Contact Dermatitis
The human skin, which is a barrier for the body, comes in contact with thousands of chemicals and substances on a regular basis. Fortunately, most of these do not create problems for the majority of people, however, some do. Over four thousand chemicals have been reported to cause allergic contact dermatitis. This is an allergic response in which the skin develops an itchy rash when exposed to a particular chemical. These rashes can occur anywhere on the body, and the source of the offending substance causing the rash can be anywhere from the household setting, to the recreational arena, to the workplace environment. The Contact Dermatitis Clinic at the University of Utah, Department of Dermatology, is dedicated to determining the particular chemical which is causing patient’s rashes, determining the source of those chemicals, and assisting the patients in avoiding them as well. This is done through a non-invasive process known as patch testing.
