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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes. The rash and where it sits show well on camera, and a doctor can prescribe a steroid cream when a flare needs one.
- Two types: irritant contact dermatitis, from soaps, detergents, solvents or frequent wetting, is the most common; allergic contact dermatitis is a delayed allergy to a substance such as nickel.
- Timing: symptoms appear within a few hours or days of contact; an allergic rash usually starts 24 to 72 hours later, so the trigger is easy to miss.
- See a doctor: if the rash keeps coming back, is severe or widespread, or does not settle once you avoid the trigger and moisturise.
- Emergency: call 112 for swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing, which is an immediate allergic reaction rather than contact dermatitis.
Do not book a video appointment if your lips, tongue or throat are swelling or you are struggling to breathe: call 112. Severe swelling and blistering of the face and neck after using hair dye needs prompt in-person care, as does a rash with spreading redness, pus or a fever.
Can an online doctor treat contact dermatitis?
Yes. Contact dermatitis is recognised by how the rash looks and where it sits, and by what has touched the skin, which works well by video. The doctor helps you find the trigger, prescribes a steroid cream or ointment of the right strength for the body site when a flare needs one, and refers you for patch testing when the cause stays unclear.
How an online consultation helps with contact dermatitis
- A trigger hunt: The doctor goes through what touches the affected skin at home and at work, from soap and gloves to jewellery, make-up, hair dye and creams.
- The right strength of cream: Face, hands and body need different strengths of steroid cream. The doctor matches the treatment to the site and the severity.
- Protection that works: How to wash, moisturise and wear gloves so that the skin barrier can recover.
- Patch testing when needed: If the rash keeps returning and the cause is unclear, the doctor explains when patch testing is worth it and refers you.
What the doctor checks in an online consultation
The consultation follows a fixed order, and the warning signs come first. The doctor asks about:
- Warning signs: swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, breathing problems, a fever, or spreading redness, pus or crusting.
- The rash: where it started, how it spread, and whether it has blistered or cracked.
- Contact: soaps, cleaning products, gloves, jewellery, cosmetics, hair dye, plants and creams or ointments you have used, and when you used them.
- Work and hobbies: wet work, chemicals, metals, rubber and anything you handle every day.
- Your skin: eczema, asthma or hay fever, and earlier reactions.
- Your medicines: what you take and what you put on your skin.
Before the call, find a spot with good light so you can show the rash on camera, and gather the products you have used on that skin, so you can read out their ingredients.
What is dermatitis?
Dermatitis means inflammation of the skin. Eczema is a type of dermatitis, and the two words are often used for the same thing. Contact dermatitis is the type caused by something touching the skin, and it affects 15% to 20% of people at some point. Dermatitis is not contagious, and it does not mean the skin is dirty or infected.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Type | What it is | Typical clue |
|---|---|---|
| Atopic eczema | The most common type of eczema | Often runs in families, with asthma and hay fever |
| Contact dermatitis | A reaction to something that touches the skin | The rash sits where the substance touched, most often the hands and face |
| Seborrhoeic dermatitis | Flaky patches and dandruff | The scalp, face and ears |
| Discoid eczema | Circular or oval patches of eczema | Round, itchy patches |
| Pompholyx | Itchy blisters on the edges of the fingers, the palms, the toes and the soles | Sweating a lot, or a warm climate |
| Varicose eczema | Eczema from poor blood flow through the leg veins | The lower legs |
Contact dermatitis symptoms
Contact dermatitis is a type of eczema triggered by contact with a particular substance. The affected skin can become:
- itchy
- blistered
- dry and cracked
- red on lighter skin; dark brown, purple or grey on darker skin
It can affect any part of the body, but the hands and face are most common. The rash usually sits where the trigger touched the skin, which is the biggest clue to the cause: under jewellery, on the fingertips, on the eyelids or along the hairline.
Scratching can break the skin and let in infection. On brown or black skin, the affected area can stay darker or lighter for months, sometimes years, after the rash has settled.
What can be mistaken for contact dermatitis?
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Condition | What tells it apart |
|---|---|
| Atopic eczema | Can be lifelong, is not tied to one substance, and often comes with asthma or hay fever |
| Psoriasis | Thicker scales with well-defined edges |
| Rosacea | Redness on the forehead, nose, chin and cheeks, often with spots |
| Hives | Raised, itchy weals that come and go within hours |
| A citrus and sun reaction | A painful rash and large blisters where lemon or lime juice on the skin met strong sunlight |
Irritant or allergic contact dermatitis?
There are two types, and the difference changes the advice:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Irritant contact dermatitis | Allergic contact dermatitis | |
|---|---|---|
| How common | The most common type | Less common |
| What happens | A substance damages the outer layer of the skin | The immune system reacts to a substance |
| Who gets it | Anyone with enough exposure, especially people with eczema | Only people who have become sensitised to that substance |
| Typical triggers | Soaps, detergents, solvents, frequent wetting, friction | Nickel, fragrance, preservatives, hair dye, rubber chemicals, some plants and creams |
| Timing | Builds up with repeated contact | Usually 24 to 72 hours after contact |
Most dermatitis on the hands is irritant. Once you are allergic to a substance, the allergy usually lasts for life, and even a small amount can bring the rash back.
Common triggers of contact dermatitis
- Nickel: jewellery, piercings and some phone cases.
- Fragrance: perfumes, cosmetics and household products.
- Preservatives: such as methylisothiazolinone in wash-off hair products and wet wipes, which often causes an itchy red face.
- Hair dye: paraphenylenediamine (PPD) in permanent dyes, which can cause swelling and blistering of the face and neck.
- Rubber chemicals: in rubber gloves.
- Plants: some plants cause swelling and blistering on exposed skin.
- Creams and ointments: some antibiotic creams cause blistering where they are applied.
- Irritants: soaps, detergents, solvents and regular contact with water.
Some people react to substances in raw fruit and vegetables they handle. Chemicals often have several names on labels, and some cross-react, such as nickel and cobalt, so the doctor helps you read labels for the right words.
Nickel allergy in Europe
When 3,119 randomly chosen adults in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Portugal were patch tested, 14.5% were allergic to nickel: 22% of women and 5.3% of men. The rate rose from 6.4% in people who had never had a piercing to 27.6% in those with three or more, and it was lowest in Sweden, at 8.3%, which brought in nickel rules early, in 1990. EU rules now limit how much nickel can be released by jewellery, piercings, watches, hair clips, zips and mobile phones that touch the skin for long periods. A nickel allergy lasts for life.
Contact dermatitis at work
Contact dermatitis is the most common work-related skin disease. Jobs with a higher risk include hairdressing and beauty, healthcare, cleaning, metal work, painting and floristry.
- Wear gloves for wet work and chemicals, but take them off regularly, because sweat inside them can make dermatitis worse.
- Cotton gloves under rubber gloves help if the rubber irritates your skin.
- Some chemicals pass through certain gloves, so ask your workplace safety adviser which gloves suit the products you use.
- Use an emollient soap substitute, and moisturise after every wash.
How long does contact dermatitis last?
Once the skin no longer meets the trigger, an allergic rash usually settles over several days. A severe rash, or one that has been there a long time, takes longer: the longer you have had contact dermatitis, the longer it takes to clear once the cause is found. With some allergens, such as chromate, it can persist for a long time. No treatment clears it while the skin keeps meeting the trigger.
How to treat contact dermatitis at home
Avoiding the irritant or allergen is the most important step, and the rash usually improves or clears once you do. Alongside that:
Do
- If your skin has touched the trigger, rinse it with warm water and an emollient as soon as you can.
- Apply an emollient (a moisturiser that stops skin drying out) often and generously.
- Use an emollient soap substitute instead of ordinary soap.
- Check the ingredients of make-up, soap and skin products, and ask the manufacturer if a label is unclear.
- Keep showers to about 10 minutes in lukewarm water, use a mild, unscented cleanser, pat the skin dry and moisturise while it is still damp.
- If you wash your hands often, use a fragrance-free hand cream after each wash.
- Ask a pharmacist which emollient suits your skin.
Don’t
- keep using a product you suspect, even in small amounts
- wash with ordinary soap or hot water, which dry the skin further
- wear gloves for long periods without a break
Which contact dermatitis treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment depends on how severe the rash is and where it sits. This is the framework the doctors use, in line with NHS and dermatology guidance.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mild rash, trigger known | Avoidance and emollients | Yes | Not usually needed |
| Itchy, inflamed or cracked flare | A steroid cream or ointment matched to the site | Yes | If it does not settle with treatment |
| Rash that keeps coming back, cause unclear | A trigger review, then patch testing | Yes, to assess and refer | Patch testing is done in person |
| Weeping, crusting or pus | Treatment for a skin infection | Yes | If you have a fever or spreading redness |
| Severe, widespread rash | Assessment for a short course of steroid tablets | Yes, to assess | If it covers a large area or blisters badly |
| Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat | Emergency treatment | No | Call 112 now |
Not sure what is causing your rash? A doctor can help you find the trigger in one consultation.
See available times →Treatment options for contact dermatitis
What you can do yourself
- Avoid the trigger completely, at home and at work.
- Use emollients every day, not only during a flare.
- Protect your hands with the right gloves, and take breaks from them.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. For a flare, the doctor can prescribe a steroid cream or ointment, with the strength matched to the body site: weaker on the face, stronger on the palms. For a severe episode covering a large area, a short course of steroid tablets is sometimes needed, though this is rare. If the skin is infected, the doctor can prescribe an antibiotic. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
No cream works while the skin keeps meeting its trigger, so avoidance comes first. Swapping between many new products at once makes the cause harder to find, and scratching damages the skin barrier further.
Patch testing for contact dermatitis
Patch testing is the standard test for allergic contact dermatitis. Small amounts of common allergens are taped to your back, and a dermatology team reads the skin over the following days, usually first at 48 hours, to see which substances cause a reaction.
It is worth doing when the rash keeps coming back or does not clear, and the trigger is not obvious. Patch testing is done in person by a dermatology service: the doctor can refer you, with a summary of your history and the products already ruled out.
Special situations
Hair dye reactions
An allergy to PPD in permanent hair dye can cause marked swelling and blistering of the scalp, face and neck. Rinse the dye out, do not dye your hair again, and get prompt in-person care if your face or eyelids swell.
Dermatitis on the face
Preservatives in wash-off products and wet wipes, fragrance and some make-up often cause an itchy red face. A rash around the mouth after using steroid or heavy creams may be perioral dermatitis instead.
If you have eczema
People with eczema are especially sensitive to irritants, so gentle washing and daily emollients matter even more. Itchy blisters on the sides of the fingers may be pompholyx.
Hives rather than dermatitis
Raised, itchy weals that come and go within hours are hives, a different reaction. The skin allergy page explains how the two differ.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When contact dermatitis is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: finding the trigger, emollient and skin-protection plans, steroid creams and ointments for flares, infected dermatitis in someone who is otherwise well, and referral for patch testing.
In-person care: patch testing, a severe widespread rash, marked swelling of the face after hair dye, infection with a fever, and any sign of an immediate allergic reaction.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- swelling of the lips, tongue or throat
- difficulty breathing or swallowing
- feeling faint or collapsing after contact with a substance
Get medical advice the same day for:
- swelling and blistering of the face or eyelids, for example after hair dye
- a rash with spreading redness, pus, crusting or a fever
- a severe rash covering a large area of skin
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about contact dermatitis: show the rash on camera in good light, and have the products you use on that skin to hand.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s contact dermatitis? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Eczema can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about contact dermatitis
What is dermatitis?
Dermatitis means inflammation of the skin. It is a general term that covers several types, including atopic eczema, contact dermatitis, seborrhoeic dermatitis and discoid eczema. It is not contagious.
What does contact dermatitis look like?
Contact dermatitis is itchy, dry, cracked or blistered skin where a substance touched it, most often on the hands or face. It looks red on lighter skin, and dark brown, purple or grey on darker skin.
What is the difference between irritant and allergic contact dermatitis?
Irritant contact dermatitis happens when a substance such as soap, detergent or a solvent damages the outer layer of the skin, and it can affect anyone. Allergic contact dermatitis is an immune reaction to a substance, such as nickel or hair dye, in people who have become sensitised to it.
How long after contact does contact dermatitis appear?
Symptoms usually appear within a few hours or days. An allergic rash typically starts 24 to 72 hours after contact, which is why the trigger is often something you used a day or two earlier.
How long does contact dermatitis last?
Contact dermatitis usually improves or clears completely once the trigger is identified and avoided: an allergic rash usually settles over several days. A severe or long-standing rash takes longer, and if you keep meeting the trigger, the rash keeps coming back.
How do you get rid of contact dermatitis fast?
Find and avoid the trigger, rinse the skin after any contact, and use emollients often and generously. For an inflamed flare, a steroid cream or ointment of the right strength helps, and a doctor can prescribe one.
What are the most common causes of contact dermatitis?
Irritants such as soaps, detergents, solvents and frequent contact with water cause most cases. Common allergens include nickel, fragrance, preservatives in hair products and wet wipes, hair dye, rubber gloves, some plants and some antibiotic creams.
Is contact dermatitis contagious?
No. Contact dermatitis is a reaction of your own skin to a substance, not an infection, so it cannot spread to other people, and touching someone else’s rash does not pass it on; what can be shared is the trigger, so two people using the same new detergent or cream can both react.
What is the best cream for contact dermatitis?
Emollients, used often and generously, are the basis of contact dermatitis treatment. For an inflamed flare, a steroid cream or ointment helps, and the strength needs to match the body site. A doctor can prescribe the right one.
Do I need patch testing?
Patch testing is worth doing when contact dermatitis keeps returning or does not clear and the trigger is not obvious. It is done in person by a dermatology service, and a doctor can refer you.
Can contact dermatitis come back?
Yes. An allergy to a substance usually lasts for life, so even a small amount can bring the rash back. Irritant dermatitis returns if the skin keeps meeting soaps, water or chemicals without protection.
How can I prevent contact dermatitis?
Find the trigger and keep it off your skin: wear gloves for wet work and cleaning, with cotton liners if rubber irritates, use fragrance-free soap substitutes and moisturise after every wash, try new cosmetics on the inner arm first, choose nickel-free jewellery and belt buckles, rinse detergent out of clothes, and keep the skin barrier strong with daily emollient, because damaged skin reacts to things healthy skin tolerates. Contact dermatitis that keeps returning despite this is a reason for patch testing.
Can an online doctor treat contact dermatitis?
Yes. A doctor can look at contact dermatitis on camera, help you find the trigger, prescribe a steroid cream or ointment when needed, and refer you for patch testing. Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat needs 112.
- Contact dermatitis, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 3 May 2023.
- Allergic contact dermatitis, DermNet, New Zealand, 2025.
- Dermatitis, Cleveland Clinic, updated 29 October 2020.
- Dermatitis: symptoms and causes, Mayo Clinic, updated 2 May 2025.
- Contact dermatitis, American Academy of Dermatology Association, updated 14 December 2020.
- Prevalence of contact allergy to metals in the European general population with a focus on nickel and piercings: the EDEN Fragrance Study, Schuttelaar MLA et al., Contact Dermatitis, 2018.
- Fact sheet: nickel (EU REACH restriction), Danish Environmental Protection Agency, accessed 15 October 2026.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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