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Allergic Skin Reactions
At Dermatology Affiliates we take a comprehensive approach to skin allergies and allergic skin reactions. In addition to treating your current skin condition, we work to discover your allergy triggers so you can avoid skin allergies in the future.
A contact skin allergy can sneak up on you as a child or an adult. Those costume jewelry earrings you’ve loved since college may suddenly turn your earlobes red and itchy, or the Neosporin you’ve sworn by for cuts and scrapes your whole life may leave you with a bright red and itchy rash.
Not only do we identify and treat contact skin allergy, we also perform patch testing to help figure out exactly what you need to avoid and educate you on safe, non-allergenic products.
For help treating allergic skin reactions, schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified dermatologists.
Patch Testing to Diagnose Contact Skin Allergies
Patch testing is a process that involves the placement of 29 common culprits of contact skin allergy to see if an allergic reaction develops at any of those sites. Patch testing requires three office visits in one week. For example, the patches are usually placed on Monday, removed and read on Wednesday, and then a final reading performed on Thursday or Friday. This is because some of the reactions are delayed.
If you are scheduled for patch testing, there a few important things to know in order to get the best results. The first is to stop taking any antihistamines 7- 10 days before your patches are placed. Antihistamines can interfere with your body’s reaction to allergens and can lead to false negative results. You should also not be on any systemic steroids during patch testing and two weeks prior.
Finally, it is very important that you do not get your back wet during the patch testing process, which includes avoiding showers and heavy sweating. We recommend sponge baths during this time in order to ensure the patches stay in place, prevent the allergens from running on your back and to preserve the markings we place after removing the patches.
If any skin allergies are detected during patch testing, we provide you with extensive information about your allergy, what products to avoid, and what products are safe for you to use.
Schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified dermatologists for help treating skin allergies.
