What’s Causing That Mysterious Rash?

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Found a rash on your skin and not sure what’s caused it? Beyond obvious causes like chafing, sunburn and animal stings, there are many other things that can trigger a rash. This post can help you to narrow down the potential cause so that you can explore the right treatments.

Stress

Stress causes our nervous system to become oversensitive, which can result in all kinds of weird reactions around the body. One example is hives on the skin (small round bumps that are often associated with an allergy). Stress can also cause skin conditions like acne, eczema and psoriasis to flare up. Learning to manage stress could help to prevent these skin rashes.

Heat

Excessive sweating caused by extreme heat can cause sweat gland ducts to become blocked and inflamed. This can lead to a blotchy and itchy rash known as ‘heat rash’. Heat rash is most common in babies, but can occur in people of all ages. The best treatment is to place an ice pack or something cool on the skin. 

Medication

Some people are allergic to certain forms of medication. Reaction symptoms can range from mild to severe. Milder reactions typically result in hives or light redness, while more serious reactions can cause blisters. A drug rash may not always be an allergy, but could simply be hypersensitivity to a certain medication. Finding an alternative form of medication is typically necessary to stop repeat rashes. You can check this page for information on how to treat drug rash.

Soaps/detergents

Certain chemicals in soaps and laundry detergents can trigger contact dermatitis in some people. This rash can take several forms including hives or red swollen skin, and it may or may not be itchy. It’s worth switching to hypoallergenic unscented soaps or detergents to see if this is the culprit. You can explore various treatments for these rashes ranging from over-the-counter steroid cream to an oatmeal bath.

Make-up/perfumes

Recently started using a new make-up or perfume? Chemicals in these beauty and aroma products could also potentially trigger contact dermatitis. There are hypoallergenic make-ups and even hypoallergenic perfumes you can try using instead. Depending on how severe the reaction, you may need steroid cream to reduce the rash.

Metal

A lot of people are allergic to specific metals like nickel, chromium and copper. Silver and gold allergies are much less common, but can still occur. Metal allergies are most commonly triggered by jewelry and cause a contact dermatitis rash similar to a soap or make-up allergy, usually localized to wherever the jewelry was worn. By trying different jewelry metals, you can work out which metals you can wear and which to avoid. 

Plants

Some plants are poisonous and are known to cause rashes including poison ivy, stinging nettles and baby’s breath. However, some people can develop a contact dermatitis rash from brushing against other plants too as a result of developing unique allergies. Calamine lotion is good for treating many itchy plant rashes. Beyond avoiding plants that cause rashes, get into the habit of covering up skin when doing tasks like gardening to avoid future rashes.