Contact dermatitis 

Contact dermatitis is inflammation of the skin that occurs when you come into contact with a particular substance. It can cause red, itchy and scaly skin, and sometimes burning and stinging.

Contact dermatitis is a type of eczema. This is the name for a group of skin conditions that cause dry, irritated skin. There are several other types of eczema, including:

• atopic eczema (also called atopic dermatitis), which often runs in families and is linked to other conditions, such as asthma and hay fever
• discoid eczema, which usually affects adults and causes circular or oval patches of eczema
• varicose eczema, which occurs on the legs, usually around varicose veins (swollen and enlarged veins)

Types of contact dermatitis

There are two types of contact dermatitis:

• allergic contact dermatitis - this is caused by an allergen (a substance that causes an immune response in the skin)
• irritant contact dermatitis - this is caused by an irritant (a substance that damages the skin physically)

Allergic contact dermatitis involves the immune system, the body’s natural defence system, which reacts abnormally to the allergen. The first time this happens, the body becomes ‘sensitised’ to the allergen. The next time you come into contact with the allergen, the body ‘remembers’ the previous exposure and it causes a reaction.

Irritant contact dermatitis can occur in anyone who is exposed to irritants for a sufficient amount of time. See Contact dermatitis - causes for more information.

Both types of contact dermatitis can cause your skin to become red, blistered, dry and cracked. Sometimes, it is possible to have both irritant and allergic contact dermatitis at the same time.

How common is contact dermatitis?

Irritant contact dermatitis is more common than allergic contact dermatitis. Irritants cause up to 8 out of 10 cases of contact dermatitis.

Three-quarters of all contact dermatitis cases affect the hands. It is also more common in women, with approximately 1 in 5 women experiencing contact dermatitis on their hands at some point during their lives. This may be because women are exposed to more environmental factors that cause contact dermatitis.

Contact dermatitis can develop at any age and can affect anybody.

Outlook

Treatment for contact dermatitis involves using emollients to soothe the skin. An emollient is a moisturiser applied to the skin to reduce the loss of water from the skin. Corticosteroid medicines can be used to treat severe symptoms.

With treatment, most people with contact dermatitis can expect their symptoms to improve at least partially. In up to two out of five people, the condition will clear up completely. See Contact dermatitis - treatment for more information.

Another part of treating contact dermatitis involves avoiding the allergens or irritants that cause it. If you can successfully avoid the allergens or irritants, your condition will clear up. See Contact dermatitis - prevention for further advice.