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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What Are Sea Lice?
Sea lice, also called seabather’s eruption, is caused by jellyfish larvae in the ocean that get trapped in your bathing suit and sting you. Here’s how to treat the itchy, red rash.
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Common Skin Rashes
The the basics on some common types of skin rashes, including eczema, granuloma annulare, lichen planus, and pityriasis rosea.
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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.
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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Picture of Vitiligo on Neck
Vitiligo. These are more illustrations of fairly extensive cases of vitiligo. The condition tends to progress and may even become universal. A variety of treatment modalities are commonly employed, with varying degrees of success. The patient and family should be made aware of the sophisticated cover-up cosmetics that are now available. The use of broad-spectrum sunscreen lotions during the summer months minimizes the con- trast between normal and involved skin. For some patients, the application of topical corticosteroids alone or with brief natural sunlight exposure early in the course of the disease may induce repigmentation. Narrowband UUB is also an effective treatment. Varying combinations of topical or oral psoralens and ultraviolet A light (PUVA) are used in the treatment of vitiligo.
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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.