The skin is your body’s first barrier against disease and infection, although it is porous. Because it comes into constant contact with your environment, it can easily become irritated and can occasionally develop a rash.
Skin rashes may form due to different factors like heat, allergens, and medication. The skin inflammation may be mild or severe, depending on its cause and your own body chemistry. A rash is often itchy and reddish with swelling and scaling.
Reasons Why a Skin Rash Can Develop
Some of the most common health conditions that can cause a skin rash in both children and adults include the following:
Eczema
More than 30 million Americans suffer from eczema, which is also called atopic dermatitis. This chronic skin condition appears as red and itchy patches on the hands, feet, ankles, neck, and limbs. It may occasionally flare up and then subside for some time. You can avoid flare-ups by avoiding irritants, and by regularly using creams or lotions that are prescribed by your dermatologist.
Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is either due to irritants or allergies. Irritant contact dermatitis causes a dry and scaly rash, and it can be triggered by cleaning products or industrial chemicals.
Allergic contact dermatitis, on the other hand, is characterized by itchy, red, bumpy rashes that may sometimes have blisters. This type is caused by contact with allergens such as latex rubber and poison ivy.
Heat Rash
A heat rash can develop when sweat flow becomes obstructed due to hot weather or overdressing. It has two types: prickly heat (miliaria rubra) and miliaria crystalline.
Prickly heat rashes look like clusters of small, red bumps that feel prickly, itchy, or stingy. Miliaria crystalline, on the other hand, creates clear, fluid-filled, crystal-like bumps and blisters.
Although heat rashes are not severe skin conditions, they can be quite irritating. Wearing loose and lightweight clothing can help prevent this type of rash.
Intertrigo
This type of rash is caused by skin-on-skin friction in warm and moist parts of the body like the groin, under the breasts, under the arms, or between the toes. Intertrigo can be sensitive and painful.
Severe cases have oozing sores, cracked skin, and bleeding. You can avoid this condition by keeping these body parts as clean and dry as possible.
Psoriasis
When your skin cells multiply quickly, then rough and scaly skin may occur. This chronic autoimmune skin condition is known as psoriasis.
The immune system of patients with psoriasis misfires and mistakenly causes the quick growth of cells and inflammation. The extra skin cells are thick and scaly, creating red patches that are itchy and painful.
Like contact dermatitis, this condition may flare up occasionally. Flare-ups can be caused by stress, cold and dry weather, smoke, alcohol, infection, or injury.
Rash Treatment in South Florida
In most cases, skin rashes are harmless. Our board-certified dermatologists at Children’s Skin Center are skilled in diagnosing and treating skin conditions like rashes.
Our clinics use the latest medications and state-of-art technology to help both adults and children get past their skin problems. We also offer cosmetic dermatological services like skin peels and laser skin tightening.
If you would like to schedule an appointment, call us today at (305) 669-6555 or fill out our appointment request form online. We look forward to helping you live rash-free, with beautifully clear skin!
