Rashes Directory
A rash is a change in the skin due to skin irritation. Most rashes go away on their own or require only minor treatment. Some rashes may need medical attention. Some rash symptoms are redness, itching, bumps, redness, and swelling. Some causes of rashes are allergic reactions; plants such as poison ivy; or irritation due to jewelry, chemicals, or makeup. Rashes are also sometimes symptoms of another condition, as with impetigo or scabies. Treatments vary based on the cause, but many can be treated with medications. Follow the links below to find WebMD's comprehensive coverage about what causes a rash, what it looks like, how to treat it, and much more.
Medical Reference
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Life-Threatening Skin Rashes
Life-threatening skin rashes are rare, but when they do occur, you must identify them and go to a doctor quickly. WebMD tells you what to look for.
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Do I Have a Nickel or Jewelry Allergy?
Nickel is in lots of things – jewelry, cell phones, eyeglass frames, and more. Are you allergic to it?
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Do I Have Eczema, and How Do I Treat It?
Here's what your doctor will check and what treatments she'll consider if you have eczema.
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Poison Ivy, Oak & Sumac Symptoms
Read about the symptoms caused by poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac.
Features
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Sensitive Skin: Is It a Myth?
Sensitive skin is a common complaint but hard to diagnose. No two people have the same symptoms or react to the same triggers.
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3 Questions About Eczema: Symptoms, Causes, and Prevention
WebMD interviews Asriani M. Chiu, MD, for answers to three top questions about eczema symptoms, eczema causes, and how to prevent eczema.
Video
Slideshows & Images
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A Visual Guide to Viral Rashes
Your skin breaks out in itchy rashes, painful blisters, or crusty sores. Allergies? Eczema? The answer could be a viral infection.
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Guide to Contagious Rashes
Some skin problems come from touching another person's skin or something they touched. Here's what to watch out for and suggestions for what you can do.
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Below the Belt: Rashes, Bumps, and Lumps
Wondering about that unusual bump or rash? WebMD shows you what's going on down there and whether it could be a genital wart or cyst, skin tag, or herpes.
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Picture of Milia
Milia. A milium is a white papule, 1–2 mm in size, composed of laminated, keratinous material and situated as a solid cyst in a pilosebaceous follicle. Milia are fairly common on the brow, glabella, and nose in newborn infants and in such infants tend to disappear quickly and spontaneously. There may be few or many, and they may develop later in infancy, in childhood, and in adolescence. In older children and adolescents, they tend to macules may be sparse or numerous and resolve without residua over a period of several weeks to several months.