contact dermatitis are generally eased with wet dressings and drying lotions to stop the itching. In most cases however, medication or actual treatment is not required as long as the trigger has been identified and avoided. The discomfort caused by the symptoms may be relieved by wearing smooth-textured clothing to avoid more skin irritation or by avoiding soaps with perfumes and dyes.
Commonly, the symptoms may resolve without treatment in 2 to 4 weeks but specific medication may hasten the healing as long as the trigger is avoided. Also, the condition might become chronic if the allergen is not detected and therefore it is not avoided.
Read more about this topic: Allergic Contact Dermatitis
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