Contact Dermatitis overview

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [2] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:  Saumya Easaw, M.B.B.S.[3]

## Overview[edit | edit source]

Contact dermatitis is a term for a skin reaction resulting from exposure to allergens (allergic contact dermatitis) or irritants (irritant contact dermatitis).Phototoxic dermatitis occurs when the allergen or irritant is activated by sunlight. Contact dermatitis is a localized rash or irritation of the skin caused by contact with a foreign substance. Only the superficial regions of the skin are affected in contact dermatitis. Inflammation of the affected tissue is present in the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin) and the outer dermis (the layer beneath the epidermis).[1] Unlike contact urticaria, in which a rash appears within minutes of exposure and fades away within minutes to hours, contact dermatitis takes days to fade away. Even then, contact dermatitis fades only if the skin no longer comes in contact with the allergen or irritant.[2] Contact dermatitis results in large, burning, and itchy rashes, and these can take anywhere from several days to weeks to heal. Chronic contact dermatitis can develop when the removal of the offending agent no longer provides expected relief.

## References[edit | edit source]

1. ↑ ESDC. What is contact dermatitis. European Society of Contact Dermatitis, http://orgs.dermis.net
2. ↑ "DermNet NZ: Contact Dermatitis". Retrieved 2006-08-14.

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