Causes of Skin Rashes

What is to be done about a skin rash in Wellesley, MA? Although anyone can experience a skin rash at any time during their life, children under the age of four tend to experience the most skin allergies, which usually include a rash. It's essential to identify the underlying cause so you can take steps to alleviate your symptoms and prevent future outbreaks! The dermatologists at Newton Wellesley Dermatology Associates in Wellesley, MA, see many skin rashes yearly and know how to treat them.

Types of Skin Rashes

There are several kinds of rashes that a person can experience over their lifetime. Each rash in Wellesley, MA, has unique and predictable behavior and cycles of flare-up and healing.

• Raised red welts
• Red marks that fill with liquid or have a hard bump or both a hard bump and liquid
• Splotchy wide-spread red areas
• Scaling of the skin in one localized area
• Swollen and itchy red lesions
• Red, non-itchy color appearing primarily in the facial regions
• Small lesions with puss or liquid-filled pockets that are itchy to the point of distraction

Causes of Skin Rashes

The causes can be grouped into four general categories: allergic reactions, irritant contact dermatitis, infectious diseases, and bug bites.

Allergic reactions: Allergic reactions may include hives, contact dermatitis (a rash that appears where the clothing touches your skin), or acneiform eruptions (rash similar to acne).

Irritant contact dermatitis: Irritant reactions can occur as dry, itchy patches on your skin that don't heal with time. They may also cause blisters and open sores.

Infectious diseases: Staph infections on the skin cause crusted over, liquid-filled, and extremely itchy bumps. Chickenpox produces red itchy welts over most of the body.

Bug bites: These include bites from horse flies, no-see-um gnats, mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, chiggers, and skin mites.

How to Treat Skin Rashes

A person usually tries to treat the inflammation on their own before contacting a dermatologist. If the cause of the rash is known and this is not the first time for the patient, a person can try topical treatments such as ointments or creams. Depending on the type, it can help soothe the itchiness and reduce inflammation. Other people might take an oral, over-the-counter antihistamine to help reduce the itching from the inside out.

The dermatologists at Newton Wellesley Dermatology Association in Wellesley, MA, intimately understand what causes each kind of skin rash. When a rash in Wellesley, MA, doesn't go away on its own or if it is new for you, reach out to the dermatologists at Newton Wellesley Dermatology Associates in Wellesley, MA, at (781) 237-3500 right away!