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Contact Dermatitis Directory
Contact dermatitis is a skin reaction caused by contact with an allergen or an irritant. Common causes of contact dermatitis include poison ivy, metals, chemicals, cosmetic, soaps, and water. Follow the links below to find WebMD's comprehensive coverage about the types of contact dermatitis, what it looks like, how to treat it, and much more.
Medical Reference
An Overview of Latex Allergy
Latex allergy can cause a dangerous reaction to substances in natural latex. Learn about the symptoms, causes, and treatments.
Am I Allergic to Latex?
It’s in lots of products. Do you know what the symptoms are, and how to avoid latex?
Dermatitis Treatments
An overview of the diagnosis and treatment of dermatitits, a common skin condition.
Dermatitis Symptoms
Learn about symptoms of the various types of dermatitis.
Features
The Dirty Dozen: The 12 Most Common Skin Irritants
Do you know which products in your household are common skin irritants? Get expert tips on how to protect your family’s skin from harsh chemicals.
Protect Your Child’s Skin From Irritants
Get expert tips on how to protect your child’s skin from common skin irritants.
Surprising Household Irritants
Did you know that many substances you come in contact with every day can cause itchy skin and rashes? Read about surprising household irritants that may affect your skin.
Slideshows & Images
Images of Childhood Skin Problems
Hives, ringworm, warts: just a few skin conditions often seen in babies and children. How can you recognize these common childhood conditions -- and is home treatment possible?
Picture of Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Allergic contact dermatitis (reaction to temporary tattoo). Contact allergy to temporary tattoos has become an increasingly common phenomenon. In most cases, the tattoo material does not contain pure henna, but is a mixture of brown henna with paraphenylenediamine (PPD) called black henna. The patient is allergic to PPD in the tatto. In fact, the concentration of PPD in black henna is higher than that seen in commercial hair dyes. After resolution of the eczematous skin eruption, postinflammatory hyperpigmentation may persist for a considerable period of time.
Picture of Allergic Contact Dermatitis on Arm
Allergic contact dermatitis (reaction to temporary tattoo). Contact allergy to temporary tattoos has become an increasingly common phenomenon. In most cases, the tattoo material does not contain pure henna, but is a mixture of brown henna with paraphenylenediamine (PPD) called black henna. The patient is allergic to PPD in the tatto. In fact, the concentration of PPD in black henna is higher than that seen in commercial hair dyes. After resolution of the eczematous skin eruption, postinflammatory hyperpigmentation may persist for a considerable period of time.
Picture of Nickel Contact Dermatitis
Nickel contact dermatitis. The development of an itchy eczematous eruption near the umbilicus is virtually pathognomonic for contact dermatitis to nickel. The source is the small metal snap in the blue jeans or the metal belt buckle. The simultaneous occurrence of an id reaction, sometimes with small lichenoid papules on the elbows and knees, is very common. Lesions can be treated effectively with topical corticosteroids, but the only cure results from strict avoidance of nickel. This is easier said than done. Parents must buy jeans without snaps or sew in a small piece of fabric to protect the underlying skin. Families should be reminded that wearing jeans with a metal snap for just several hours out of the month would reactivate the entire process. Children with contact dermatitis to nickel should also avoid metal jewelry and should be advised against ear piercing.