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Contact dermatitis picture
Contact dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin caused by
direct contact with an irritating substance
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Contact dermatitis causes
In North and South America, the most common causes of allergic contact
dermatitis are plants of the Toxicodendron genus: poison ivy, poison oak, and
poison sumac. Specific plant species that can induce such contact dermatitis
include Western Poison Oak, a widespread plant in the western USA. Common causes
of irritant contact dermatitis are harsh (highly alkaline) soaps, detergents,
and cleaning products.
Symptoms of Contact dermatititis
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). 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. 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.
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